fbi.radio calls out, needs $30k before EOFY

Gadigal Land/Sydney's beloved community radio station fbi.radio, has today announced it needs to raise $30,000 before June 30, 2025.

fbi is a musical institution not only in its home on Gadigal Land but across Australia, which has platformed the country's most exciting, fresh, and experimental music for over 20 years. fbi has many claims to its name, having helped launch the careers of artists like Flume, Cloud Control, Montaigne, Julia Jacklin, and many more.

The station is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that, for over two decades, has relied on subscriptions and donations to keep the lights on. fbi's funding is regularly maintained due to the efforts of 'supporter drives', where its teams of volunteers encourage listeners to sign up to 'help keep the lights on'.

fbi.radio has remained largely advertisement-free and independent throughout its lifetime, but has not been exempt from the global cost-of-living crisis.

Yesterday, the station shared via its social channels a goal to raise $30,000 before the end of the financial year.

This announcement has been made with transparency that clearly outlines the station's needs, and a tone that establishes more urgency than in previous supporter drives.

Read: Meet FBi Radio's 'Dance Class' of 2024

It costs roughly a million dollars per year to run fbi, including rent, broadcasting fees, electricity and staffing alone, and yet less than 1% of listeners of fbi are supporters of the station. Without any recurring government funding or advertising partners, FBi relies entirely on its listeners to help it do what it does best, in platforming Sydney and Australian music like no other musical institution can.

Of the callout, fbi's Managing Director Tyson Koh shared with Mixmag ANZ that "this is a critical moment for fbi. We need the ongoing support of our listeners to keep the station alive and thriving. What’s different this time is that donations are now tax-deductible—a relatively new and important development for us. We're also looking ahead with big plans to grow as an even stronger platform for Sydney music and culture, and we’d love our community to be part of making that happen."

So too, Koh shared concerns for Sydney's creative scenes if fbi were not to reach this funding target. "fbi is in a tough spot—if we don’t hit our target, we’ll have to face some hard decisions about the station’s future. The loss of this platform would be felt across Sydney’s music, arts, and cultural scenes," he reflected. "That said, our listeners have always shown up when it matters—just as we’ve always shown up for them. I believe in our community, and I’m confident fbi will not only pull through but keep growing."

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor, find him on Instagram.