todayscountry94one – Central Coast Country Radio Station

Congratulations to Sgt Ron and Dianne Lindsay for their respective wins at the Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards on 24 January 2013.  Sgt Ron won Most Popular DJ and Dianne Lindsay won Best Female Vocal.  Unfortunately this year todayscountry94one missed out on winning Most Popular Radio Station, however we were a top five finalist.

Thank you to everyone who voted for our radio station and our announcers, we appreciate your support!

Thank you to everyone who came to the todayscountry94one Race Day on Thursday, 27 December 2012 and supported our fundraising efforts.  Thank you to Chris James and the band for performing throughout the day and a big thank you to Gina Jeffreys and Rod McCormack who put on a twilight concert following the last race.

The weather was perfect and a great day was had by all.

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the todayscountry94one Christmas Party Concert on Friday, 7 December 2012. What a great night we had with the very talented Bob Corbett & The Roo Grass Band, the amazing Viper Creek Band and our very own Brand New Star for 2012, Emily Markham, who opened the show with great style.

Congratulations to Anne of Kurri Kurri and Lyndal of San Remo who were the winners of our major raffle prizes (2 x weekend double passes to CMC Rocks The Hunter in 2013) thanks to Chugg Entertainment.

A very big thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and/or services and contributed to the success of our concert.

The 2011/2012 Financial Year has been todayscountry94one’s most successful to date with the achievement of our long-term goal, to own all our own broadcast equipment. As a result, we have formed some great business partnerships, gained many new listeners and much more awareness in our local community.

In December, the newly formed Gosford/Wyong Community Radio Association Inc (todayscountry94one, Coast FM963 and Radio Five-O-Plus) received a grant from the Community Broadcasting Foundation to the value of $25,873.00 to assist in the purchase and installation of a new combiner, antenna and associated cabling. We were also very fortunate to receive CDSE scheme grant funding from the Central Coast Leagues Club for $12,684.10 to further assist in the purchase of the above equipment.

In January todayscountry94one was voted the 2012 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards ‘Most Popular Radio Station’. An award received over commercial stations also nominated in this category – a huge achievement for such a young station. Our on-air combination of DeanO & Sgt Ron, were also finalists in the ‘Most Popular Country Music DJ’ category. We followed the awards with a ‘Thank You’ Function for our listeners for having voted for us.

Throughout the year, todayscountry94one involved itself in community events and held a number of fundraisers including; ‘An Evening with todayscountry94one and Friends’, our third Brand New Star Competition, Annual Christmas Concert, Country Music Race Day, Central Coast Country Music Festival, Fuelarama and Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea.

Todayscountry94one also joined social media in a big way with the introduction of our Facebook page and, more recently, Twitter. These mediums, along with our website and ‘listen live’ function (available anywhere in the world), have certainly helped to attract more interest in the station, especially with the younger demographic.

During this financial year todayscountry94one has gone from strength to strength as a service to the community and a vehicle to promote local talent and events.

I must take this opportunity to thank all of our Board members, staff and volunteers for donating so much of their time and energy to making this radio station the success that it has become today.

A very big thank you to our long-term Sponsors, Central Coast Leagues Club, who not only provide a home for todayscountry94one, but who have once again provided us with CDSE Grant funding to the value of $10,010.  Please support the Club who so generously support us.

It is now officially five years since todayscountry94one took over Hits n’ Country 94.1! We have come a long way since the factory at The Entrance.  Thank you to all our loyal sponsors, presenters, volunteers and technicians who have helped make the station what it is today!

Please be advised that Coast Community Broadcasters Inc (todayscountry94one) will hold its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 21 November 2012 at 12.00.  If you are a financial member and wish to attend, please advise Carmel Pickup on Ph:  (02) 4323 2441 or email: admin@todayscountry94one.com

Thank you to everyone who supported Relay for Life at Mingara on the weekend of 13 & 14 October 2012.  The total raised by this event is still steadily climbing and has already far exceeded the proposed target.  So well done Central Coast, and todayscountry94one listeners!  Have a look at our Facebook page for the photos from the day and updates on how the fundraising is progressing.

Congratulations to our very own ‘Bushie’ Bill for organising our team and to he and Gael for being 15+ year survivors of Cancer.

You can still donate – please click on the logo to the left of this post to be taken to the todayscountry94one Country Music Master’s team page.

A very big thank you to our Sponsors, Express Lube Gosford and Tuggerah for providing prizes used in our daily Membership Draw all this week.

The Central Coast has cemented itself a place in the community radio history books.

In December 2011, Gosford/Wyong Community Radio Association Inc (consisting of Coast FM963, todayscountry94one and Radio Five-O-Plus) received $25,873 in grant funding from the Community Broadcasting Foundation to assist in the relocation of Radio Five-O-Plus from the 2GO tower to the nearby SEA FM tower, and join Coast FM963 and todayscountry94one in an antenna-sharing arrangement.

Peter Little of Coast FM963 said “This project has brought all three stations together in more ways than one.  Representatives of each station sit around the table and discuss issues that affect the community radio sector as a whole”, he says “from the outset we worked as a team, no hidden agendas or grandstanding, it’s been brilliant.”

The project, which cost just over $45,000, has now been successfully completed with all stations happy with the overall results.

Carmel Pickup of todayscountry94one said “Whilst the stations involved have found their fortuitous broadcast area has, to some extent lessened, coverage locally has been greatly improved.”

The Community Broadcasting Foundation has advised that whilst a project of this nature is not unheard of, it is believed to be a first for a regional area and the only example of its kind in NSW.

The member stations of Gosford/Wyong Community Radio Association Inc will continue to work together to manage and maintain their shared equipment for the ongoing benefit of the Central Coast radio audience.