Tamworth's only commercial FM radio station celebrates 30 years

As of its first broadcast at 9:29pm on Saturday, May 1, 1993, 92.9fm became the first commercial radio station in the Tamworth region, and only the fourth regional FM radio station in Australia (after Moree, Nowra, and Bundaberg).

"Thirty years is quite an achievement for any business but for being a local business in Tamworth and going from strength to strength it's awesome," General Manager Nikki Kenwrick said.

She also said she enjoys how the station continues to integrate into the Tamworth community via partnerships with other local businesses, raising awareness for local charities, and that the station will look for more of those opportunities moving forward.

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For content director and breakfast host Jarrad "JB" Brooke, a lot has changed since he was first hired by the station more than 15 years ago.

"The biggest change has been the rise of social media. When I started here in 2007 we didn't have a Facebook presence, we got a website literally two weeks before I started here," Mr Brooke said.

He says the rise of social media has meant many community organisations now post news to their own web pages rather than going through radio.

He said staying relevant in the era of social media can be tough for a rural radio station, but he's confident the quality of entertainment the station broadcasts and their focus on localised coverage will keep the community listening.

The station has been celebrating on the air and in the studio for a couple of days now, but listeners can also get in on the celebrations by listening in to win tickets to a 30th Birthday Party at Wests Diggers, on Saturday, May 6.

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