Radio station wins two national awards

PHOENIX FM has won two of the five awards it was a finalist for at the 2023 Community Radio Awards. 

The broadcaster won in the Small Station and Volunteer Contribution categories. 

Anne Conway, who won of the Volunteer Contribution Award, said she was touched by the acknowledgment, especially as there were several other people she could think of who would have been good candidates. 

“To tell you the truth, I mean I was absolutely thrilled, that was my first thought, and my second thought was ‘who can we nominate next year?’” she said.  

When it came to the Small Station Award, which Phoenix FM also won last year, Ms Conway she said the team was proud considering the station run by volunteers and funded by sponsors, grants, donations, and fundraisers. 

“Our budget is dependent on how much we can manage to earn,” she said. “We’re all volunteers, nobody is paid, so we’re very pleased.” 

Looking forward, Ms Conway said the station would like to encourage more young people to become involved so the baton can be passed over. 

“We would like to increase our membership, particularly with younger people, so that we have a self-succession plan, and these young people can in time pick up the slack and then run with it,” she said. 

“The people who are mostly running it at the moment, we’re not young, and we have to look to the future. That’s a big thing.” 

Not content to rest, Ms Conway said the station manager has told all presenters to think about any ways they could make their programs even better so that they might make the finals again next year.  

Phoenix FM have applied for a grant of $50,000 from the State Government to support an upgrade to its broadcasting desk and associated hardware in the network and transmission room.  

The station has committed $15,000 towards the project. 

In its current condition, much of the hardware is no longer serviceable due to lack of parts being produced by the manufacturer.