Radio Skidrow, a community radio station  based in Marrickville, has been broadcasting since 1983. It started with very humble origins, with its test broadcast from a landline phone to Long Bay Jail!

As its name suggests, the station has built a reputation for development and training projects with minority communities and has been pivotal in allowing disadvantaged communities to participate in community broadcasting. It was home to the original Radio Redfern and later Koori Radio which now has its own citywide licence.^[2] It was also the station where Muslim radio started in Sydney.

The station plays a mix of music, with a focus on reggae, African, indigenous, hip hop, RnB, music from the Pacific Islands and from around the world. There are programs catering to local and international hip hop/RnB, afrobeat and reggae, and many programs providing music, news and talk content for Sydney’s diverse migrant communities, such as the Nepalese, Greek, Macedonian, Latin American, Urdu, Hindi, Ghanaian, Sierra Leone, Melanesian, Fijian, Tongan, Cook Islands, and Maori shows.

One of Radio Skidrow’s most popular shows is ‘The First Coffee Of The Morning’ which is presented by Raul Hernandez and Ana Maria.  As well as being the co-presenter of this show, Raul is the current station manager.

The program  gathers the latest news across Latin America and the world and is delivered in Spanish and English to a diverse audience of the Spanish speaking community across Sydney, Australia.

The focus is on the latest global news, with commentaries around daily life, inspiring quotes, and conversations that cover a range of topics. The show also features guests from all walks of life sharing their journeys and experiences in the show.

Tune in every Wednesday morning 7-9am on 88.9fm or online anytime to listen to this great community station at www.radioskidrow.org.au.

Featured image : Raul Hernandez and Ana Parada doing their Wednesday morning breakfast show on Radio Skidrow.