Category: News

When you run on volunteer love and shoestring funds, upgrades can be a frustrating wait. You either seek a grant or donations to finally get the job done.

Our old Falcon broadcast mixer was as old as the station itself. The buttons were sticking, the faders were scratchy and the sound was dropping out occasionally and getting a bit woolly. We considered exciting new digital technology for a replacement, and baulked at a possible bill of well over $8500.

After a few enquiries, our sister community station PBS 106.7FM in Melbourne came to our rescue. After they moved into new premises at Collingwood Yards with all-new digital broadcast mixers in their studios, a shiny never-used “spare” became completely redundant. Long-time community radio stalwart and tech guru Bill Runting found and modified a suitable power supply, and the bundle was recently donated to 3BBR.

We’re all very grateful that we have a replacement that cost us relatively little, and all our listeners and studio presenters can now benefit from better fidelity and fewer gremlins.

— Garry, Feb 2026

• FRIDAY 8:00pm – 9:00pm / PUSH THE ENVELOPE — Jessielea brings you a combination of heavy, electronic and fusion music to get your Friday night started; now followed by Aussie Trove at 9:00pm, where Brett showcases Australian alternative and independent music.
• The First Nations music show Deadly Beats is on a break while it hunts for a new presenter, so we’ve plugged in another underground/DIY music show to follow on from Marni’s Sounds of the Underground. Tune at 10pm on Wednesday nights for Real to Reel with Jasper.

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Our full schedule is at https://3bbrfm.org.au/guide
Download a PDF copy of the latest schedule to keep or print.

As always, if you have feedback about our programming, please get in touch.  Visit our contact page for the many ways you can do that. 

During January and February 2026, the 3BBR-FM Concert Hall is proud to present highlights of the local 2025 Fine Music seasons at Yarragon Studio and Wesley of Warragul, plus some favourites from 2024, all recorded exclusively by 3BBR.

Highlights include:

• Trio Arapiles // Genesis Baroque with soprano Sarah Macliver (Broadcast 11 Jan 2026)
• The NZ Trio // The Gippsland Chamber Singers (18 Jan)
• Zoe Knighton, cello with Amir Farid, piano // Duo de Fesh (25 Jan)
• Trios with Paavali Jumppanen, Rachel Bullen and Matthew Kneale // Joshua Hooke, piano (1 Feb)
• The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Stefan Cassomenos // Plus the 40th Anniversary Concert from 2024 at WGAC by the West Gippsland Chorale performing the ‘St Cecilia Day’ Cantata by George Loughlin (8 Feb)
• Also from 2024, “Homage to Schubert” trio concert, featuring Brian Chapman and Friends (15 Feb)

Missed the broadcasts? Listen back via our radio-on-demand service.

3BBR FM is proud to support local Fine Music Concerts and new Australian compositions.

Listen back to our live broadcast on Saturday 7th Feb when the Trafalgar Truck Restorers Club and the Baw Baw Old Engine and Auto Club hosted their annual display of heritage trucks, cars, tractors, earth movers, motorbikes and steam engines over the weekend of 7th & 8th Feb.

3BBR broadcast live on site at 48 Pedder Street Darnum from 10:00am Saturday.  José Meyer was there playing country for My Kinda Music, and John Fromhold played great tunes from 12 until 2:00pm.

You can find out more about the show by visiting Darnum Heritage Display.

Listen back to our broadcast

Listen back to 3BBR’s live broadcast from Rotary’s 2026 Australia Day event held in Civic Park, Drouin. The event brought local community organisations together from 8:00am throughout the morning and included a flag-raising ceremony, sausage sizzle and activities for the young ones.

It was also an opportunity to meet the 3BBR team in person, as Russ Ford presented live from the Soundshell in Civic Park from 9:00am – 12 noon.  Thanks to everyone who participated in our broadcast.

