Meanjin:

According to Stephen Green, ‘It’s important that triple j doesn’t stray too far left [of centre] because it’s the vehicle for people’s musical exploration.’ Green explains it as a demographic shift whereby listeners' tastes develop as they age.

You might start at Video Hits_ at age ten; by the time you get to your mid teens you’ve progressed onto Nova, they’re playing more progressive stuff and it starts to open your mind a little. Once that’s not enough for you, you jump to triple j: they’re playing a couple of songs you’ve heard on Nova, but they’re playing a lot of stuff you haven’t. Triple j helps you get on that journey where you are listening to new stuff, that’s the entry point to get you to listen to 4ZZZ and FBi. If you take triple j too left of centre, you are taking that link out of the chain of musical growth for people.