A Fond Farewell to Yass FM Legends Jan and Richard Wilson
Yass FM recently bid a fond farewell to two of its most treasured voices, Jan and Richard Wilson, as they retire from radio presenting. To celebrate their remarkable contribution, friends, family, and fellow Yass FM members gathered at the Yass Golf Club to send the couple off in style, wishing them well as they embark on a new chapter filled with family time and adventures with their 16 great-grandchildren.
Jan, the longest-serving presenter at Yass FM, has been a steadfast supporter of the community radio station for years, wearing many hats as a presenter, member, and President. Jan and her husband Richard, who was Station Manager for many years, played a vital role in some of Yass FM’s most memorable moments, including keeping the community informed during the bushfires, droughts, floods and COVID-19. In recognition of her incredible dedication to the community, Jan was awarded an OAM in 2017 for her services to Legacy, the RSL, and Yass FM.
Reflecting on her community radio journey, Jan shared, “It has been a very eventful 23 years, but my listeners kept me going, and Richard feels the same. I’ve received so many heartfelt messages and calls. Just this week, I found a beautiful card in my letterbox from a listener – I nearly cried! It was a tough decision to step away, but it’s time for Richard and me to travel and spend time with our family, who are spread along the east coast.”
As Jan and Richard look forward to their well-deserved retirement, Yass FM extends a huge thanks for their years of service, dedication, and the wonderful listening memories.
From all of us at Yass FM, we wish Jan and Richard all the best for their next chapter and family-filled adventures. Thank you for the music!
Oct 2024
Yass Valley Council Election 2024
The results are in! Congratulations to our nine new councillors who will form the Yass Valley Council for the next four years. With four new councillors and five re-elected, Yass FM will continue to bring your the news and views from the council meetings as they happen.
Congratulations Cllrs Cameron, Rothwell, Jones, Flanery, Burgess, Carter, Butler, McGrath and Charry. The new mayor will be elected at the next council meeting in early October.
Missed it? Listen again to our interviews with the candidates seeking election to Yass Valley Council in the NSW Local Government Elections 2024.
Yass FM received a significant boost to their sound deck thanks to a $1,000 donation Ginninderry, a local cross-border community, as part of their annual sponsorship grants initiative. This generous gift will be used to purchase two new CD players, allowing the station to continue serving its diverse audience and keep the tunes flowing across the Yass Valley.
Geoff Frost, President of Yass FM, couldn’t be happier: “CD players are vital for our station, especially for our many volunteers who have accumulated extensive and varied CD collections. The upgraded equipment will help these presenters keep playing their own music and keep their listeners happy. Other presenters are more comfortable with electronic media. The station aims to keep a range of reliable, familiar and easy-to-use technology in the studio to allow all presenters of all ages and tastes to access the station. Many thanks Ginninderry for helping us achieve this.”
Ginninderry’s donation is part of their annual sponsorship grant totalling $50,000, which aims to support local sports, arts, education, and community projects. With the developments stretching across the ACT-NSW border into the Yass Valley, this gesture highlights Ginninderry’s dedication to enriching the communities they build.
Marcus Mills-Smith, Head of Sales, Marketing and Communications from Ginninderry, said: “We know how important having the correct technology is to keep people active in the community, and we are delighted to support Yass FM and their work in bringing the local community together. Partnership is a key pillar of our vision, and we are proud that our longstanding relationship with the Yass Valley exemplifies this. “
Jacquie Tewes, a Yass FM volunteer who helped coordinate this sponsorship, added: “A huge thank you to Ginninderry for their fantastic support! These CD players will keep many of our presenters on the air, bringing those tunes that our regular listeners love, all from their cherished CD collections.”
Yass FM thanks Bango Wind Farm for funding new antenna
Yass FM would like to say a big thank you to Bango Wind Farm for their generous support to fund the replacement of our main antenna at Mt Manton. This funding, provided through the Bango Wind Farm Community Enhancement Fund and administered by Yass Valley Council, ensures Yass FM can continue delivering reliable broadcasts to our community.
