Sydney FM station WSFM are set to hold their own version of Australia Day countdown celebrations – despite the backlash Triple M faced last month over their controversial ‘Ozzfest 100’.
In a post on WSFM’s website released on Christmas day last year, the station encouraged listeners to submit their favourite Australian songs, citing Men at Work, Midnight Oil and Silverchair as examples, in efforts to collate the playlist for their Australia Day celebrations.
It follows a wave of criticism directed at Triple M following its announcement, a reaction to triple j’s decision to move the Hottest 100 to 27 January.
read more:
- Triple M Takes Aim At Triple J & Launches Own Australia Day Top 100 Playlist
- Triple M Presenters Call To Move Australia Day In Wake Of Ozzest 100 Controversy
- 'One Step Forward, One Step Back': The Reaction To Triple M's 'Ozzest 100' Announcement
In a statement provided to The Music, WSFM is distancing itself from the outrage, insisting it is taking a different stance to the one projected by Triple M.
“WSFM has a long history of running music specials, including on Australia Day, designed to enhance the music offering for our audiences by playing even more of the songs they love,” an ARN spokesperson said.
The statement differs from the one sent by Triple M to station subscribers detailing their event.
"So, the taxpayer funded FM has decided that there’ll be no soundtrack for Australia Day. Let’s face it, that’s usually full of hipsters or kids making music on a Mac," the email said.
The move was received poorly by many with Triple M presenter Wil Anderson branding the move "shocking and disappointing" and Skinnyfish managing director Mark Grose calling the announcement “a slap in the face”.
