A local Voice for the Coodabeens

FRIDAY evenings on local radio are set to be funnier, and more footy-focused, than ever before.

The iconic weekly show of the Coodabeen Champions is now broadcast on Ballarat’s own community radio station, 99.9 Voice FM, as of last Friday, 10 March, from 4pm.

Coodabeen Ian Cover said the crew, also made up of Jeff Richardson, Simon Whelan, Greg Champion, Billy Baxter, Andy Bellairs and ‘Torch’ McGee, are keen to bring their classic characters and comic songs back to radios across the region.

It’s a “full circle” moment for them to be part of Voice’s weekly programming via ACE Radio, as the group began on community station RRR in 1981.

“It’s exciting for us because we started on public broadcasting,” Cover said. “We fully appreciate public radio, and to be broadcasting our show on such a station as the Voice.

“It’s our 43rd year on the radio… but the football itself changes, players and rules come and go, and there’s always something new or fresh being thrown up by the game.

“Nothing’s changing about our show, and that’s one of the great things about radio. People like the familiarity, and that’s what we’ve tried to do along the way.”

Voice FM chair Matt Hustwaite said the Coodabeens value Ballarat and know how many AFL and football-mad people live in the region.

“We’re proud that we can support them to ensure their brand of entertainment is still heard here,” he said.

“They are now part of our ‘home of sport’ family, where we’ve got AFL broadcast on Friday and Saturdays, and SEN’s Sportsday and Off the Bench.

“We’ve been putting a lot of effort into our program, from breakfast to music and sport, so that it’s diverse but entertaining, and it gives people choice.

“We hope more Ballarat listeners will give us a try.”