92.9fm History and Highlights
92.9fm has been on air in Tamworth since 1993 and is now the most listened to radio station in the New England, Northwest and Liverpool Plains areas. We are proud to be Tamworths’ only commercial FM radio station.
Free to-air commercial radio remains one of the best ways to reach audiences and to stay in touch.
Photo Gallery
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1992 - Radio 2TM owners, Carillon Development set to launch Tamworth’s first commercial FM radio station.
The new station was housed in the same studio building as sister station, radio 2TM on Goonoo Goonoo Road, Hillvue. The new $400,000 transmitter was situated at Mount Soma.
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4th October 1992. Australian Broadcast Licence granted under the call sign of 2TTT under licensee, Tamworth Radio Development Co Pty Ltd.
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1st April 1993
Testing began for the new 24-hour rock station FM92.9 A series of 2 ½ hour tests were broadcast, programmed for the 18-39 year old age group.
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20th April 1993. Official notification received from Australian Broadcast Authority that s24B transmitter licence granted for commercial FM radio service for Tamworth.
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Saturday, 1st May 1993. The North Wests newest radio station, FM92.9 was launched at 9.29pm. Parties all over Tamworth tuned in to celebrate the launch and the new music format for the town of contemporary rock.
Jimmy Barnes gave the official on-air welcome and the first FM92.9 on-air announcer and music director was Phil Bradley. He was one of four announcers to make up the first team. The others were Mike Armstrong, Andrew Hogg and Peter Gillett.
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June 1993. FM92.9 exceeded all expectations with the new music format, grabbing 20 percent of the total radio market in the area in just one month.
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1994 - By FM929’s first birthday, the success of the station had grown to include 38% of the total market (14 years and older), 56 percent of its target market (25-39 years) and a staggering 78 percent of listeners 14 – 24 years bracket.
The stations informal format was a first for the region and proved to be a big hit. The news was delivered from 2UE in Sydney in a more relaxed format which kept the listeners informed without coming through too strongly. The stations research proved that 100% of the listeners were listening for the music.
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18th September 1994. 92.9FM along with sister station 2TM raised an astonishing $26,000 through a Country helpline phone-in from listeners in Tamworth and the region in an appeal to help northern rural families survive the drought.
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9th January 1995. FM929 and sister station 2TM are sold and now owned by The Super Radio Network, the largest radio network in Australia.
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1996 - Johanna Cuskelly ‘Jo-King’ 120 hours on air, wins the ACRA for BEST NEW-COMER ON AIR ) Country)
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1997 - Johanna Cuskelly nominated for an ACRA for BEST STATION PRODUCED COMMERCIAL (Country) for ‘What’s Cookin’ at the Workshop?’ Matt Watson nominated for BEST NEWCOMER ON-AIR (Country) and Johanna Cuskelly nominated for BEST ON-AIR TEAM (Country) for ‘Maley and Jo’
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2003 - 92.9FM partner with and support of NIAS (Northern Inland Academy of Sport) and proudly continue that support and partnership today.
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2004 - 2nd August 2004. Last one sitting wins. Five listeners vying for a chance to win $5000 cash had to sit in a 4WD car for as long as possible. There were cameras placed in the car to capture any antics and they were allowed a ten-minute toilet break every three hours. The person who could last the longest in the 4WD was the winner. The car was moved to a number of different businesses where the general public were invited to come and see the contestants.
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2004 - Brekky with the Boys – Kevin Rigby and Stephen Walter win and ACRA for BEST STATION PRODUCED COMEDY SEGMENT (Country) with ‘Bethle-FM’.
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April 2005. Building commences of the new state-of-the-art studio facilities which feature all glass ground to ceiling fit-outs for the two studios, newsrooms and production suites. This being an Australian first for radio studio construction.
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2005 - Kevin Rigby and Stephen Walter receive an ACRA nominations for BEST STATION PROMOTION for ‘Brekky with the Boys Australian Idol Tamvegas Style as well as BEST STATION PRODUCED COMEDY SEGMENT for ‘Sensing Serious Shenanigans.’
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2008 - 92.9 FM assist with the build of the Ronald McDonald House Tamworth. Broadcasting live from the house as it was being built between 6am and 10am with Scotty McLaren and then 10am until 2pm with JB (sister station 2TM then broadcast from 2pm until 6pm from the site as well).
The Ronald McDonald House Tamworth was built in 12 hours, an incredible feat and a first for the Ronald McDonald Group anywhere in the world at the time. 92.9FM then opened the house in June/July 2008.
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2008 - 92.9FM holds the first Christmas Street Light Party. This goes on to become an annual event until 2017. Residents enter the competition by nominating their street. The Council selects the winner, and that street is closed off to traffic for one night where the 92.9FM street team broadcast live, along with flash dancers and other vendors to celebrate Christmas.
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2008 - 92.9FM’s begins the extremely popular BACK TO SCHOOL promotion. Each month, listeners are asked to nominate a school in the region. Once lucky school each month would then win the opportunity to have the 92.9FM breakfast crew broadcast live from their school. This enabled the station to engage with their listeners up-close and personal, as well as to win some great giveaways. This program ran on and off until around 2014.
