Meander Valley FM has been bringing music, community news, and local voices to the airwaves for over a decade. Run almost entirely by volunteers, the station is a testament to the power of community-driven media. While it faces challenges, there is a strong sense of dedication among those who keep it running—and plenty of opportunities for new people to get involved.
John Kenzey, one of MVFM’s station managers, has been part of the station for nearly eight years. “My job here is to make sure that I’m here for anybody who wants to come in and have a look around,” he said. “Or wants to catch up with us or become sponsors or whatever. I’m here to facilitate that.” On top of managing the station, Kenzey produces multiple programs each week, showcasing everything from independent country music to world and ambient sounds.
Like many community organisations, MVFM relies on volunteers, and finding people willing to contribute can be difficult. “People all want the radio, and they think it just magically appears,” Kenzey said. “When they do come in, some of them see what work needs to be done and then they just never come back.”
Despite this, a committed core group keeps the station running. “We probably would have about eight people all up, which is not a lot, but it’s enough to get by,” Kenzey said. “We survive and we do well.” The station is always looking for more people to join, whether to present programs, help with administration, or even just lend a hand with small tasks. “They can spend as much time or as little time as they want here, that’s no problem,” Kenzey said. “And we can teach you to do the promos and the programs.”
Beyond its local presence, MVFM has found an international audience, with Kenzey’s programs airing on stations in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. “We’ve approached a couple [of stations], and we also have a lot of music sent to us from around the world by individual artists and agents,” he said. A music company in Finland introduced MVFM to a station in the Mediterranean, while an American music and film agency connected them with Bandwagon Network Radio. “I do the programs, then I send it to them, and they put it on the air.”
Kenzey’s path into radio was unexpected. Originally from Queensland, he was an avid listener of community radio before being asked to fill in for a host. “I’d never done it before and it was really scary, but I said, ‘Yeah, OK, I’ll give it a go,’” he said. “Made a lot of mistakes and learnt through them.” When the original presenter never returned, Kenzey found himself in charge of the show, and his love for radio grew from there.
MVFM has the capacity to run live broadcasts, but for now, most programs are pre-recorded. “This gear you see here can put us live, just by switching this little thing,” Kenzey said. “But nobody wants to come in and do any.” The hope is that, with more interest from the community, live programming could return in the future.
Despite the challenges, Kenzey remains optimistic. “We are in the process of upgrading everything here, so that’s good,” he said. “We’re comfortable. We’re not flush, but we’re comfortable and we are powering ahead.”
For anyone interested in community radio, MVFM is always open to new voices. “If anybody is interested, I’d love to have you come in and have a chat,” Kenzey said. “We’d love to see people come in.”
