BOAMBEE East Community Centre (BECC) Chin Waggers gathered a group of 25 members to pay a visit to Coffs Community Radio station 2AIR FM’s Glenreagh Street studio to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day 2023 on Tuesday 18 April.

2AIR FM is run by volunteers who are certainly not amateurs, but the local and accessible vibe suited the day.

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With 25 years in business, the radio station is looking forward to birthday celebrations later this year.

Margaret Bridgman from the Chin Waggers led the group visit on the Monday prior to the day of celebration.

Interested to see how the radio station operates, the group was given a guided tour.

“We were treated with morning tea on arrival and greeted by Vice President and On Air Presenter Kaye Hamilton who welcomed the group to the station,” Margaret told News Of The Area.

“Kaye gave the group an interesting and entertaining history of 2AIR FM from its humble beginnings in a small studio at the Big Banana, then their progression to premises in the Jetty precinct for a time before taking up residence in their current building at 24 Glenreagh Street.”

While the Chin Waggers were enjoying their cuppa and biscuits, they listened to some of the stories about the early days of the station told by Ken Capps, one of 2AIR FM’s presenters who has been with the station for many years and had many funny stories to share.

Margaret shared a story of her short time on reception back in the days at the Big Banana, saying the studio had the best office view.

They were told of the great music from 2AIR FM which has been played in some of the op shops around Coffs where a number of the Chin Waggers volunteer, which has generated interest in the station through customers asking where the music was from.

The visitors then made their way upstairs under the supervision of Kaye Hamilton, Charles Boothman and David Langford to the main studio.

Here they watched Judy Smyth on air.

In chatting with John Bambey in the production studio they learned how sponsors’ ads and the like are produced.

Kaye then took everyone into the second studio to give them an insight as to how the panel operates.

As 2AIR FM is always looking for new volunteers to join, whether it be on the reception desk or learning to be a presenter, the group was encouraged to maybe think about joining the station, an option many of them took up on the day.

For any questions about joining 2AIR FM as a volunteer in a range of roles, or if you have a group that would like to take a tour of the station, contact the office on 6652 1071.

By Andrea FERRARI