Denise Kuchmar has been a volunteer and member at 88.6 FM Plenty Valley FM (PVFM) for an incredible 31 years. She is a proud Life Member of PVFM where she has held various roles from presenter, training co-ordinator to committee member – including Ordinary Member, Vice President and President.
Community radio first piqued Denise’s interest when she came to a career crossroads in her early adolescence: ‘my life was heading towards performing arts and journalism. It didn’t quite turn out that way. I accepted a job with The National Bank and never did front up for the job at 3AW. What a mistake! That was my first interest in Radio’. She adds, ‘my father was interested in something called “Ham” radio, but I never knew that until later in life’.
In the 80s, Denise worked in the performing arts as well as film, TV and commercials, while fitting in theatre work around her busy schedule. She first encountered PVFM at an outside broadcast on a main street in Greensborough – she still recalls that day: ‘One of the crew invited me up to have a look at the Yarrambat Studios. The rest is history.’
After three golden decades in community broadcasting, she reflects on some of her greatest achievements and fond highlights of her time at PVFM, including the management of undertaking two successful Licence Renewals with the great team of people there. Denise has been the station’s training co-ordinator for several years now, during which time PVFM was awarded a CBAA National Training Award for Excellence in training. She explains, ‘what was originally a hobby turned into a career in the Vocational Education and Training sector’. Denise is also a trainer and assessor at CMTO and has an Associate Diploma in Training and Organisational Development.
‘Community broadcasting is important because it connects me to the community and gives me a sense of purpose and belonging’, she explains. Denise joined the CBF grants assessor team with a keen interest in learning more about how grants are assessed by the CBF.
Thank you, Denise!