2Rph

Radio 2RPH is a radio reading service that aims to inform, educate and entertain New South Wales’ listeners.

What is Radio 2RPH?

Radio for the Print Handicapped of NSW has been broadcasting in Sydney since April 1983 and from Glebe since May 2000.

The station is on air 24 hours each day. The three studios and a production suite are in operation from 6am to 11pm each day. Programs from the BBC are broadcast from 11pm to 6am.

Volunteers prepare, produce and present all the programs. Items from the day’s newspapers are read live by volunteers.

There are more than 600, 000 people in Sydney who have difficulty seeing, handling, or understanding printed material. They include people with impaired vision, or physical disabilities caused by strokes, arthritis, cerebral palsy, etc. Without a radio reading service, they wouldn’t be able to access a wide range of information of vital importance to them in their daily lives. 2RPH provides these people with the opportunity to know what’s in the daily newspapers or in magazines and books – and they can access all this information simply by switching on their radio.

Listeners also include people from a non-English speaking background. The Adult Migrant Education Service (AMES) uses 2RPH broadcasts as a teaching aid, so by announcing the page of the paper on which an item appears, students learning English can follow the item being read.

Also, many people listen to 1224 AM while they are driving, or working at home or at business. Some hospitals and nursing homes broadcast 2RPHprograms through their 'in-house' systems.

The transmitter, at Prospect, has the same signal strength as the other capital city AM commercial stations.

A Brief History of Radio Station 2RPH

October 1977
First Public Meeting held at Paddington Town Hall, 23 October. Sydney Radio Foundation for the Print-Handicapped formed. Professor Neil Runcie, Chairman of 2MBS-FM, elected as Chairman of the Foundation. Mrs Barbara Blackman, Mrs Joan Ledermann and Dr Sam Gillis elected Vice-chairpersons.

December 1977
First test transmission conducted from 2RES studios in Paddington on 12 December.

July 1979
Radio for the Print-Handicapped of New South Wales Co-operative Limited formed at a meeting in Paddington Town Hall, 29 July. The Foundation Chairman was Professor Neil Runcie.

September 1979
Radio Print Handicapped of NSW Co-operative Ltd. officially registered by the NSW Registrar of Co-operative Societies.

August 1980
Second test transmission conducted from 2RES studios in Paddington on 29 August.

1981
International Year of the Disabled Persons. Federal Government allocated an establishment grant to RPH groups throughout Australia. This meant that 2RPH would be able to purchase its own transmitter.

February 1982
Professor Ron Postle elected as Chairman.

September 1982
Transmitter purchased using the establishment grant and delivered in September 1982.

September 1982
An agreement concluded with University of NSW radio station 2UV and 2RPH to share the University’s radio hut and transmitter aerial at Concord West.

October 1982
A licence granted to 2RPH under the Wireless and Telegraphy Act. Power outlet limited to 500 watts. Frequency allocated was 1629 kHz.

February 1983
2RPH commenced regular daily test transmissions on 11 February. For the first six weeks, these involved 1½ hours of recorded material, mostly supplied by the Royal Blind Society. Broadcast from the 2UV studios at the University of NSW.

March 1983
Geoff Brown appointed as Station Manager.

March 1983
A studio in the 2SM Building at 186 Blues Point Road made available through the generous assistance of 2SM.

April 1983
First program from the borrowed 2SM studio, on 18 April. Within four months, in a borrowed studio and no pre-production facilities, 2RPH was broadcasting for about 51 hours each week.

May 1984
Station run by a volunteer management committee comprising Jan Marchant, Norman Webb and Sylvia Glover.

June 1984
A grant of $30, 000 made by Frank Walker, NSW Minister for Youth & Community Services.
November 1984 Second studio in Blues Point Road officially opened. Equipment installed with assistance received from Civil & Civic.

February 1985
Volunteers’ Log Book implemented to record number of hours worked. Over 2, 500 hours recorded by April 1985.

January 1986
Jan Marchant officially appointed as Station Manager.

