Lifetime Dedication Award for Christian Media Pioneer, Debbie Bye

Debbie Bye is one of Australia’s Christian media pioneers, best known in our sector as founder of 1039 Life FM in Gippsland, and on Tuesday, September 24, CMAA honoured her life’s work with a Legacy Award for Lifetime Dedication – Media.

Debbie first stepped into Christian radio in the early 80s, hosting the night shift of a test station, ‘Clean Sound Radio’ in Mackay, Queensland. When the station’s Board began praying for someone to train in the finer points of radio, Debbie put up her hand. She moved to Hobart, and was trained for 12 months by the team at Christian radio station 7HFC.

Once she had a few year’s experience behind her, Debbie landed her first gig with ABC radio back in Mackay - starting as a news reader, then as the mornings host, and eventually, acting station manager.

Debbie also helped to establish Mackay’s first secular community radio station, where she produced and hosted a gospel program. And during the ‘80s she was also part of the team that brought United Christian Broadcasters into Australia.

Better known today, as Vision Christian Media.

In 1994, Debbie packed up and moved south again, this time as Station Manager at ABC Gippsland. She became the voice of Breakfast across the region, which placed her in the perfect position for what God was going to do next.

In 1998, Debbie felt the nudge from God, to do more pioneering.  She went to the CMAA conference, and there she met some likeminded radio folks: Jan & Steve Baker, John Aitken, and Gary Anderson. They teamed up, and felt the Lord leading them to start a radio station in Gippsland.

Debbie formed a prayer team, and in 1999, Life FM incorporated. After five years of fundraising, groundwork, and test broadcasting, the station go its license in 2004.

Leaving her well-paying ABC job, Debbie become LIFE FM’s volunteer station manager – selling Tupperware until they could afford to pay her!

Over those years she wore many hats – including Sales, Production, Programming, Traffic, Admin, and of course, her first love, Broadcasting. she eventually became CEO, a position she held until 2015.

Debbie truly has lived a lifetime of dedication to Christian media -- and it’s our honour to celebrate her work with a CMAA Legacy award.