Golden Days Radio is a Melbourne-based community radio station broadcasting on 95.7 Mz FM from a transmitter located at Caulfield Racecourse. It is an incorporated body and has its own Rules of Association and is owned by the members.
Program format
Golden Days Radio has a nostalgic music format based on radio as it used to be heard from the 1930s to the 1990s. Programs include easy listening music, light classics, operetta, ballads, musical comedy and other genres.
History
Golden Days Radio history goes back to June 1990 when Dom Iacono, registered an expression of interest with the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal for a "special interest licence" catering to the needs of senior citizens. He placed advertisements in suburban newspapers asking for interested persons to contact him with a view to forming an association for that purpose. Dom convened the first meeting of the group at the Bentleigh RSL. He invited Col Williams to join the group. Both men, together with Jack Burgesson, the then station engineer at 3SCB Moorabbin, formed a steering committee. By early 1992 membership stood at around 40 and an application was made for a test licence. In September 1992 the first test broadcasts were made and went to air for 7 days at 10 hours per day. The subsequent conversion of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal to the Australian Broadcasting Authority led to a change in categories of community broadcasting licensing and it became obvious that there would be considerable delay before a permanent licence would be issued. Progress continued however, and the first broadcast was made from premises provided by the VATC at Caulfield Racecourse using a rented transmitter in March 1994. A series of temporary restricted licences continued for several years. Sadly, Dom Iacono died in May 1996. He did not live to see the success of his labours, culminating in the granting of a full-time licence in July 2001.
Current activities
Golden Days Radio broadcasts24 hours per day, 7 days per week. More than 35 presenters provide "live" programming from 07:00 to 23:00 each day with the remaining overnight period supplied by pre-recorded music. The station has a total staff of 92 people: all are volunteers. In 2009, following a request from the MRC, the station moved into new premises at 1236 Glen Huntly Road, Glen Huntly. The new premises have 3 state of the art studios together with reception, a scheduling room and music library. In February 2011, the station started streaming its broadcast signal around the world. This has increased the number of listeners considerably as this station is the only station in the world that plays music from the '30s to '60s constantly. From 1 November 2011, the station's application for entry to the Register of Cultural Organisations was approved by the Federal Government. This means that donations of $2.00 or more to the public fund "Golden Days Radio Development Fund" are now tax deductible. In December 2015 Peter Smith OAM accepted our invitation to become our patron. He took over from Nobby Clark AO who retired last year. We welcome Pete to the golden days family. In November 2016, the station won the prestigious "Tony Staley Award" at the CBAA conference held in Melbourne. The CBAA stated "This year, the prestigious Tony Staley Award for Excellence in Community Broadcasting went to Golden Days Radio. An entirely volunteer-run station serving the senior citizens around Waverley, Golden Days Radio is dedicated to supporting its community and is a shining example of the community radio sector’s commitment to nurturing an open society. From their luncheons for listeners, to their regular studio tours and open-door meetings, the station is constantly in dialogue with its audience. The station’s 90+ volunteers recognise that isolation and loneliness can be challenges for their community and often speak at-length with their listeners over the phone, sometimes visiting some ill listeners in their homes, as well as keeping the station on air 24/7". Former Station Manager Alex Hehr was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division of the Australia Day 2017 Honours List. It was for service to the broadcast media, particularly through community radio. In August 2018 the station refreshed its on air presence by calling itself GDR95.7fm rather than Golden Days Radio. A new logo was developed as well.
