Picture: Alan Fitzpatrick
Show: On Your Radio, Thursdays 1-3pm
I joined MainFM in July 2022. I moved to Castlemaine in April 2020 and soon after discovered MainFM. I was inspired by the diversity of shows and the welcoming feeling that comes across on air.
I stopped working in June 2017 and since I had time on my hands I got in touch with an old friend at PBS in Melbourne and after I went to the open day there in October 2017 I started volunteering there in January 2018. I spent a couple of years doing research for the 40th Anniversary Book for them. During and after that period I volunteered there and met old friends that I had not seen for over 15 years and met some great new friends. I found my desire for music had not diminished over time.
My show on MainFM is called On Your Radio. I like to promote diverse music, artists and genres that you may not hear on mainstream radio and try to present a very different show each week. I started my show in September in 2022. My motivation is to share my love of music and to engage with the local community, expand my social circle and to keep my mental health in check.
I have learned that I can contribute to the local community and that I am a relevant person in this community. I have also learned that the community is very supportive and accepting of everyone who shows a desire to be involved.
I admire Jump Out Jamaica that is presented on Saturday 2.00 till 3.30pm. Every week they present a show that is well researched and diverse in the confines of Jamaican music. I find the show to be fun and it promotes a very important style of music. I love how the show is delivered by Ed and Re Re Dub. Lots of great sound effects and fun comments, along with in depth and accessible commentary.
Community Radio to me means radio that is presented by your community. Radio that is reflective of your community. Radio that is important to your community. Radio that may promotes underrepresented media and may not be heard outside of your community.
Recently I was lucky enough to be asked by Elizabeth Scanlon to join her and Jen Moore on her show Sunday Best, which airs 12.00 to 1.30pm each week. It has been many years since I have been on air with other presenters, and I was a tad nervous. I found that after a while I settled in and really started to enjoy myself and felt a tremendous amount of love in the studio and I hope this came through in the broadcast. This has helped my confidence and made me feel much more accepted as a human of the MainFM community.
I don’t use social media to share my show, but I do believe that there is a place for social media for the station in general. I have learned that there are many shows and presenters that I have learned about via social media and also made friends.
I love being involved in community radio after such a long break. Community radio has been a massive part of my life and I have made lifelong friends from being involved. MainFM is such a beautiful community and an incredibly important part of the media landscape. It may be a tiny station, but the amount of experience and talent that is involved in the station is massive and very well respected. I adore MainFM and everyone involved.
Show names and times may have changed, but the love is still HUGE!!
Onya, Alan! Love the way you switch up the style each and every week!