Reading Radio

Queensland Radio for the Print Handicapped (trading as Radio 4RPH) is a not-for-profit community radio station that brings the world of print to an estimated 250,000 listeners in the greater Brisbane area. The population it serves may not be able to read printed material due to age, disability or literacy problems.

It is a unique radio reading service using a wide variety of printed materials including daily newspapers, magazines, books and journals as the basis for its programmes.

Radio 4RPH combines the immediacy and convenience of radio with the depth of information normally found only in printed material. This service is a highly effective and accessible means of closing the information gap often experienced by people who have difficulty reading print.

The station started broadcasting on the AM band in 1984. In 1990 4RPH was granted the license, frequency and transmitter from 4BK when 4BK became B105 FM. This increased the transmission power from 500 Watts to 5000 Watts resulting in a much larger transmission footprint.

In 2012, the station started broadcasting on digital as well as on 1296 AM. As a result of the development of internet services, in late 2016 added live internet streaming as a method of access.

Radio 4RPH is a member-based organisation with a constitution and a board of eight volunteer directors. The Station and Office Manager are the only full-time paid employees. There are several vision-impaired volunteers and casual staff who contribute to the operation of the station in programme production, programme editing and general administration. Three of the eight Directors are vision-impaired. There are over 120 volunteers on the books.

As well as providing a reading service to listeners, Radio 4RPH also develops skills in radio announcing, public reading, programme research and studio production, audio editing and organisational governance.