Over the past six months, we’ve been on a journey to strengthen the heartbeat of 1WAY FM – the technology that keeps your Christian radio station on air.

On 13 January 2025, we discovered that our transmitter was operating at reduced power due to a lightning strike that hit the Telstra Tower, where we broadcast from. Unfortunately, due to this lightning strike, two power modules in the transmitter failed.

If we hadn’t been able to replace these two power modules:

  • We would have been broadcasting at a much lower power, which means fewer people could hear 1WAY FM clearly – especially in the outer suburbs or while driving.
  • The system would have been running on “borrowed strength.” With fewer working modules, the remaining ones would have been under more strain, making them more likely to fail too.
  • A complete failure would have risked 1WAY FM going off-air until new modules could be sourced – and these are highly specialised, costly parts that aren’t always available quickly.

Thanks to your generosity during the emergency Lightning Appeal earlier this year, where you gave an incredible $50,262.43, we’ve been able to:

  • Upgrade the link between our studio and transmitter so our programs reach you more clearly and reliably.
  • Replace equipment that was more than 14 years old with modern, supported systems.
  • Add daily backups so that if something goes wrong, we won’t lose years of important data.
  • Bring you new features like song titles showing up on your radio (RDS), so you can see what’s playing as you listen. (See below)

These changes aren’t just about wires and servers – they’re about ensuring that God’s Word, encouragement, and community connection can keep flowing through the airwaves without interruption.

We’re celebrating this moment with you because it wouldn’t have been possible without our listeners. You stood with us when lightning struck and left us facing unexpected costs and challenges. You gave, prayed, and believed in the mission of 1WAY FM, and together we’ve come out stronger.

From the whole team at 1WAY FM: thank you for standing with your station when we needed you most!