Despite the coronavirus pandemic, 3WAY FM has found new ways to bring its community radio programs to the airwaves.
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This week the reading of The Standard on Monday-Friday at 12.30pm returned to the station with volunteer newsreaders phoning in from their homes to deliver the daily headlines.
Mal O'Toole presented Monday's reading and was delighted to be back.
"We read the news live," he said.
"We get a copy of The Standard and estimate how long the stories will run because we have a half-hour slot.
"We order the stories of importance and start with the personal notices; funerals and death notices, then we go to news and then sport.
"We time each story and read them in an order to mirror the paper."
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Mr O'Toole began his 42-year career in radio in 1972 at 3YB and retired seven years ago.
The 3WAY FM news broadcast replaced the Vision Australia service which stopped transmission in May last year.
Mr O'Toole said the volunteers read the articles on the phone to the station's technical officer in the 3WAY FM studio which broadcasts the headlines live.
"I think it's important for us to read the news for people who are vision impaired or have difficulties reading," he said.
"Pre-coronavirus, there were two people sharing the reading.
"We'd alternate stories and there would be three of us in the studio; two readers and the technical operator.
"We'd be able to have eye contact which was important for timing.
"It's still early but the new way of broadcasting seems to be going well.
"This time isn't just unprecedented in radio, it's unprecedented in my whole life."
Tune in to 3Way FM at 12.30pm every weekday to listen to The Standard's daily headlines.
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