98five Sonshine FM is a listener-supported community station that relies on the ongoing generosity of its listeners to bring Perth positive, family focussed radio alternative.
The government has designed community radio to rely on some listener support. It does not allow stations to be dependent solely on sponsorship and limits sponsorship income potential by placing strict restrictions on sponsorship content.
98five Sonshine FM believes being reliant on listener support and sponsorship income is perfect for Christian radio in Perth. Here are some reasons why:
As a listener supported station 98five Sonshine FM will always value its listeners – our listeners provide a significant source of our income.
As a community broadcaster we cannot change our focus. We are licensed as a Christian station. If we were a commercial station, nothing would prevent us from changing our direction if financial pressure was brought to bear.
You won’t be bombarded with too many advertisements, or sponsorship announcements, on 98five Sonshine FM. By law you will never hear more than 5 minutes per hour. Most commercial stations play over 12 minutes of ads every hour.
Giving to 98five Sonshine FM makes many listeners feel involved. It’s their way of sharing their partnership with us.
A commercial licence in Perth is worth over $25 million but Sonshine FM was given its licence free of charge that has a $25 million head start for Christian broadcasting.
So when 98five Sonshine FM asks for your financial support it’s not always because something is wrong. It’s simply that we rely on donations in order to remain on-air.
Given we are, and always will be, listener-supported, 98five Sonshine FM also has another way for you to partner with us which we hope will make showing your support even easier called 98five Partners.
As a 98five Partner, you can pledge a nominated set amount to 98five Sonshine FM. We will automatically deduct your pledge each month from your nominated account and at the end of each financial year send you a receipt for claiming on your tax return.
Paying your pledge in smaller monthly instalments means we are less of a burden on your finances. And the regular income enables us to budget more effectively.