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2009 - Sam Phelps and Jarrad Brooke receive ACRA nominations for BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
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2010 - Another successful year for the station in terms of ACRA nominations. Gavin Flanagan was nominated for STATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR (Country). Ashlyn Montgomery was nominated for BEST NEWCOMER ON-AIR (Country) and our coverage of the 2010 Tamworth Country Music Festival was nominated for BEST MUSIC SPECIAL (Country)
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2011 - 92.9FM wins the Quality Business Award for Excellence in Media and Entertainment. Presented by the Tamworth Business Chamber.
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13th October 2012. 92.9FM team wins the ACRA award for Best Community Service Project for the David Rixon Radiothon. In just five and a half hours, 92.9FM along with sister station 2TM raised over $45,000 for the appeal by way of an auction, radiothon and by taking song requests for a donation.
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2013 - John Sutherland nominated for an ACRA for BEST SPORTS PRESENTER. Caleb James Sheffield nominated for an ACRA for BEST NEWCOMER OFF-AIR.
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10th March 2014. The launch the 92.9FM Dollar Day Drought Relief Appeal. Listeners are asked to donate $1 to help raise funds for farmers in the region in need, due to the drought. The 92.9FM crew took collections from local businesses, held a BBQ on the front lawn of the station and from the 92.9 badged car from various locations around town. The appeal raised almost $20,000 for farmers in need.
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August 2014. 92.9FM/2TM receive an ACRA nomination for BEST COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT for the Dollar Day Relief appeal
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1st December 2017. 92.9FM re-branded as ONEfm.
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2017 - OneFM in conjunction with Coles Tamworth, held a promotion called the Coles Wishing Trolleys. Each of the three Coles stores in town were branded and shoppers asked to purchase additional items, which were placed into the trolleys in store over a two week period. The contents of the trolleys were then donated amongst four local charities on December 20th. The Salvation Army, Tamworth Family Support Services, Ronald McDonald House and Meals on Wheels.
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December 2017. OneFM along with Western Ranges Motorcycles give away a Harley Davidson to one lucky listener through a bumper sticker competition “Ride to Win’
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30th June 2018. OneFM presents Guy Sebastian at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. Supporting Guy on his Then and Now tour was Fatai.
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June 2018. General Manager Gavin Flanagan returns and re-brands the station back to its original name 92.9FM.
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21st October 2018. OneFM announcer Paris Humphries wins the ACRA award for Best New-Comer on air at the 30th anniversary of the annual event.
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27th October 2018. 92.9FM presents the ‘Buy-A-Bale’ concert at West Tamworth Leagues Club. The concert raised over 2 million dollars for drought-stricken farmers in Australia’s worst recorded drought. Acts included John Farnham, Daryl Braithwaite, Guy Sebastian, The Veronicas, Andrew Farris, Jon Stevens and Adam Harvey.
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17th January 2019. 92.9FM broadcast the brekky show live from the top of a fully extended scissor lift as Kennards Hire sponsor the stations 10 day coverage of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
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17th January 2019. 92.9FM proudly present ICEHOUSE at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre with special guests, Batchelor Girl.
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July 2019 - 92.9FM sponsors of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Tamworth. Supporting this important program that entitles every child born in Tamworth to be sent a book every month of the childs life up until the age of five. The program is to help teach children about the importance of reading from an early age and to help their early life education.
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12th September 2019. 92.9FM brekky announcer Jarrad Brooke ‘JB’ broadcasts live from South Tamworth McDonalds continuously for 24 hours to celebrate the stores new 24-hour trading hours.
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29th November 2019. 92.9FM presents ‘Country For Our Country’ at West Tamworth Leagues Club. A concert held in aid of The Salvation Army Bush Fire Disaster Appeal. $20,000 was raised between the Tamworth and Gosford concerts. Acts included Travis Collins, Catherine Britt, Ashleigh Dallas, Brooke Lambert, Rex Dallas and Dan Murphy. Presented by Sally-Anne Whitten and Peter Huxley.
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19th January 2020. 92.9FM presents Cold Chisel at Scully Park Oval - West Tamworth Leagues Club as part of the ‘Blood Moon’ tour along with special guests, Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daly and Charlie Collins.
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3rd August 2020 - 92.9FM hold the first 92.9fm Virtual Tamworth Show. With Covid-19 causing the cancellation of the Tamworth Show, the station announced a new way for people to showcase their work, and have the opportunity to win a sash and prize for the winner of each of the 5 categories. The show was a huge success in the community with some sections receiving over 300 entries. It was a great way for listeners to have fun during lockdown.
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2021 - 92.9FM wins the Quality Business Aware for Excellence in Customer Service in Tourism, Sport & Entertainment.
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15th November 2022, 92.9FM proudly presents Crowded House at the TRECC.
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26th October 2022 - 92.9fm hold the first Bra-B-Q event in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month. The event was a huge success and saw the station raise $3552 on the day. Many local Businesses donated items and time to help the event become the success it was, including Sweet Secrets Lingerie, AM Printing, Bakers Delight, Peel Valley Milk and local member, Kevin Anderson among others. All funds raised were donated to Serendipity who support Cancer patients in the region.
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17th January 2023 - 92.9fm presents Illy at Wests.
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29th January 2023 - 92.9fm presents Boy and Bear at Wests