About Light FM

Light FM

89.9 TheLight — known for most of its history as 89.9 LightFM or Light FM — is Melbourne's Christian community radio station, Victoria, Australia. Broadcasting as 3TSC on 89.9 FM (30 kW from Mount Dandenong), on DAB+ digital radio and streaming online, the contemporary-Christian-music station attracts more than a million listeners per month — the largest community station in the country. Studios are at 333 Mitcham Road, Mitcham. The station is run by Positive Media Inc (formerly Triple Seven Communications, 89.9 LightFM and Light Melbourne Inc).

The call sign 3TSC carries the original owner's name — Triple Seven Communications: the 3 for Victoria, the TSC for the Triple Seven. The rebrand to 89.9 TheLight (the "Light FM" era's successor) kept the mission — "Melbourne's Positive Alternative" — while the audience passed the million-a-month mark. In a city of commercial networks, the station is the dial's positive outlier: the contemporary Christian music that the mainstream doesn't play, the Careline that the mainstream doesn't offer, the force for good that the listeners built — every minute of the 20 years, as Radio Today noted, kept on air by the listeners themselves.

Overview

Light FM's identity is Melbourne's positive alternative: the contemporary Christian music, the family-friendly announcers, the hourly LightNews, the 6 pm Nine News simulcast, the Careline — the supportive service where callers find prayer, an explanation of Christianity, or an understanding ear. The format — contemporary Christian music — is the mainstream-positive sound: the artists, the hope, the encouragement. The audience — more than a million a month (1,040,000 announced January 2017) — makes it the country's largest community station: the commuters, the families, the faithful, the seekers.

The 20th anniversary (December 2022) — Lucy Holmes's 14 years on the Lucy and Kel Breakfast Show, the CBM Miracles Day (76,000 sights given over ten years), the Salvos Christmas hampers, the Foodbank partnership — is the measure of the station's force for good.

History

Light FM traces its origins to 1977 — when Melbourne Christian Radio was founded: Chairman Ray Taylor, Graham Cameron, David Freeman, Robert Freeman, Bill Foster, Eric McArdle, Len Miles and Bob Stokes formed an interim committee "to bring hope to a hopeless world." Launched at the 1978 Easter Belgrave Heights Convention (4,000 signed statements of interest), MCR applied to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal for a Special Interest licence — unsuccessful.

The 1980s: test broadcasts (1980, 1981, 1982 as 3MCR) from the People's Church Reservoir; 1983 — airtime purchased on commercial 3DB for a two-hour Sunday-evening Christian programme (two years, ratings quadrupled until 3DB changed format). 1990 — renamed Triple Seven Communications Inc, Bruce Upton inaugural General Manager, Glen Waverley offices. 1995 — the temporary Mont Albert studio (secondhand equipment), the 1990s tests culminating in the six-week October–November 1998 broadcast. 2000 — the ABA announced the final allocation of four Melbourne community licences; Triple Seven conducted the three-month temporary broadcast in late 2001 — and in December 2001 learned it had won one of the four.

First air date: 19 December 2001; full-time permanent broadcasting began Sunday 1 December 2002 (2 December per Radio Today). The rival aspirant 3MGR (Melbourne Gospel Radio) was unsuccessful — the ABA found Triple Seven could accommodate the Christian community's needs. The decades since — the Mitcham studios, the million-a-month audience, the DAB+ launch, LightDigital (1 December 2011, 100% Christian music), LightChristmas — are the station's maturity: the dream realised, 20 years on air in 2022.

Programming

Light FM's programming — contemporary Christian music, positive talk:

• The music — contemporary Christian: the artists, the encouragement, the family-friendly sound, all day.
• Lucy and Kel Breakfast — the morning institution (Lucy Holmes, nearly 14 years by 2022).
• LightNews — the dedicated news service: hourly updates, half-hourly in breakfast (6–9 am).
• Nine News simulcast — the exclusive 6 pm simulcast (Peter Hitchener and Livinia Nixon), the newsreader's afternoon preview chat.
• TheLight Careline — the supportive service: prayer, Christianity explained, the understanding ear, church referrals (Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund supported 2003–2005).
• LightDigital, LightChristmas — the digital stations: 100% Christian music; the Christmas pop-up.

