THE twentieth anniversary of Coonamble Community Radio going to air was marked on Saturday 24 November with an Open Day at the Maule Street station.
Among the committee, volunteer announcers, sponsors and well-wishers were the familiar faces of Steve and Gai Daley.
Steve was the first Station Manager employed with funding from the NSW Crime Prevention Division of the Attorney General’s Department to kickstart Coonamble Community Radio MTM-FM when it began in October 1998.
At the time, he and Gai moved to Coonamble from the north coast of NSW so Steve could take up the paid position.
Steve’s deep tones were well-suited to the airwaves and his friendly personality and diplomacy skills brought on board sponsors and presenters of all ages.
The start-up grants sourced by the Schools as Community Centres Program facilitator and founding secretary Lee O’Connor and income earned by the fledgling station was initially managed by Coonamble Neighbourhood Centre under the guidance of Treasurer Charlie Ginty until Coonamble Community Radio became an independent incorporated body in August 2003.
Recently re-elected President David Taylor claims he became President of the original committee by default when he failed to attend the inaugural Annual General Meeting and was elected in his absence on his mother’s recommendation.
The Daley’s returned to the north coast when their grandchildren began to arrive in 2000.
Subsequent paid station co-ordinators included John Gibson, Sam Silapa and Emma Lewis.
The radio station initially occupied offices in the former youth centre building on the corner of Castlereagh and Tooloon Streets, opposite the RSL Club.
The site was provided rent-free by Coonamble Shire Council until the committee was able to build their resources and buy the existing building at 30 Maule Street in February 2016.
Presenters Robyn Hull and Tony Golsby attended the Open Day and, along with new President David Taylor, are the only remaining foundation announcers who are still on-air.
Veteran presenters such as Dot Singleton, John Castles and Norma Shaw started a little later at Coonamble Community Radio and soon became invaluable members of the team.
Mrs Singleton had broadcast from 1999 to 2015 and was so involved many people called her Mrs Radio.
She and her fellow announcers once raised $11,000 for a heart monitor for the local hospital through a live radio telethon, as well as $1400 for the King Lake fires via an on-air auction. Mrs Singleton presented a much-loved country music show on Saturday afternoons for many years and filled in as station co-ordinator at various times when no-one was employed in the position.
Val Waterford and Paula O’Connor were among the early presenters who attended Saturday’s event.
A ceremonial cake-cutting was held and a barbeque prepared by Coonamble Lions Club operated throughout the Open Day.
Many more volunteers of all ages were unable to attend this time around and there are already whispers about a 25 year reunion.
Announcers have come and gone and recruiting new volunteers to go on-air remains a challenge but the organisation has made steady progress, especially in terms of technology.
Gone are the days when announcers had to bring in their own selection of music on Compact Discs (CDs) to play during their programs and record sponsor announcements using big reel-to-reel tape machines.
All music is now available from internet subscriptions and computers have revolutionised all facets of the production and broadcast operations.
In recent years the committee has managed to set up live digital streaming so listeners from around the world can tune in to MTM-FM online and also have the technology to do live-to-air telephone interviews once presenters are fully trained.
While it is many years since a full-time station manager has been employed, Bill Carroll is now part-time in the Co-ordinator’s role and with the committee has overseen the set-up of a separate production studio and other new initiatives.
The stage is set for the next phase of the radio station’s history which will no doubt be powered by dedicated volunteers.
“We always need new people,” Assistant Secretary Robyn Hull said. “We had a couple of people on Saturday who joined Norma Shaw in the studio and are interested in coming on air.”
