SYDNEY (The Weekly Times) — In November 1998 news broke on local radio station 2RRR that a huge earthquake had devastated Armenia. Broadcasters Toros Boyadjian and Vatche Topouzian remember the event. It was a hall hour news report and the first Armenian language news broadcast by 2RRR,” they said.
This was before the internet and it was how many people in the local Armenian community first heard the news and the fate of -their families and friends.
“We’ve made many news broadcasts since but this was a broadcast we’ll never forget.”
Almost thirty years later the pair are celebrating their 1,500th broadcast, This is a significant milestone and community achievement by celebrating the 1500th consecutive radio show of the ethnic language program broadcast in the Armenian language as “Voice of Nor Serount”, which means Voice of the New Generation.
“Under the auspices and support of the local Armenian Nor Serount Cultural Society, the Armenian radio program on RRR: is the longest running program on the station,”
Toros and Vatche broadcast the ‘Voice of Nor Serount” from the station’s Henley Cottage headquarters on Victoria Road every Sunday between 7pm and 9pm.
“Our weekly two hour program provides a comprehensive summary of the week’s news, sports and finance updates: a health and well-being segment, community information; live interviews with local and international artists and guests as well as the best Armenian music library consisting of modern hits and golden oldies.”
The program has interviewed several Australian political leaders who include Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Bob Carr, Gladys Berejiklian and long serving Prime Minister John Howard who lost the Seat of Bennelong to Labor’s Maxine McKew.
We have seen a lot of people come and go over the past 2 years but the “Voice of Nor Serount” Armenian radio program has remained”.
The dynamic duo estimate they have 5,000 local listeners in an Armenian community of around 10.000 local Armenian speakers.
“We enjoy doing our program, which is now a lot more fun with prizes and giveaways,” they said.
