And on the radio they played 'November Rain'

Recently somebody (who shall remain nameless) accused me of being a one-eyed Triple J listener. And I'd have to say that is a fairly accurate judgement to make. I can't exactly help it at the moment- out here in the Coal Valley, you tend to be limited to either Star FM with its TERRIBLE announcers and far too many ads, 3TR or local ABC radio (great for bushfire info but Jo Spargo in the mornings is exceedingly annoying). So it's no wonder I listen to Triple J. But long before I was here, I was a one-eyed Triple J listener for a number of other reasons.

I started out in Year 12 by making the final transition across the radio dial from Triple M to Triple J because the new Ben Folds Five song was on what was then called 'The Hit List'. This meant you were quite sure of hearing the songs on the Hit List at least once a day, so I spent what was initially meant to be a week waiting to hear Army and tape it. Anyway, the first time I heard it I didn't manage that, but by the end of the week I had a half-filled tape containing Blur, Built to Spill, Reel Big Fish and Fuel and a number of other artists I had never heard before in my life who I quite liked. After another week I also had Army on tape, albeit the clean version.

And I stayed. I liked the Sandman in the mornings, I liked Adam Spencer and I particular loved the lack of advertisements played after every two or three songs. No more annoying prank calls, no more soft rock or Kenny G as was being played on TT FM before I started realising I didn't really like it (after the millionth consecutive night of 'Love Songs and Dedications' and similar vomit inducing ideas, where the same songs were played EVERY NIGHT. Arrrg).

The year I started was according to some people the year Triple J went commercial. And it's true that they often play stuff that is also played on Nova and Fox and Triple M, but usually about five months before it's on commercial radio. They discovered Eskimo Joe, Missy Higgins and Grinspoon. They played Snow Patrol before they were on Grey's Anatomy. They played the swearing version of Love Song by Amiel. They had Tripod on their breakfast show each week to make up a song in an hour, they had an evening show of requests where you could be guaranteed to hear something you like.

I don't love everything about Triple J. What I do love, though:
1. Myf Warhurst (but not Jay and the Doctor)
2. When Terri Psiakis and Ross Noble hosted the afternoon show during summer
3. The Hottest 100 and being able to spend a whole day listening to it
4. Richard Kingsmill
5. The web site
6. Oz Music Month when you can download free stuff (this is how I discovered Josh Pyke and Kate Miller-Heidke)
7. I used to love the J Files, before it stopped
8. J-TV Saturday (apart from Rosie Beaton who is really, really annoying)
9. No commercials, apart from self promotion
10. The news updates being ON TIME as opposed to whenever conveniently fits into the ad breaks
11. Roy and HG's commentary of the AFL Grand Final