Radio gaga: Eastern Melburnian visits Radio Eastern FM

The word on the Eastern Melburnian is starting to get around town, with community radio station Radio Eastern FM welcoming me to speak about our work telling local news.

Author

Matthew Sims
February 24, 2025

Sally Dusting-Laird, the manager of local community group Volunteer for Knox, and a contributor to the Eastern Melburnian, reached out the other week to ask if I wanted to come along to Radio Eastern FM’s offices in Croydon to have a chat about my work, as well as my experience as a father.

I jumped at the chance to speak on community radio about two of the closest things to my heart at the moment.

THE EASTERN MELBURNIAN Matthew Sims chats with Sally Dusting-Laird and Robert Arthur on CONNECT 24 Feb 25

We are a community radio station serving the Melbourne outer east from our studios in Croydon. We broadcast on 98.1 FM from our transmitter located in Ringwood East. We also stream our programs from

I popped into the studios at Wyreena Community Arts Centre on Monday to jump on the Connect program, hosted by Robert Arthur on Mondays and Nigel Loveday on Tuesdays.

Once Robert had chucked a longer tune on, he came and welcomed me into the studio and showed me around.

I was amazed at the large wall of CDs and vinyl records, as well as the turntables and other equipment decked around the studio.

Matthew Sims in the hot seat before his interview on air.

Priding itself on being “Your Voice in the Outer East”, Radio Eastern FM was formed in 1974, with the station only transmitting test broadcasts until a licence was granted in late 1990. Full time broadcasts began in February 1991.

You may see the three full-time on air studios and a separate production studio in Croydon or maybe you see the crew out and about in their mobile setup interviewing local community representatives at events.

If you’re going along to Knox Fest this weekend, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Radio Eastern FM truck.

Radio Eastern FM also broadcasts Eastern Football League games during the season and covers a wide variety of local sports during the “Eastern Community Sport” program on Saturday morning.

I hope to stay connected with Radio Eastern FM and you may even hear my voice again on your radio.

In the meantime, keep your radio tuned to Radio Eastern FM on 98.1.