89.1 Radio Blue Mountains

Radio Blue Mountains 89.1

Broadcast area	The Upper and Mid Blue Mountains
Slogan	Your Voice, Your Community
Frequency	89.1 MHz FM
First air date	January 8, 1993
Format	Community radio
Transmitter coordinates	33°42′45″S 150°18′44.5″E / 33.71250°S 150.312361°E / -33.71250; 150.312361Coordinates: 33°42′45″S 150°18′44.5″E / 33.71250°S 150.312361°E / -33.71250; 150.312361
Owner	The Blue Mountains Public Broadcasting Society Inc.
Webcast	Radio Blue Mountains Stream
Website	rbm.org.au

Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 is a not-for-profit, all volunteer community radio station serving the Blue Mountains since 1993. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day from its studio in Block A, 25A-27 Parke Street, Katoomba, to a potential audience of some 75,000 people across the Blue Mountains and to a much wider national and international audience through internet streaming. Radio Blue Mountains is linked to the CBAA Community Radio Network, a national community radio network which provides a wide range of programming when local presenters are not available. The station is funded through listener support, grants and limited commercial sponsorship.

History

The Blue Mountains Public Broadcasting Society Inc was set up in Katoomba on 25 August 1985. Initial test broadcasts were conducted in and around Leura and Katoomba over the next six and a half years.

In June 1992, the then-Australian Broadcasting Tribunal granted a full-time community broadcasting license to the Society. The studio's were built in 1992 and on the 8th January 1993 the society began its first official public broadcast to the community. ^[1]

They society were provided a popcorn rent in the lower section of the Nepean Community College which in turn had a popcorn rent with TAFE NSW at 7 Gang Gang St, Katoomba, where it was to broadcast continually until 9.05am 25th October 2016. Broadcasting in the new studios in Block A at 25A-27 Parke St commenced a few days later on the 28th October.

In 1994 the station purchased a satellite dish to enable it to receive the CBAA Community Radio Network programme feed, allowing Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 to broadcast 24 hours a day. The Society celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2007.^[2] In August 2008 the station obtained a licence to broadcast on the Internet and began implementing Internet streaming systems. In late 2016 the CBAA formerly began invoicing and issuing Internet Streaming licenses separate to broadcast license and Radio Blue Mountains took out a streaming license.

In early 2015, the AGM was five months overdue and the station was in difficulty of staying operational. Moral was at its lowest point as people and management publicly abandoned the broadcaster. When the 2014 AGM was finally held 21NOV 2015, none of the former management stood for re-election and none were nominated by the membership. (The innuendo in this comment is unfortunate and inaccurate. The suggestion, to quote "that people and management publicly abandoned the broadcaster" is false and misleading. Moreover it is insulting to previous presidents and should be withdrawn). With less than 2 days to go before the AGM there was still no interest in any of the 4 vacant management committee positions to run the station. New experience was canvassed in the community. A local entrepreneur who had shown interest the year before by offering an extensive business plan to the station was contacted. He became the only nomination for President of Radio Blue Mountains. Three other members were nominated and all were unchallenged at the AGM. The new management team consisted of Hereward Dundas-Taylor [President], Francis Dutton [Vice President], Willem Hendricksen [Secretary], and Colin Wilcox [Treasurer].

Under the leadership of the new President who also took on the full time role of Station Manager, the station made a remarkable turn around in just 6 months. The exodus and bad press not only stopped (this is a nonsense statement, the so-called bad press consisted of two articles in the Blue Mountains Gazette and relate to a particular issue and were not commentary on the radio station as a whole), but record levels of membership began to bolster the station; local programming more than doubled from 25 shows to well over 50; new volunteers came to the station; Radio Blue Mountains was nominated for 4 major awards - 2 local awards by the Blue Mountains Regional Business Chamber ['Business Leader' - Hereward Dundas-Taylor and 'Creative Industries' - Radio Blue Mountains] and the Community Radio Broadcasting Authority of Australia nominated 2 personnel at the station as one of four finalist in two national award categories ['Volunteer Contributor of the Year' - Hereward Dundas-Taylor and 'Youth Volunteer of the Year' - Ben Scott-Smith, 13 years old at the time]. The Station continued to go from strength to strength and morale had returned to strengths rarely seen before.

When the 2015 AGM was held 21NOV, just 8 months after the previous AGM, interest in the community broadcaster had grown so significantly that the management committee had been expanded from 4 to 9. Seven positions were created at the AGM but the members saw the need for this to be immediately expanded to 9. Within a week 2 additional positions were created and the majority of the Management Committee were new members who had joined since the 21MAR 2015. The Management Committee for 2016 consists of Hereward Dundas-Taylor [President], Julie Ankers [Vice President], Owen James [Secretary], Christine Law [Treasurer] and ordinary members being Jenny Coppock, (Aunty) Susan Tate ([Indigenous representative], Francis Dutton, Colin Wilcox and Douglas Brown.

In early 2016 the President learned that the state owned government building that has housed the station since it commenced officially broadcasting in 9JAN 1993 was to be sold. On the 25FEB 2016 the committee finally elected to separate the role of President and Station Manager after the President had found a suitable contender. On the 29JAN the position was offered as an acting appointment to a highly experienced woman [name currently withheld] which will take place 21MAR after a 3 week hand over. The position will be reviewed 30JUN as a permanent role. Radio Blue Mountains continues to go from strength to strength.

Programming

The station's diverse programming is designed to suit the needs of the Blue Mountains community, ranging from programs for the disabled to others featuring local bands. Interviews with people of interest to Blue Mountains residents and occasional live outside broadcasts are also a feature of its programming. The station’s programs involve a wide range of music styles including jazz, country, rock, dance, blues and classical as well as coverage of local issues and events.

Community Involvement

Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 works closely with the all sections of the Blue Mountains community. Its close relationship with the Blue Mountains City Council has led to efforts to establish the station as an emergency communicator in times of bushfires and other catastrophes. The station encourages local musicians and runs the annual Battle of the Bands and highlights social and cultural activity in the Upper Blue Mountains through on-air interviews along with its daily promotion of community events through its Community Notice Board segments.

See also

• List of Australian radio stations

References

External links

• Official website