February 1991
Frequency changed from 1629 (just off the main broadcasting band) to the old JJ frequency, 1539. Together with an increase to 1, 000 watts, this made the service available to many more listeners.

June 1991
Alex McNish elected as Chairman.

June 1991
On air 24 hours each day. 200-250 volunteers available for staffing five shifts each day.

The RPH network now the largest in Australia and all stations exchange programs regularly under the auspices of the Australian Council for Radio for the Print Handicapped.

December 1991
Move to new office and studios at 252 Illawarra Road, Marrickville.

January 1992
First broadcast from Marrickville started on the stroke of midnight 1 January 1992.

June 1993
Tom Crozier appointed as Station Manager.

September 1993
Change to broadcast power of 5 kilowatts and better position on dial - from 1539 to 1224kHtz (the old 2WS frequency). Given use of $3. 5 million worth of equipment and facilities at the old WS site at Prospect.

January 1994
Fundraising project proposed to enable provision of the 2RPH program to towns and cities throughout NSW.

July 1994
In line with the national trend, the term 'information radio' was included as part of the station identity.

May 1995
A survey conducted by Quadrant Research showed that 80 per cent of print handicapped people contacted listen to 2RPH. Only 2 per cent of the general population sample said they knew of the station.

April 1997
Visit to station by 2RPH Patron, His Excellency the Hon Gordon Samuels, Governor of NSW.

October 1997
'Radio Theatre', a fundraising event at the Belvoir Theatre, raised over $17, 000.

1997-2000
Gradual change of station identity from ‘Information Radio’ to ‘Sydney’s Radio Reading Service’.

February 1999
Leichhardt Council agreed to lease premises at 184 Glebe Point Road to 2RPH.

May 2000
Broadcasting from Glebe studios, 184 Glebe Point Road, started at 7am on Saturday 20 May.

August 2000
Official opening at Glebe on 19 August by 2RPH Patron, His Excellency the Hon Gordon Samuels, Governor of NSW.

August 2000
2RPH Web Page opened. (Now www. 2rph.org. au. )

January 2001
2RPH has 198 volunteers.

February 2001
Professor Marie Bashir AC, Governor of NSW, appointed as 2RPH Patron.

March 2003
Awareness of 2RPH among the general population of Sydney has risen from 2 per cent in 1996 to 14 per cent in 2003 - McNair Survey.

September 2003
Professor Ron McCallum elected as Chairman.

September 2003
Noel Castley appointed as Station Manager.

August 2004
'A Night of Completely Old-fashioned Radio’, a fundraising evening at the Belvoir Theatre, Surry Hills, raised over $18, 000.

August 2005
2RPH has 250 volunteers.
August 2005 2RPH changed from analogue to digital production. Transmitter signal being boosted.

September 2005
Plans being made to extend 2RPH’s reach into regional areas of NSW.

September 2005
Reception, signal quality and coverage appreciably improved by installation of an Orban Optimod 9200D on 2RPH’s main transmitter at Prospect on 14 September.

2006
A more detailed History of 2RPH will be published. Any stories or photos you may be able to contribute are welcome.
Please contact history@2rph.org. au.

2008
2RPH celebrates 25 years on the air! A glittering luncheon hosted by our Patron, Her Excellency Prof Marie Bashir at Parliament House. Also present, future Premier Ms Christina Keneally.

2008 /09
2RPH begins broadcasting to Newcastle and the Lower Hunter Region of NSW on 100. 5fm. Increasing our reach considerable and improving our signal with an fm frequency.

2009
A new transmitter comes on line in Sydney's Kings Cross serving the eastern suburbs and the whole of Sydney on 100. 5fm.

2009
Public awareness raised considerably for 2RPH by the airing of an edition of 7: 30 Report which featured 2RPH as a vehicle for Ms Therese Rein (wife of PM Kevin Rudd) interest in disability services. The programme included interviews with Ms Rein and Prof Ron McCallum (Board Chair of 2RPH).