About Oak FM

Oak FM

Oak FM (ACMA call sign 3WPR) is a community radio station based in Wangaratta, Victoria, broadcasting on 101.3 MHz FM to Wangaratta and north-east Victoria. The name OAK is an acronym for the Ovens and King rivers, the two waterways that meet at Wangaratta, and the station positions itself as the community voice of the district. Run by volunteers under the auspices of the Wangaratta Community Radio Association, it programs a variety format of contemporary and classic music, magazine-style talk and local sport, with a strong emphasis on promoting local musicians and community organisations.

Overview

Oak FM broadcasts on 101.3 FM from Wangaratta, the largest city in Victoria's north-east, situated at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers on the Hume corridor between Melbourne and Albury-Wodonga. The station's studios are located at 104 Murdoch Road in Wangaratta, and its published contact details include phone (03) 5722 1569 and email for general enquiries.

The station's format is best described as variety: a blend of contemporary and classic music, talk-based magazine programming and specialist segments focused on regional people and organisations. Regular local information includes weather, council notices, arts and community diaries, and coverage of the activities that shape life in Wangaratta and surrounding towns. As a not-for-profit community broadcaster, Oak FM encourages participation, welcomes new presenters, and supports local musicians and event organisers with airplay and interviews.

The station's presentation style is deliberately friendly and locally guided, with playlists shaped by its volunteer presenters rather than by network formats. Its long-standing positioning line, "more music, more variety", captures the breadth of the schedule: on any given day listeners may hear classic hits, contemporary pop, country, and specialist programs sitting side by side. Its appeal spans an all-ages audience, from retirees and families to commuters travelling the Hume and Great Alpine corridors through the district.

History

Oak FM is operated by the Wangaratta Community Radio Association Incorporated, the not-for-profit body that holds the community broadcasting licence for the 3WPR service. The association's published documents identify it as Wangaratta Community Radio Assoc Inc, and the station has operated as the district's community radio voice for many years, building its audience and volunteer base steadily over time.

The choice of the OAK name reflects the station's deep identification with its district. Wangaratta's identity is inseparable from the Ovens and King rivers — the Ovens Valley is one of Victoria's noted wine and gourmet regions, and the King Valley extends south toward the Alpine ranges — and the station's branding draws directly on that geography. The call sign 3WPR follows the Australian convention in which the initial "3" denotes Victoria, and the station's long-term community licence reflects its established place in the district's media landscape.

In April 2024 the station's president, Neil Barassi, appeared on the This is Wangaratta podcast to discuss the role of community radio in connecting a regional community. Describing the station's mission, he spoke about giving local people the opportunity both to listen to and to present music of any genre, and reflected — drawing on his professional background as a psychologist — on the challenges and strengths of life in a regional community. The appearance underlined the station's standing as a recognised civic institution in Wangaratta.

Programming

Oak FM's program grid is built around its volunteer presenters, each bringing their own musical tastes and interests to the microphone. Music programming ranges from old classics to contemporary hits, with the station's directory listings noting a mix of sports, pop, Top 40 and adult contemporary. The station actively promotes local musicians and artists, giving airplay and interviews to performers from north-east Victoria who receive limited exposure on commercial radio.

Local sport is a significant part of the schedule. The station broadcasts local sporting coverage including Australian rules football, netball and cricket — the winter and summer codes that dominate community life in country Victoria. This sports coverage complements the station's music and talk output and reinforces its role as a genuinely local service.

Talk and magazine programming includes segments focused on regional people, organisations and issues, along with regular local information: weather forecasts, council notices, arts diaries and community announcements. The station's community service function — providing airtime for the notices, events and causes of local groups — is central to its licence obligations as a community broadcaster and to its identity in the district.

Coverage and Audience

Oak FM serves Wangaratta and the surrounding districts of north-east Victoria, a region of considerable geographic and economic diversity. Wangaratta itself is a regional city of around 20,000 people and a service centre for the surrounding agricultural districts, the Ovens and King valleys' wine and gourmet food industries, and the Victorian Alps tourism areas to the south, including the snowfields of Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.

The station's audience includes commuters on the Hume Freeway and Great Alpine Road corridors, farming families across the district, and the town's own residents. Its all-ages, variety positioning means it does not chase a narrow demographic in the manner of commercial stations; instead it aims to be a companion service for the whole community, with different programs serving different tastes and age groups across the week.

In the Wangaratta radio market, Oak FM broadcasts alongside two ACE Radio commercial stations — Edge FM 102.1 and Star FM 92.1 (the former 3NE) — as well as ABC Goulburn Murray and national ABC services. The commercial stations dominate the published audience surveys for the district, but Oak FM's community licence gives it a distinct remit: community access, local content and volunteer participation rather than ratings competition.

Ownership

Oak FM is owned and operated by the Wangaratta Community Radio Association Incorporated, a not-for-profit incorporated association. The association is governed by its members, with a president and committee overseeing the station's operations, and it holds the community broadcasting licence for the 101.3 MHz service issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Like all Australian community broadcasters, the station operates under the Community Broadcasting Codes of Practice and is expected to encourage community participation, provide access for community groups, and operate on a not-for-profit basis. Published association documents, including the organisation's environment policy, identify the licensee formally as Wangaratta Community Radio Assoc Inc and record its Australian Business Number, reflecting the formal governance structure behind the volunteer-run station. Its funding comes from sponsorship announcements, memberships, donations and fundraising — the standard community radio revenue mix — and its workforce is overwhelmingly volunteer.

Digital Presence

Oak FM maintains an online presence through its website at oakfm.com.au, the address listed consistently across radio directories, where listeners can find station information and contact details. The station offers live streaming through its website, extending its reach beyond the 101.3 FM signal to listeners outside the terrestrial footprint, including former residents, travellers and supporters of community radio everywhere.

The station is listed on major radio streaming aggregators and is available through radio apps, and it maintains social media accounts for audience engagement. Directory listings give its contact email for enquiries alongside its Murdoch Road studio address and phone number, and the station welcomes enquiries from prospective volunteers and community groups seeking airtime. Its appearance on podcast platforms — including the 2024 This is Wangaratta interview with its president — reflects a modest but growing digital footprint that complements its core FM broadcast to north-east Victoria.