2RPH

2RPH is a Sydney-based Australian radio reading service and the Sydney station of the Radio Print Handicapped Network, commonly known as the RPH Network. Its purpose is to make newspapers, magazines and selected other printed material accessible to people who cannot easily read conventional print, particularly people with vision impairment, older listeners and people who are infirm. The service also has broader educational value: its clear, deliberate presentation can assist English-language learners and other listeners who benefit from spoken versions of written material. The organisation emerged from a need identified in New South Wales in 1983. It was established as a community-benefit organisation incorporated as a co-operative society, and began broadcasting on 18 April 1983. Its original transmission arrangement used 1629 kHz, an off-band frequency that limited reception because many listeners did not have suitable receivers. A move to 1539 kHz in 1991 improved access, and the station received a further technical improvement in 1993 when the Commonwealth Government provided transmission facilities formerly used by commercial broadcaster 2WS. Those facilities continued to support a strong signal across most of Greater Sydney and some areas outside the metropolitan region. 2RPH operates principally through volunteer labour. Volunteers prepare, produce and present programming, including readings from newspapers, magazines and other publications. Some programmes are recorded in advance and rebroadcast by other RPH stations around Australia and by the Radio Reading Service in New Zealand. The Sydney service has been described as the largest supplier of programmes to the national RPH network, giving it a role beyond its local broadcast footprint. On-air applicants are expected to complete an audition designed to assess the ability to read aloud clearly and consistently, while other volunteers contribute to production and behind-the-scenes work. The service has also used distribution beyond its terrestrial broadcast operation. 2RPH Sydney and 3RPH Melbourne were previously available free-to-air on the Optus Aurora radio platform through the Optus C1 satellite. Following the transition from Aurora to the more restrictive VAST platform, the Sydney service was no longer available free-to-air through that arrangement; the Melbourne service remained the RPH service available free-to-air on Optus C1 according to the cited reference material. In 2023, the organisation changed its legal and public name from Radio for the Print Handicapped NSW Cooperative Limited to Radio 2RPH Co-operative Limited. The change reflected the declining acceptability of the term “handicapped” in contemporary Australian and international usage. The rebranding preserved the station’s core mission while bringing its name into line with modern disability language. 2RPH remains a specialist community-accessibility broadcaster rather than a conventional commercial radio brand, with its identity built around volunteer-led reading, practical inclusion and contribution to the wider RPH network.

The origins of 2RPH lie in a 1983 recognition that people in New South Wales who were blind, vision-impaired, elderly or otherwise unable to use ordinary print needed a dedicated audio service. The organisation was established as a community-benefit body and incorporated as a co-operative society. It commenced broadcasting in Sydney on 18 April 1983, becoming part of the developing network of Australian Radio Print Handicapped services. Its initial frequency, 1629 kHz, was outside the main medium-wave broadcast band and was difficult for many listeners to receive. This limited the practical reach of a service whose central purpose was accessibility. In 1991, 2RPH moved to 1539 kHz, providing a more suitable broadcast position. A further improvement came in 1993, when the Commonwealth Government supplied transmission facilities formerly used by commercial broadcaster 2WS. These facilities enabled a stronger signal covering most of Greater Sydney and some suburbs beyond the metropolitan area, and they remained associated with the service thereafter. 2RPH developed as a volunteer-based broadcaster. Volunteers audition for on-air reading roles and take responsibility for preparing, producing and presenting programmes. The station’s output includes readings from newspapers, magazines and other publications, many of them recorded in advance. This production model allows programmes to be reused across the wider RPH system. Some 2RPH recordings are rebroadcast by other Australian RPH stations and by the Radio Reading Service in New Zealand. The Sydney organisation is identified in the cited material as the largest supplier of programmes to the national network, making it both a local station and an important content producer. The service’s principal audience is people who cannot readily access printed information, but its utility extends beyond that core group. The measured pace and clear diction of its announcers can also help people learning English as a second language and other listeners who prefer or require spoken access to written material. In this respect, 2RPH combines disability-access provision with a wider public-service broadcasting function. The station also participated in satellite distribution. 2RPH Sydney and 3RPH Melbourne were previously carried free-to-air without a smartcard on the Optus Aurora radio platform through Optus C1. The later move to the more restrictive VAST platform changed the availability of RPH services through that route. According to the cited account, 3RPH Melbourne became the only RPH service available free-to-air on Optus C1 after the change. In 2023, the organisation updated its name from Radio for the Print Handicapped NSW Cooperative Limited to Radio 2RPH Co-operative Limited. The revision responded to the fact that “handicapped” was no longer considered acceptable terminology in contemporary Australian and international usage. The name change represented a linguistic and institutional update rather than a change to the organisation’s core mission. 2RPH continues to operate as a specialist, community-oriented radio reading service and as a significant contributor to Australia’s RPH broadcasting network.

• 2023

  Organisation adopts the Radio 2RPH name

  [1]2RPHen.wikipedia.org

  The legal name changes from Radio for the Print Handicapped NSW Cooperative Limited to Radio 2RPH Co-operative Limited to remove outdated terminology.

• 1993

  New transmission facilities improve coverage

  [1]2RPHen.wikipedia.org

  The Commonwealth Government provides transmission facilities formerly used by 2WS, giving 2RPH a strong signal across most of Greater Sydney and some nearby areas.

• 1991

  Frequency changes to 1539 kHz

  [1]2RPHen.wikipedia.org

  The station leaves its original 1629 kHz frequency for the more suitable 1539 kHz band position, improving reception for its intended audience.

• 1983

  2RPH is established in New South Wales

  [1]2RPHen.wikipedia.org

  A community-benefit organisation is formed as a co-operative society to provide radio readings for people who have difficulty accessing print. Broadcasting begins on 18 April.

A volunteer-led community radio reading service focused on print accessibility, inclusive broadcasting and support for listeners with vision impairment or other difficulties accessing printed material.

• Community radio broadcasting · 1983

  2RPH Sydney radio service

  The core service is a Sydney-area radio broadcast that reads newspapers, magazines and other printed material aloud. It is designed primarily for people with vision impairment and others who cannot easily use conventional print. Volunteer presenters and production staff create programming with an emphasis on intelligibility, steady delivery and practical access to current information.

• Syndicated audio programming

  RPH network programme supply

  2RPH produces recorded readings that can be rebroadcast by other Radio Print Handicapped stations in Australia and by the Radio Reading Service in New Zealand. This network contribution extends the reach of the station’s volunteer-produced content beyond Sydney and makes the organisation a significant source of programming for the wider RPH system.

• 2023

  Rename the organisation to Radio 2RPH Co-operative LimitedStrategy

  Background

  The former name contained the word “handicapped,” which was no longer regarded as acceptable terminology in contemporary Australian and global usage.

  Action taken

  The organisation changed its name from Radio for the Print Handicapped NSW Cooperative Limited to Radio 2RPH Co-operative Limited.

  Aftermath

  The revised name modernised the organisation’s public identity while retaining its established radio reading mission.

  Source

• 1991

  Move to a more suitable broadcast frequencyStrategy

  Background

  The original 1629 kHz frequency was difficult for many intended listeners to receive because it was outside the main broadcast band.

  Action taken

  2RPH moved its Sydney transmission to 1539 kHz.

  Aftermath

  The change improved the service’s practical accessibility and was followed by further coverage improvements through new transmission facilities in 1993.

  Source

1. 12RPHen.wikipedia.org
2. 22RPH official website2rph.org.au