Listen to SYN
If you live in Melbourne and are writing for young people, you should be listening to SYN 90.7FM. Why? Because SYN FM is a radio station run by young people under the age of 25.
SYN stands for Student Youth Network. The fact that all the presenters and producers of the various programs are under 25, means that listeners get to hear about the things that are relevant to today’s youth, they get to listen to the music that strikes a cord with this demographic and they generally get to hear young people talking about what interests them.
As an author who writes for young people, I find this invaluable. And as an author who writes primarily for kids and young teens, the most fascinating of the programs for me is Schools On Air (10am-3pm weekdays). This program hands the microphone over to groups of high school kids, allowing them to pick the songs and topics of discussion. It’s a real insight! Look what happened last week…
“… students discussed selfies, over-attached girlfriends and friendzoning. They also spoke to a psychic, made some bad jokes, shared their most embarrassing moments and gave the older generation a taste of their own medicine.”
Perhaps the greatest lesson that listening to SYN FM has taught me is that there is no such thing as the ‘average kid’. There is such a variety of opinions, attitudes, interests and musical tastes amongst today’s youth.
Aside from the author research side of things, I also listen because I enjoy it. There is no other station that I’ve come across with the variety of music and content that SYN FM offers. Yes, things aren’t always as slick and professional as on other stations… but there is also a level of enthusiasm, spontaneity and real passion that is sadly lacking on those other stations. And there is a great sense of fun.
I’ve been listening to SYN FM for many years now. It’s my favourite radio station. So I was delighted to be interviewed on SYN FM’s breakfast program, Get Cereal, last week. The hosts, Merran, Scott & Emma were well prepared and asked interesting questions. It was a good interview and a fun experience.
And tune in to SYN 90.7FM!
