Radio icon switching off after 65 years

SINCE the late-sixties, former 3BA managing director Peter Caligari has been one of Ballarat’s most iconic and generous local radio personalities.

But in recent weeks, the 82-year-old has made the decision to “switch off” from his involvement with the station, and role as 3BA Christmas Appeal ambassador, to focus on his health and family.

Mr Caligari said it’s “time for a change,” having started his career in radio at 3CV Maryborough in 1956, before moving to 3HA Hamilton in 1965, and 3BA Ballarat in 1966; the organisation he’s served with passion for 55 years.

In 1978, he was appointed general manager, and became managing director of 3BA and Power FM in 1980, the same year he launched the Christmas Appeal – a event he described as the “highlight of my career.”

“One of the most major and significant community projects introduced by 3BA was… the Christmas Appeal,” he said.

“After a very modest beginning 41 years ago, the Appeal has grown to become Ballarat’s longest running annual appeal, raising many millions of dollars for our less fortunate families, as well as securing hundreds of thousands of toys, food items and other Christmas gifts.

“The 3BA Christmas Appeal is now a widely-recognized Ballarat institution enabling many thousands of less-fortunate families throughout the Ballarat area to have an enjoyable Christmas, with the children of these families receiving toys.”

Now 65 years since he got into radio, Mr Caligari said the industry is “so vastly different.”

“When I commenced, it was an era when radio, primarily, had been a night-time medium, with serials and one-hour features, but the arrival of television in 1956 meant that radio had to change dramatically.

“That’s what it did. It became a far more personal medium, a take-it-with-you medium, and it incorporated more of the listeners, with the introduction of talk-back radio.

“The other change has been in technology. Wire recorders were just being phased out when I started, and tape recorders were somewhat new,” he laughed.

Mr Caligari expects the industry to continually evolve into the future, but he is “quite sure” that radio will always have a place in society.

“Radio plays a very, very important role in the daily lives of so many people.”

In a time of news media fragility, 3BA general manager John Fitzgibbon agreed that commercial radio will survive because of its solid base, and the people that make it happen, especially in Ballarat.

“The strength of radio, and the foundation that was laid here by Peter is around that community connection, and serving the community,” he said.

“Things like the Christmas Appeal, they’re the foundations of why radio will remain strong here for many, many years to come.”

Reflecting on his career behind the airwaves, Mr Caligari is grateful to his wife of 56 years, Ola, for her unwavering, “outstanding support.”

“It has been an absolute privilege to have been associated with this truly great part of the media throughout my working life, which has provided me with many wonderful memories and experiences.

“Ola has always been there to assist in any way possible, and particularly with the fundraising events to support 3BA’s community appeals,” he said.

“Whenever additional assistance was required, I could always count on Ola to… lend a hand, be it catering for a major fundraiser, counting the contents of a huge number of coin collection containers, answering phone calls, as well as stuffing many thousands of envelopes with appeal material to send to existing and potential new donors.”