FM4’s listeners are a special bunch.
They are relatively young, well-educated and have definite ideas on the issues they want to hear about when it comes to the news: the environment; education; racism; women’s rights; gay rights; human rights in general; drug policies; globalization and countless other social themes. Therefore FM4 News makes a concerted effort to give those issues priority when producing our bulletins. Could we compile the same serious level of news or current affairs programmes if we were part of a commercial organization? Not likely. The pressure would be on us to make space for more frivolous matters – more Justin Bieber or Richard Lugner stories. Being part of a public broadcasting system allows us the freedom to treat our listeners as the intelligent individuals that they are. That attitude leads to listener trust which in turn leads to listener loyalty. At FM4 we not only strive to entertain but to entertain and inform. It’s what good public service broadcasting is all about.
