Sonshine is a listener-supported community media ministry that relies on the ongoing generosity of its listeners to bring Perth, and beyond, a positive, family focused radio alternative.
The government has designed community radio to rely on some listener support. It does not allow stations to be dependent solely on sponsorship and limits sponsorship income potential by placing strict restrictions on sponsorship content.
Sonshine believes being reliant on listener support and sponsorship income is perfect for Christian media in Perth. Here are some reasons why:
As a listener supported station Sonshine will always value its listeners – our listeners provide a significant source of our income.
As a community broadcaster we cannot change our focus. We are licensed as a Christian station. If we were a commercial station, nothing would prevent us from changing our direction if financial pressure was brought to bear.
You won’t be bombarded with too many advertisements, or sponsorship announcements, on Sonshine. By law you will never hear more than 5 minutes per hour. Most commercial stations play over 12 minutes of ads every hour.
Giving to Sonshine makes many listeners feel involved. It’s their way of sharing their partnership with us.
A commercial licence in Perth is worth over $25 million, but Sonshine was given its licence free of charge – that’s a $25 million head start for Christian broadcasting.
So when Sonshine asks for your financial support it’s not always because something is wrong. It’s simply that we rely on donations in order to remain on-air.
Given we are, and always will be, listener-supported, Sonshine also has another way for you to partner with us, which we hope will make showing your support even easier! You can become a Family Partner.
As a Family Partner, you can pledge a set amount to Sonshine each month. We will automatically deduct your pledge from your nominated account, and at the end of each financial year send you a receipt, enabling you to claim your giving on your tax return.
Paying your pledge in smaller monthly installments makes it less of a burden on your finances, and the regular income enables us to budget more effectively.