Golden Days Radio

Golden Days Radio (official call sign 3GDR) is a Melbourne-based community radio station broadcasting on 95.7 FM from a transmitter located at Caulfield Racecourse.
Program format.
Golden Days Radio has a nostalgic music format based on radio as it used to be heard from the 1930s to the 1990s. Programs include easy listening music, light classics, operetta, ballads, musical comedy and other genres.
History.
Golden Days Radio history goes back to June 1990 when Dom Iacono, registered an expression of interest with the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal for a "special interest licence" catering to the needs of senior citizens. He placed advertisements in suburban newspapers asking for interested persons to contact him with a view to forming an association for that purpose. Dom convened the first meeting of the group at the Bentleigh RSL. He invited Col Williams (who had already applied for a licence on behalf of the war veteran community) to join the group. Both men, together with Jack Burgesson, the then station engineer at 3SCB Moorabbin, formed a steering committee.
By early 1992 membership stood at around 40 and an application was made for a test licence. In September 1992 the first test broadcasts were made and went to air for 7 days at 10 hours per day. The subsequent conversion of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal to the Australian Broadcasting Authority led to a change in categories of community broadcasting licensing and it became obvious that there would be considerable delay before a permanent licence would be issued. Progress continued however, and the first broadcast was made from premises provided by the VATC at Caulfield Racecourse using a rented transmitter in March 1994. A series of temporary restricted licences continued for several years. Dom Iacono died in May 1996. He did not live to see the success of his labours, culminating in the granting of a full-time licence in July 2001.
Current activities.
Golden Days Radio broadcasts 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. More than 35 presenters provide "live" programming from 08:00 to 22:00 each day with the remaining overnight period supplied by pre-recorded music. The station has a total staff of 90 people: all are volunteers.
In 2009, following a request from the MRC (Melbourne Racing Club), the station moved into new premises at 1236 Glen Huntly Road, Glen Huntly. The new premises have 3 studios together with reception, a scheduling room and music library.
In February 2011, the station started streaming its broadcast signal around the world. This has increased the number of listeners considerably as this station is the only station in the world that plays music from the '30s to '60s constantly.
From 1 November 2011, the station's application for entry to the Register of Cultural Organisations was approved by the Federal Government. This means that donations of $2.00 or more to the public fund "Golden Days Radio Development Fund" are now tax deductible.
In August 2018 the station refreshed its on air presence by calling itself GDR95.7fm rather than Golden Days Radio. A new logo was developed as well.