ABC DiG

Double J is an Australian digital radio station owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A sister station of the youth-oriented Triple J, it was founded in 2002 as Dig Music and aims to appeal to an older audience with a more refined music catalogue, as well as archive content from Triple J's library. It is available to stream online or via the DAB+ network in Australia.

History

Dig Music (2002–2014)

ABC Dig Music was founded in November 2002. It emerged from formats developed by Bill Gates and Phil Cullen at ABC Coast FM, which broadcast an adult alternative music format and was for many years ABC Radio's only continuous stream. It was part of a suite of three digital channels, alongside Dig Jazz and Dig Country.

Some ABC Local Radio, ABC Radio National and Triple J music programs were also broadcast on ABC Dig Music.

In July 2009, Dig Radio, Dig Jazz and Dig Country was rebranded as the launch of digital radio stations ABC Dig Music, ABC Jazz and Country.

Double J (2014–present)

On 24 October 2013, the operations of ABC Dig Music were transferred to the staff of Triple J, and it was announced that the station would undergo a relaunch by April 2014. It was reported that the new station would be positioned as a spin-off of Triple J targeting older listeners, including a focus on new music, and archive content from the Triple J library.

On 9 April 2014, it was announced that the new station would be known as "Double J" and launch on 30 April at 12:00 p.m. AEST; the name is a homage to the original call sign of Triple J, 2JJ (also pronounced Double J). Former Triple J announcer Myf Warhurst was named as Double J's first on-air personality, hosting a weekday afternoon show. Manager Chris Scaddan explained that Double J would "be a station that takes the best elements of Triple J's past—a name, a presenter and the incredible archives, thrown headlong into the future with the best new sounds around."

On 28 April 2014, ahead of the launch, the station began stunting with a loop of 13 different versions of " Express Yourself" by N.W.A, including covers by the Audreys, Darren Hanlon and Wagons. The song was chosen in homage to a 1990 industrial action by Triple J relating to their censured airplay of " Fuck tha Police".

Double J officially launched at 12 p.m. on 30 April 2015, airing a launch event presented by Warhurst from the Calvin Club in Melbourne. The launch was simulcast by Triple J, and featured live performances by Paul Dempsey and Kate Miller Heidke, as well as introductions to the new station's lineup and programming.

On 19 January 2015, the station broadcast a special day of programming, ''Beat the Drum Again'', to mark Triple J's 40th anniversary. It included programs staffed by historic personalities such as Mikey Robins and Helen Razer, Angela Catterns, Chris & Craig, Roy & HG, and rebroadcasts of the original station's first hour on the air, and Midnight Oil's 1985 "Oils on the Water" concert on Goat Island (which was part of the station's 10th anniversary).

Petition for expansion

In March 2022, a group of female Australian singer-songwriters wrote to federal communications minister Paul Fletcher and shadow communications minister Michelle Rowland requesting that Double J be granted an FM licence to enable the station to have a broader reach by allowing it to expand into regional areas of the country.

Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko, Vikki Thorn and Deborah Conway said that ageing female artists get much less exposure on FM radio than their male counterparts and noted there was no female equivalent to male-orientated FM station Triple M. They said Double J was a station that played a lot of new music by female artists over the age of 30 but its reach was "severely limited". They said an expansion of the station by granting it an FM license, enabling access to a much wider audience, could be a way of getting closer to equality. The women also launched a Change.org petition to garner support from fans.

In response, Rowland and shadow arts minister Tony Burke said moving Double J onto the FM band would be a positive step for Australian music. They said if the Opposition was elected to power at the 2022 Australian federal election, they would examine the issue and work with the ABC and ACMA and consult with musicians. However, they didn't commit to the plan outright.

While visiting the Byron Bay Bluesfest during the campaign, then opposition leader Anthony Albanese said if his party was elected at the election, they would commission the ABC to undertake a feasibility study into extending Double J into regional areas. Albanese declared: “I want more people in regional Australia to experience the joy I have of listening to Double J, singing along to songs they love or maybe discovering something new."

Programs and presenters

As of 2025, the line-up on Double J includes:

* ''Mornings'': hosted by Michael Hing, and Zan Rowe on Fridays
* ''Lunch'': hosted by Karen Leng
* ''Arvos'': hosted by Dylan Lewis
* ''Weekend Mornings'': hosted by Yumi Stynes
* ''Weekend Arvos:'' hosted by Caz Tran
* Block Party: hip hop music; hosted by Hau Latukefu
* ''Short Fast Loud:'' punk, hardcore, metal, alternative music; hosted by Josh Merriel
* ''Tower of Song'': interviews with influential songwriters; hosted by Henry Wagons
* ''Sky High'': soul, funk, r&b, hip hop music; hosted by Hau Latukefu
* ''Classic Albums:'' celebrating different classic albums that changed modern music; hosted by Caz Tran
* ''The J Files'': music documentaries; originally aired on Triple J between 1996–2007; hosted by Caz Tran.

Double J also plays archive content from Triple J, including '' Live at the Wireless'' performances.

Long-running music director of Triple J, Richard Kingsmill, hosted a program from 2016–2023 called ''The Funhouse'' which was one of Double J's longest-running specialty shows at over 350 episodes. It became available to stream as a podcast on ABC Listen and Spotify.

Awards

Zan Rowe's '' Take 5'' podcast won Gold at the 2020 Australian Podcast Awards for Best Radio Podcast, and ''Inside The Big Day Out'' won Silver for the Best Documentary Podcast.

References

{{National radio networks in Australia

Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio
Radio stations established in 2002
Internet radio stations in Australia
Digital-only radio stations
Digital radio in Australia
Public radio in Australia
Triple J