COMMUNITY radio station 3RPC has been serving Portland and district for more than 40 years – but warns it won’t be around for anywhere near that amount of time in future if it can’t find more volunteers.

Like many local community organisations, the station is suffering from being unable to attract people to help out, the pressure on those remaining growing more as they also grow older.

From a high over more than 500 members and 50 presenters in its heyday, 3RPC is down to about 100 members and 27 presenters now, run by a committee of five.

“We’re in dire need of further people involved as members, volunteers and presenters,” said treasurer Les Horovitz.

“And if possible sponsors as well – it is difficult to get them at the moment.”

And as much as all that, there is one group in particular the station would like to attract in those roles.

“We want the younger generation to join our ranks,” Mr Horovitz said.

“We do have a couple of younger presenters who play younger-type music but we need more – but we’re looking for anybody, it doesn’t matter the age, the wider the variety of music the better.”

Mr Horovitz pointed to other benefits for younger people.

“It’s an outlet for younger people who want a career in media, broadcasting or journalism or an outlet for their music or speaking skills,” he said.

“I’m now a full time professional voiceover artist and 3RPC kicked me off in that.

“3RPC is very important for Portland and the Glenelg Shire but in order for it to survive we need more people.

“A lot of people in the community have been doing this for a very long time and it’s time for other people to grab the baton and run with it.”

Mr Horovitz has been with the station for more than 11 years, about 10 of those as treasurer.

Chairwoman Jenny Brydson and secretary Hilary Endacott, both life members, have been there more than 25 years – Ms Brydson has also been the office manager and did three programs a week herself at one stage.

Ms Endacott said listeners “need to hear a live voice”, and those needed to be different ones.

“Quite a lot of us are getting elderly,” she said.

“We’re not going to go on with it for 30 more years.

“In the early days of the station everybody was 40 years younger and there was a great deal of energy and enthusiasm and we had a lot of support.

“I suppose considering everything (the introduction of the internet and streaming, which 3RPC does through its website) although we’re operating on much fewer numbers, we have kept up technologically, but it is tiring.

“We love our station which is why we’re here and continuing to be here but we just want more help.”

Ms Endacott said 3RPC had a dedicated group of listeners – apart from local residents many who had the radio as company, forestry and trawler workers and truck drivers were all regulars.

“We’d love to have someone who could do a late night program for them,” she said.

The station is also a regular at many local events, broadcasting from the likes of the Upwelling Festival, Christmas Carols and Anzac and Australia Day ceremonies.

“In the past we have broadcast soccer and basketball as well,” Mr Horovitz said.

“We could do sport and similar things again – those things are possible if we had a lot more people to help us.”

That also includes people to help with 3RPC’s major fundraiser – Thursday evening bingo at the Fawthrop Centre which raises about $20,000 a year to keep the station going – 10 tireless volunteers do that at present.

“If we had enough people we could do a roster,” Mr Horovitz said.

Anyone interested in joining 3RPC as a member, presenter, community organisation or sponsor can drop into the office, on the corner of Julia and Richmond Sts, on Mondays between 9am and 1pm, call and leave a message outside those hours on 5523 4333, email 3rpcfm@3rpcfm.org.au or visit 3rpcfm.org.au.