Congratulations to our Award Winners!

Each year at the Annual General Meeting the Board of Eastside Radio presents the Marg Barry Award to a volunteer at the station.

Who was Marg Barry?

Well, no discussion of the station’s history should ever overlook the contribution made by one of our longest serving directors, Marg Barry, who died on 28th of February, 2001. Born in 1934 she was an original board member of 2RES who served as treasurer from 1976 to 2001.  She served as a mentor to successive managers who greatly appreciated her wisdom and experience. Officially she was the Coordinator of the Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development until 1999. Unofficially, she was a social provocateur, a community activist and organiser. At the time Barry was paid for only three days a week, but in fact worked all week and most weekends. She was on Boards, regional forums, Labour committees, had been on Sydney City Council and was a secretary of the Waterloo branch of the ALP.

Since her death in 2001, Eastside Radio has given the “Marg Barry Community Service Award” to a different presenter every year for volunteer community work at the station.

Previous Winners Include: Paula Langlands / Sylvia Rosenblum 2013 Paris Pompor & 2014 Virginia Lowe (Although she forgot to turn up on the night!)

May i suggest Philip James. He is always eager to help out at anything the station does, always willing to sit in for other presenters on jazz or arts programs and i think he’d take a crack at any other programs if it was needed. Drives across town to pick me up and bring me in for my pre record to save some money.

All round a jolly fine fellow, eh?

Phil James has been involved at the station for over 10 years both as a presenter, Board member and Chairman. He has been successful in garnering thousands of dollars in donations and financial support for the station from family and friends as well as personally. He has been generous with his time picking up and where possible dropping off Paula Langlands to help with her nationally syndicated show Jazz Made In Australia as well as hosting the Saturday session of our training and induction program as a guest speaker. He has donated computers, speakers, CDs and his advice when requested.

The Wally

Is a great name for an award!

Wally Wrightman was one of our longest serving Presenters at Eastside Radio with over 20 years service. He presented Jammin as well as In Town Today and any other program he could get his hands on! He was a member of the Board and a constant promoter of the station around town to anyone who would listen! He was invaluable and loved the medium of Radio. One of his favourite quotes was “the real art of radio is to make it personal, make people feel like you’re talking to them; there’s something in the voice, something in the tone that can create a real relationship on air.

The premise of the award is to encourage a young volunteer under 35 to continue on in the pursuit of community broadcasting. The volunteer will have had at least two years at Eastside Radio and operated over and above what it required. That includes helping out at the drop of the hat. Thinking of new ways in which to promote the station. Working both on air and behind the scenes.

I support the Nick La Rosa nomination on account of the key role that LRM and our website plays for the station and the value add it brings. Also Nick ‘provides LRM & Website as a volunteer service’ and he has definitely ‘made a difference to the Eastside community and has positively contributed to the growth of our station’. Over the years Nick has also put Eastside’s requirements ahead of his personal commitments. 

Nick La Rosa has been an integral part of the station for nearly 8 years now. He came to us out of the blue off the street walking in one day having been told by a friend to go visit Eastside Radio. His IT skills were instantly recognized and we asked if he might help us with our website. Several versions later and in his own words we have one of the sexiest websites around. His love of music and skill behind the mic has left him to present the only indie rock ‘n’ roll program on the station for many years.

And then there’s LRM.

Wow! What a program. No other community station around the country possess such a powerful audio playout system. With this we are the envy of many bigger stations with metropolitan coverage.

We’re very lucky to have Nick and his enthusiasm for our station and it’s online systems. And for that we would like to award you with the inaugural

Wally!