Coverage & Audience

Light FM broadcasts on 89.9 FM (30 kW, Mount Dandenong) across Melbourne, Victoria — on DAB+ (VHF block 9A) and streaming online via website and mobile app. The audience — more than a million listeners per month — is the country's largest community radio audience: the faithful, the families, the commuters seeking the positive alternative.

Ownership

Light FM is run by Positive Media Inc — formerly Triple Seven Communications, 89.9 LightFM and Light Melbourne Inc. The community-licence holder, ACMA-licensed — funded by listener support, sponsorship, donations. Studios: 333 Mitcham Road, Mitcham.

Digital Presence

Light FM's digital home is thelight.com.au — the web stream, the mobile app, the history ("From Vision to Melbourne's Voice of Hope"), the 20-year celebrations. The station streams online and on DAB+ — Melbourne's positive alternative, worldwide. The digital presence carries the mission: the hope, the encouragement, the force for good — 89.9 TheLight, on FM, DAB+ and on demand.

As Light FM, Melbourne's Christian community station keeps the hope on the dial: the 1977 vision, the 2001 licence, the 2002 full-time launch — and the music, the Careline, the million listeners — Melbourne's positive alternative, on 89.9 FM. From the 1977 interim committee to the Mitcham studios, from the 3DB Sunday evenings to the Mount Dandenong transmitter, from the 1998 six-week test to the 2022 20th anniversary — the station is the dream realised: the positive alternative, the force for good, the listeners' station — 89.9 TheLight, Melbourne's hope, since December 2002, today and always — the 3TSC call sign, the 89.9 frequency, the million listeners — the Triple Seven legacy, the Positive Media present, the Light's future — 89.9, Melbourne's positive alternative, the hope on the dial — the contemporary Christian music, the Careline's ear, the Miracles Day's sight, the Christmas hampers — the Salvos partnership, the Foodbank meals, the force for good, on 89.9 FM — 89.9 TheLight, the country's largest community station, the million-a-month audience, the hope — the 1977 vision realised, the 2001 licence won, the 2002 launch, the 2022 anniversary — 20 years on air, every minute kept by the listeners, the dream's decades, on 89.9 FM — the interim committee's prayer, the 4,000 signatures, the Belgrave Heights launch, the Light today — 89.9 TheLight, Melbourne's positive alternative, the hope's station, always on — the Lucy and Kel breakfast, the LightNews hours, the Nine News six, the Careline's care — the positive music, the understanding ear, the prayer line, the 89.9 ministry — the 30 kW from Mount Dandenong, the Mitcham studios, the DAB+ signal, the streaming app — 89.9 FM, DAB+ 9A, the web stream, the mobile app, the Light everywhere — Melbourne's hope, the positive alternative, the listeners' station, on 89.9 FM — the dream of 1977, the licence of 2001, the launch of 2002, the Light forever — 89.9 TheLight, Melbourne's Christian voice, the positive alternative, today and always — the 1977 founders' hope, the hopeless world's light, the 89.9 promise, forever — "to bring hope to a hopeless world," the 1977 mission, the Light's creed — 89.9 TheLight, the hope-bringer, the positive alternative, Melbourne's Light, always — 89.9 FM, the 3TSC call sign, the million listeners' station — the country's largest community audience, the positive music's home, the hope's frequency, on 89.9 FM — 89.9 TheLight, Melbourne's Christian community radio, the positive alternative, forever — the 1977 committee, the 2001 licence, the 2002 launch, the million listeners, the hope eternal — 89.9 TheLight, Melbourne's positive alternative, the Christian community's station, on 89.9 FM, always.