Along with many other community radio stations in the same boat, the flow-on effects of volunteer shortages and diminishing capacity has had rippling impacts on small stations like 3BBR FM. But in its latest move, the station’s Regional News Team has discovered ways to bring more volunteers onboard while catering for some of the unique circumstances of its listeners.
3BBR’s Regional News team provides a weekly newspaper reading service for those with a visual impairment or a disability that impedes their ability to read the news.
Challenged by a recent shortage of trained newsreaders to fill its roster as well as suitable voices for its program – 3BBR has had to re-think the way it crafts news programs and the delivery of its reading services. The introduction of home recording kits for newsreaders has been the latest shift from the station’s Regional News team who has been delivering 2 – 3 hours of initial training on home-recording for its newsreaders. The team has been busy conducting follow-ups, auditing readers’ programs and providing coaching in home studios until readers are comfortable in their delivery and reading standards are met.
With the flexibility and efficiency of recording via home kits, 2024 has seen an enormous 40% increase in the number of rostered readers for the Regional News Team. New onboarding members have also alleviated the workload for the program’s five founding presenters, who were previously producing up to 3 programs each week when a rostered member was ill or away travelling.
The ability to ‘time-shift’ has also presented numerous benefits for news listeners too. The Gippsland Regional News program is now accessible as a podcast from 3BBR FM’s website and on Community Radio Plus. With a growing portion of its listeners moving into retirement and nursing homes, it has meant that their carers are now able to time the news program for when listeners have the mental energy and focus to tune in.
3BBR West Gippsland Community Radio Inc received $2,770 under CBF’s Round 1 Specialist Radio Programming Grant 2023/24 for home recording kits and newspaper subscriptions.
[Image: 3BBR Board Member and Regional News Team Co-ordinator, Ian Hill]