Calling on community radio donations

PHOENIX FM presenters are swapping their microphones for telephones this Saturday, as the community radio station holds its second annual radiothon.

From 9am to 6pm the phone lines will be open for donations, and secretary Anne Conway said any amount is gratefully received.

“Last year we’d never done it before, we were just coming out of lockdowns in the middle of a pandemic,” she said.

“Some people said to me ‘you’re just wasting your time’. I said ‘that’s okay, the worst thing that could happen is nobody rings up’.

“It was successful. We didn’t raise a huge amount, just short of $3000 which is a lot for us.”

Phoenix FM foundation member and presenter Floreena Forbes donations are crucial for the survival of community radio.

“Any genuine community radio station still has to pay bills,” she said. “To keep community radio on air we have to work hard to keep raising money to be able to do that. The radiothon is a great way.”

Ms Conway said the radiothon is also good for presenters to get together and build comradery.

“Even now we’re having all our committee meetings and volunteer meetings online,” she said.

“Presenters tend to work in isolation, they may have seen the person before and after them, but not a whole lot of people.

“People were saying last year, this is so good, it’s just like old times when we used to all come in a and rock out together.

“We lost a lot of that through the lockdowns and we’re just getting our mojo back.”

Donations can be made at any time at phoenixfm.org.au or by calling 5449 1129 on the day.