This special programming meant that Big John Meyer swapped with Russ to host Memories and More from 1:00-3:00pm. (There will be no Letters to the Editor program from the Regional News Team on Australia Day, but there will be a special hour of First Nations Australian music at 11:00pm.)

Listen back to the broadcast

Join us on 3BBR from 12:00 noon on Christmas Day for a special broadcast of the recent concert by the West Gippsland Chorale under the direction of Nathan Byrne recorded at Wesley of Warragul.

The program features Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols Op.28  plus a diverse selection of songs to celebrate Christmas.  3BBR-FM is proud to record and support local live music performances.

Missed the broadcast? Listen back to GippsLand Live for up to 8 weeks after broadcast.

Also on Christmas Day, Garry Havrillay hosts a special Quiet Hour of ambient and serene music on 3BBR from 6:00am.

In the 3BBR FM Concert Hall at 2pm on Sun 21st December 2025 revisit this inspirational performance by one of Australia’s finest symphony orchestras, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with the West Gippsland Chorale, performing Handel’s greatest oratorio ‘Messiah’. This concert was recorded by 3BBR at the West Gippsland Arts Centre in December 2024.

The highly acclaimed Australian conductor, MSO Artist-in-Residence, and baroque music specialist Erin Helyard conducted from the harpsichord with an energy and spirit rarely witnessed in the annual Messiah performances, creating a truly memorable start to the Christmas Season.

It was heart-warming and a joy to see our own West Gippsland Chorale sharing the stage with the MSO Chorus, capping off a special 40th anniversary year for the Chorale.  What an honour for the Chorale to have this opportunity.  The smiling faces of the choristers made this palpable, with choral singing of the highest order.

An impressive cast of equally matched soloists, delivered their arias with perfect diction full of meaning, with ringing quality notes in every aria.  They are young Australian-based singers establishing domestic and international careers; Melbourne-based soprano Stacey Alleaume and tenor Michael Petrucelli, along with Sydney-based mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman and baritone David Greco.

The trumpet soloists in the final aria, ‘The trumpet shall sound’ was one of the most thrilling.

Conductor Erin Helyard said of this iconic work, which features one of the most famous pieces of Baroque choral music in the Hallelujah Chorus, “a wonderful evocation of Christmas”.

Messiah is a true masterpiece written more than 280 years ago yet still inspiring joy and wonder to all, from first-time listeners to the many who make the work a Christmas tradition.

This performance was worthy of any major world concert hall, and was produced and recorded by Garry Havrillay for 3BBR as a proud supporter of local fine music concerts.

Missed the broadcast? Listen back via our radio-on-demand service before 18 Jan 2026.

On Sunday 14th Dec at 2:00pm, the 3BBR-FM Concert Hall presented the exclusive 3BBR recording of the Wattleseed Ensemble in concert.

Wattleseed’s music is an invitation to the the rawness of bowed strings and eucalypt forest; to connection. They weave together music of the baroque period with folk music and contemporary Australian music in a confluence of styles, finding cohesion in the telling of a story. The musical journey in this wonderful program is testament to that.

• Hildegard von Bingen (arr. D Nicolson) — Ave Generosa
• JS Bach (arr. D Sitkovetsky) – Goldberg Variations: Aria, var. 1, 6, 9 & 5
• Anne Cawrse – Sanctuary
• Jakub Jankowsky – The Orchid and the Wasp (Victorian premiere)
• Trad. Bulgarian (arr. Wattleseed Ens.) – Aleni Zvezdi
• Missy Mazzoli – Lies You Can Believe In
• Trad. Swedish / Annlaug Børsheim (arr. Katie Yap) – Vals efter Lasse i Lyby / Da Lounge Bar

Meg Cohen – violin, co-artistic director
Katie Yap – viola, co-artistic director
David Moran – cello

Missed the broadcast? Listen back via our radio-on-demand service before 8 Feb 2026.

3BBR FM… proudly supports local Fine Music Concerts and new Australian compositions.