From a major fire to streaming, Radio Eastern FM has been fighting to keep people listening for more than 50 years

A roster of 42 presenters deliver shows throughout the week, ranging from punk rock and jazz to electronica.

Matthew Sims
August 04, 2026

In July 2003, Radio Eastern FM’s two main studios at Croydon’s Wyreena Community Arts Centre were destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning.

However, the volunteers were committed to return to the air as soon as possible, broadcasting from a third spare studio next door at 5pm that evening.

Now, 23 years on, the community radio station is still on the air. But changing tastes, the popularity of radio and tighter budgets are placing more pressure on this volunteer-run organisation.

🗓️ The history: Forming under the name Eastern Community Broadcasters in 1974, the station only transmitted test broadcasts before receiving a community broadcasting license in late 1990, moving to full-time broadcasts in February 1991.

The main trio of founding members was made up of former Ringwood MP Peter McArthur, Herb Lilburn and Gerald Smart, who delivered the test broadcasts and lobbied for a license for 16 years.

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🙋 Willing helpers: Broadcasting from Wyreena on 98.1, the signal covers the Knox, Maroondah, Whitehorse, Manningham and Yarra Ranges LGAs.

Secretary Tony Kenyon said about 80 active volunteers offer their support, including 42 on-air presenters.

🗣️ “We're all volunteers, from the president down to the office people,” he told the Eastern Melburnian. “Nobody gets a dollar in payment of any kind. In some cases, this is all they have.”

🎶 What makes it special? Lyn Woods, the station’s vice president, has been a volunteer for the past 20 years. She said one of the most significant differences between commercial and community radio was the “wide mix of music”, from her jazz program to punk, world music and even electronica.

🗣️ “On commercial radio these days, you’ll hear the same track every day,” she told the Eastern Melburnian. “We’re using our own collections and we're not told what to play.”

📡 Losing interest: Woods said while their listeners are mostly people over 50, they still have to capture the minds of young people, a task growing more difficult with the fast-paced landscape of social media and streaming services.

🗣️ “Young people don't listen to the radio,” she said.

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⏭️ What’s next? The majority of the station’s funding is sourced via membership fees and sponsorships, with some support from grant programs.

While the station has more than 300 members supporting them, Kenyon said falling membership numbers were a concern.

🗣️“Members are not joining at the rate that they're falling off and sponsorship is difficult at the moment because money is tight,” he said.