The Australian community radio sector has played an important role in the social movement of media democratization, both locally and more broadly, however, little attention has been paid to this sector as a social movement. This research maps the organizational history of Brisbane community radio station, 4ZZZ, to examine the impacts of institutionalism on the station, viewed as a social movement organization (SMO). It argues that while SMOs typically move from an oppositional position of protest to one that is increasingly institutional, this does not necessarily dilute the effectiveness of SMOs over time.