Geoff Frost, President of Yass FM, said: “Our main antenna was damaged during the 2023 storm season, leaving Yass FM unable to broadcast via FM radio waves for weeks. This outage particularly impacted our elderly and rural listeners, who rely on FM radio for news, music, and companionship”.
Although a temporary antenna restored some service, the quality was insufficient for many rural listeners.
Geoff continued: “Thanks to Bango Wind Farm’s support, our amazing volunteers have now installed a new antenna, ensuring clear and consistent broadcasts for all listeners. This upgrade is especially vital for our elderly and rural listeners who depend on FM radio to stay informed and entertained’.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Bango Wind Farm for their invaluable support and commitment to enhancing the well-being of our community. As we are reliant on community donations, their contribution has ensured that Yass FM can continue to serve as a vital community service and source of companionship for all our listeners”.
Thank you for supporting Yass FM!
Finding a New Home for Yass FM
Yass FM is still hunting for a new permanent location after the proposed new site for their new studios at the Yass Community Centre has been deemed unsuitable. Following meticulous planning and fundraising efforts, a long-term site adjacent to the Men’s Shed at the Community Centre was identified, but despite good initial progress, environmental contamination issues at the old servo site have halted construction plans. Yass FM was forced to leave their original established studios at the Waterworks building on Cooks Hill Road in 2021 after the building was deemed unsafe. The Council agreed to let the local community radio station rent the Pool House building at Victoria Park as a temporary measure, but now, due to the proposed demolition of this building due to the new heated pool plans in Victoria Park, Yass FM has been on the hunt for a new permanent location. Geoff Frost, President of Yass FM said: ‘we are disappointed that all the work completed so far at the Men’s Shed has meant that we are not able to proceed with the build, but we are now on the hunt for an alternative and better location. We are very grateful to Council for it’s co-operation to date with finding the station a long-term home and we are putting forward some new proposals to them in the next Council Meeting.’ Options for Yass FM’s new home could be staying where they are or relocating to other under-utilised sites in Victoria Park. Geoff continued: ‘we have been overwhelmed by the public support for our hunt for a new home with kind offers of support from local businesses and financial donations from our listeners. We remain determined to find a permanent location, and will continue to work to find a solution. ‘Victoria Park is a great location, close the centre of town, easy access and is a good technical solution as it provides a direct link to the station’s transmitter on Mt Manton. In the meantime, we will continue to operate from the Pool House, and we await a favourable decision about our new home from the next Council Meeting to ensures the station's continuity and how our new location will benefit the wider community.’ The hunt for a new home means that Yass FM 100.3 is going from strength to strength, and we continue to broadcast a wide range of talk and music shows to the local Yass Valley community via 100.3 FM radio, digital online, phone apps or podcasts. Our daily reports include local community news, what’s on guides, police updates and council news. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, radio presenter or business sponsor, we would love to hear from you and we can be contacted via mail@yassfm.org.
Buy YassFM merch – and help us build a studio!
Be the proud owner of a YassFM t-shirt, mug and pen. Merch is now available to buy and the proceeds go towards our fundraising campaign to build a new studio.
- Pen – $20
- Mug and Pen – $60
- T-shirts – $100
To order any of these items, please email mail@yassfm.org and we will arrange to get these items to you.
Thank you for all your support!
YassFM calls for community support to build new studio
YassFM is appealing to the community for support with their fundraising campaign. With the lease on our current studio running out, we need funding to build our new studio! Without a new home, YassFM cannot continue to deliver services to the community. There are many options how to support us – you can donate, be a sponsor or become a member.
Your Voice in the Valley
Yass FM 100.3 is Yass Valley’s local community radio station, staffed by volunteers. Listen in for great music, news, weather and information on what is happening around Yass Valley.
