Robert Bontschek has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to the Jewish community of Melbourne and to the media.
Bontschek, of Melbourne, Victoria, is the founder and station manager of J-AIR Community Radio 88FM, a platform that he launched from his home study in 2014. The station has grown into a full-scale community broadcaster located at the corner of St. Kilda and Alma roads, with two on-air studios and a production suite.
J-AIR broadcasts 24/7 in four languages—English, Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian.
“Being awarded this honor means that the Jewish community has recognized the importance of having its own voice in Australia and around the world on the internet,” said Bontschek. “There are only two Jewish radio stations in the southern hemisphere: here and in South Africa. It’s critically important now, since Oct. 7. If there’s any emergency, the CSG will call us, and we broadcast it as well.”
Bontschek served as vice president of J-AIR from 2014 to 2022 and remains station manager. Beyond broadcasting, he is the managing director of Cyber Web Services and held the same role at East Coast Audio from 1980 to 2007.
