104.1 CHY FM is a youth-run community radio station in Coffs Harbour, on the New South Wales coast. It plays a wide mix of music with a priority on Australian artists, features unsigned local acts and puts young volunteers on air. Its callsign stands for Coffs Harbour Youth, and it has been broadcasting since 1 December 1973.
What CHY FM Sounds Like
The station describes itself as a volunteer-run, not-for-profit broadcaster serving regional youth, and according to its About page it supports local music by featuring unsigned regional artists and gives priority to Australian music. Volunteers of any age, background or ability can take part with no prior experience, working on air, in production or behind the scenes on professional-grade equipment. The result is a local sound you will not hear on a national network.
A Salvation Army Pastor's Idea
The idea for a youth-run station in Coffs Harbour came from John Townsend, a Salvation Army pastor. After donations from businesses across the town, the station launched on 1 December 1973, as recorded on Wikipedia's entry for CHY FM. The station bills itself as Australia's first youth community FM station, and the callsign 2CHY still echoes in local memory. Its 40th anniversary came in 2013.
Training a Generation of Broadcasters
CHY FM's official page says more than 5,000 students have been trained since the station opened, with many going on to media careers. Industry-based broadcast and media training is a central part of its mission alongside volunteering and local programming. That makes it as much a school as a radio station, and it explains why the mix on air often sounds like a town talking to itself.
Back to Its Roots
After many years of challenges, the station changed course in 2024. NBN News reported in July 2024 that the fifty-year-old broadcaster was going back to its roots as a youth-led community radio station. For a coastal town best known for its jetty and Big Banana, it is a reminder that a local voice takes real work to keep on the dial.
Listen to 104.1 CHY FM Free on Radio Shuffle
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