Outlet Spotlight: 2CR

It is vital for the community to have a radio station to translate and relay messages to Chinese living in Australia

For immigrants living in Australia, a connection to their home is a vital part of their ability to grow in their new environment. It is also essential that those from non-English speaking backgrounds have a way to access crucial information relevant to them and their communities. It is this need that underpins the values of the first 24-hour dedicated Chinese radio station in the southern hemisphere, 2CR. 

Established in 1994, when news and information in Cantonese and Mandarin were relatively limited, 2CR Chinese Radio became a beacon of hope for Chinese people living in Australia. The station works to bridge the information gap for the Australian Chinese community while working on strengthening the ties between Chinese and Australian communities living in Australia. “It is vital for the community to have a radio station to translate and relay messages to Chinese living in Australia,” says 2CR Managing Director, Esmond Cho.

The station features a wide range of programs and talk shows. The programming choices made are driven by a desire to provide practical and entertaining content for the station's audiences that will help them in their everyday lives. There is also a strong focus on homegrown content and local programming rather than imported productions. “We want our content to be as geographically relevant as possible,” says Esmond.

Throughout 2022, the station's daily listenership sat at an average of 250,000. 2CR continues to create culturally relevant, practical content for its audiences. With a new immigration wave occurring off the back end of the Covid-19 pandemic, a large focus of the year ahead is to continue to help Chinese people living in Australia to understand and adapt to life in a new country.

2CR broadcasts in both Cantonese and Mandarin and can be found on the 152.075 MHz frequency.