Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Nick STAIKOS (Bentleigh – Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Local Government) (12:19): Congratulations to our local community radio station 88.3 Southern FM on 35 wonderful years. Back in 1978 the department of communications called for expressions of interest for community radio licences. Southern Community Broadcasters formed in the 1980s, and a series of test broadcasts followed from a couple of locations, including the East Bentleigh community hall. The station was granted a licence in March 1990 and started broadcasting full time in November that year.

The station’s studio was moved several times over the years but recently moved into Moorleigh Community Village in East Bentleigh, with brand new equipment. Our area no longer has a local paper, but we have Southern FM keeping locals entertained and up to date. At various times throughout the week you can tune in and hear about virtually any topic, hear every genre of music or hear commentary from local sporting matches. Just last Sunday we tuned into Southern FM to listen to the live broadcast of the City of Kingston’s carols event. The current president of the station is Walkley award winning journalist Colin Tyrus, who also hosts A Newsman and His Music every Monday morning. In fact the next time that you are on a tram and you hear ‘The next stop is Spring Street’, that is Colin. I enjoy my regular appearances on Colin’s program every few months and always advertise my appearances and the station on the front page of my regular newsletter the Bentleigh Broadcast. As locals, we should get behind our local radio station.