Donations soar for Phoenix FM

IN a humble building in Strathdale lies the community radio station affectionately known as the voice of the community.

The volunteer-run Phoenix FM conducted its inaugural radiothon on Saturday, 18 September, raising over $2600 to go towards the operational costs of the station.

Secretary of Phoenix FM Anne Conway said the event was conducted without a template, and even though COVID-19 restrictions such as density limits were adhered to, a formidable amount of support was received.

She said as well as raising money through calls and people visiting the studio, the radiothon achieved a sense of comradery that had been lacking, with no social gatherings held during the pandemic.

“Members would say it’s just like we used to be,” she said. “There was only a maximum of 10 due to our building, but they were coming and going having a yarn, having a cup of coffee.

“The money was the main thing, but then I realised there was this wonderful flow on.”

President of Phoenix FM Samual Harrison said they rely on donations and grants and they want to ensure the station is financially viable for years to come.

“The day-to-day operations are up to the organisation. If something breaks we can source grants, source funding for them, we thankfully do have a lot of spare equipment,” he said.

“Diversifying our funding stream through a radiothon also brings in listeners as well, the listener is constantly calling in for donations and we’re engaging with them on that personal level.”

Phoenix FM is an open access radio station, and one of five community stations in Bendigo and Mr Harrison said they strive to provide a “very diverse” program with a range of genres and programs “to represent the very diverse community.”

He said a large amount of Bendigo residents exclusively get their information from community radio stations.

“The further you go into regional, rural areas they normally have a large community broadcaster nearby and they are the asset of the community, they are the life-force of where they get their information,” he said. “We try be the life-force of Bendigo.”