It all started in an old caravan…
When I was a teenager, I lived in a tiny caravan in the middle of the bush. There was no internet, and no newspaper. Our TV worked, but it was black and white, and you had to put the generator on to watch it, which was a hassle.
What I did have was radio. And as a teenager desperate for contact with the outside world, radio was my whole world. I would lie in my bed — the one that was also a table — and tune the dial, listening to strange FM and shortwave signals from all over the world. So much exotic music, strange languages, news and insight. I couldn't believe the magic that could carry all of that to me, straight out of the air.
When I found there was a community radio station in town, I couldn't join up fast enough. I soon had my own show. I created a radio play with an environmentally friendly superhero (Captain Ozone!). I took a course at the local TAFE in radio presentation and production — still one of the only qualifications I have — and when I moved to the big smoke I started working at the local Austereo syndicated radio station, by just hanging around and talking to people until they paid me.
It was my first love, and although the world has since gone crazy content bananas, I never really left it behind. As more and more audio became hyper-personalized, and fractured down into playlists and streaming services, MP3s and podcasts, I was right there along for the ride. But the new media landscape never felt as cohesive, as together and unique as it did back in the caravan.
So when I found myself with some time on my hands between jobs, I decided to build something to bring us back the magic of radio, but for the modern age.
So I'd like to introduce you to Daypart — a radio station built just for you. It plays the music you like and the podcasts you follow, scheduled into programs that follow the shape of your day.
Dayparts are how radio used to be built: the day carved into shifts, each with its own mood. Breakfast comes in upbeat, full of the news you care about. Mornings lean into the best tunes from where you are. Afternoons turn thoughtful. Late at night it softens into quiet podcasts and gentle music to help you drift off. Hourly bulletins keep the whole thing ticking. Underneath, a local algorithm reads the energy curve of your day and programs each shift to match — so it feels less like a feed and more like a station that knows what time it is.
Ultra customizable to match your day — but at its core, it's a radio station. You just tune in. No structuring playlists, or chopping and changing and cueing. Just press play. Or press stop.
If you have a little bit of love for the heyday of radio, or if you've just had enough of curating and programming your day, I hope you'll give it a go. I'd love to hear any feedback you have to help it improve!
— Gordon