Once home to the Maltese Pavilion from Shepparton’s International Village, the ONE FM 98.5 studio shares a lifetime of stories.
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Thousands of CDs line the walls and an impressive collection of vinyl records are on hand for anyone wanting a musical throwback from years gone by.
Home to three studios and dozens of signed posters from interviews with various musicians, this is a space of comfort and familiarity.
This circular-shaped building out in North Shepparton is Terri Cowley’s favourite place.
The radio presenter, associate editor of R.M. Williams’ Outback Magazine, Kialla West resident, mother and Shepparton CrossFit fanatic spends every Friday morning here tucked away in Studio 3.
‘‘It’s a comfortable place, no matter how busy or stressed you are, you have to shut that out and just concentrate on what you’re doing for your program,’’ Ms Cowley said.
‘‘It’s a place where positive conversations happen... I like the old-fashionness of it, it is reminiscent of another time I suppose, and no surprise given it is from another time.’’
Ms Cowley hosts a weekly segment on ONE FM 98.5 on Fridays from 9am to noon where she interviews local people and shares local stories.
While she admits she loves showcasing live musical talent and enjoys the occasional chat with renowned Australian musicians, such as Kate Ceberano and Neil Murray, Ms Cowley said the best part was the space provided her with a place to engage with positive people.
‘‘I get to have some really good conversations with people about what’s happening in the area and underlying it all is just this willingness to put the area in a positive light and the town in a positive light, and remind people of all the good things happening here,’’ she said.
Ms Cowley has been on air for the past 18 months, where she quickly learned the tricks of the trade after spending most of her career in print media.
With a career in journalism spanning more than 30 years, starting in newspapers before heading to magazines, she said she always had an interest in radio.
After completing a radio course three years ago, Ms Cowley made the move to volunteer some time to pursue a real passion.
‘‘I like the immediacy of it... I think because I work from home I need to make an effort to get involved in my community rather than just sitting at home, this is part of my way of getting involved in the community,’’ she said.
She admits the process has been a strong learning curve, one with many mistakes and a few hiccups along the way.
‘‘I’ve learned that radio is a bit of a metaphor for life, things will go wrong no matter how much you plan, the technology could let you down, the antenna at Mt Major could go down, something will go wrong and it’s not if but when and it’s actually about how you respond to it,’’ she said.
‘‘When you’re live on air you can’t just lose it you have to go with it... you have to be honest and roll with the punches.’’
Interviewing new people every show, Ms Cowley admitted it would be hard to single out just one guest as a highlight during the past year and a half.
She acknowledged regular contributors, such as Fiona Smolenaars, Jim Gow and members of the police force who continue to impact the community for the better.
‘‘I have a 10 o’clock spot with the police and get to learn about the proactive things they’re doing in the area, not just reacting to crime,’’ she said.
‘‘Every year I also do a Fairley Leadership series and they’re all invariably fantastic people with such diverse and interesting backgrounds, and their take on leadership is always interesting.’’
Sitting inside Studio 3, it is clear Ms Cowley feels at home.
With her headphones on and fingers poised on the many switches on the control panel, she is in her zone and focused on the task at hand.
While the visual appeal of the building may not compare to other radio stations or television studios, Ms Cowley said the space allowed her to be herself.
She said going there each week gave her a sense of pride and an escape from the daily routine of working life.
‘‘When you’re in that studio you close that door and you have to block out the rest of the world because you have to concentrate on what you’re doing, I like that, stepping out of my life into another realm for three hours,’’ she said.
‘‘I always try to present myself in a reasonable way because I have guests coming in, community elders and things, but really it’s all about what you say not about how you look.’’