NSW north coast community station Great Lakes FM is celebrating 25 years on air. Great Lakes Area (2GLA) FM was granted a test license in November, 1984 and the first broadcast of 15 watts was made in July 1986. After years of hard work and technical challenges for the original members, Great Lakes FM was officially established in August 1986. The studios were originally located in the Chamber of Commerce building in Forster under station manager Rod Marks. radioinfo looks into the station’s history in this report.
The studios are now located at 16 Douglas Street, Tuncurry and, to this day, Great Lakes FM is the only station set up to serve the entire Great Lakes Shire broadcasting from the twin towns of Forster Tuncurry. The station now shares the transmission tower with NBN/Channel 9 on Cabbage Tree Mountain near Bulahdelah with signal strength of 5000 watts, an unusually high penetration for a community radio station. Listeners have reported picking up a clear signal as far south as Wyong on the Central Coast, in the Newcastle, Maitland, Dungog and Stroud area and as far north as Port Macquarie.
Great Lakes FM is a non-profit, community based radio station run almost entirely by volunteers under current station manager and brekkie show host, Andrew Farr.
For over 25 years the station has been a training ground for many volunteers who have moved on to roles in regional and metropolitan commercial radio. Currently there are 33 volunteers involved in station activities including on-air announcing, clerical, production, programming and fundraising. Volunteer involvement has always been welcomed and now, through work experience and media studies, students are also encouraged.
Presenters Ian Green and Garry Price, who joined the team at Great Lakes FM in 1987 and 1988 respectively, are still with the station today. Both Garry and Ian were awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Australian Volunteers by PM John Howard for their dedication and contribution to the local community.
Committees, past and present, have struggled to keep the station financially viable, especially over years of recession and reduced advertising revenue and report they have survived the worst of it with continued support from local clubs and businesses. Being a community radio, the station is only permitted to broadcast five minutes of paid advertising per hour. Revenue is generated through business sponsorships, station membership, fundraising events and some community grant funding.
The station’s beginnings were in the era of vinyl, now with the advent of technology, Great Lakes FM has been streaming live via the internet for two years and listeners can go onto the website to request songs and view programs live via webcam. More recently, Facebook has allowed even further listener interaction.
During local emergencies such as the recent local flooding, Great Lakes FM became an essential service with presenters giving regular updates on road closures, extreme weather conditions and accidents. The station is committed to supporting local non-profit groups with community service announcements. Over the years management and volunteers have participated in many charity events and shows including the Nabiac Show, Nabiac Rodeo and Forster Keys Fun Day.
Visiting celebrities, such as John Laws, and touring artists visiting Great Lakes FM studios in Tuncurry have been pleasantly surprised at their professional set-up as a community station. Along with an array of celebrity photographs and signed posters on display in the reception foyer there are numerous Southern Community Media Association awards for local content, special interest segments, the community access program and live interviews with well known, Australian artists.
To celebrate the station’s Silver Anniversary, Great Lakes FM is holding a Red Faces Karaoke Fundraiser at the Forster Bowling Club on the 24th of September 2011 from 7:30pm.