Alison Cameron started life in Wollongong and is now the chief executive of a 77-year-old family company boasting three radio stations in the region and one of the largest broadcasting networks in Australia.
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Ms Cameron's grandfather Walter Grant started Grant Broadcasters in 1942. His daughter and Ms Cameron's mother Janet Cameron became managing director in 1972 and the family run business has grown to now boast 52 commercial radio stations around Australia.
On Thursday night Ms Cameron was at Lagoon Seafood Restaurant with new chief operating officer Rick Lenarcic for a meet and greet event organised by Grant Broadcasters NSW Regional general manager Wendy Gee.
"I was born in Wollongong Hospital and lived in Port Kembla until I was two. I still travel down here quite a bit. I am so thrilled with the interaction all our team have with the community. It is so important to us".
Ms Cameron said another reason for Thursday's visit was to introduce Mr Lenarcic in his new role. "This is the first time we have had a non family member in such a senior position. For many many years we have not had a very traditional structure and we have changed that four years ago. This is an opportunity for Rick and I to meet the Illawarra community, say thank you and tell them a bit about what is happening not only in Wollongong and Wave FM but the whole group".
Mr Lenarcic said he has only been in the role 11 months but knows the Illawarra well from a previous role in the media. "I am fortunate to work with Wendy Gee as well," he said.
Read more from July 2000
Women team up in radio leadership
WOMEN IN BUSINESS
WAVE FM has broken the mould in the male-dominated radio industry by becoming the only station in Australia to be owned and managed by women.
The appointment of Wendy Gee as station manager came with great pleasure for the station's managing director JanetCameron who had herself ignored the fact there might be barriers to women when she joined the industry 40 years ago.
Mrs Gee's promotion was the first time Mrs Cameron, the owner of 16 stations, had been in a position where she could elevate a woman to a senior management position.
Mrs Cameron said she felt it hadn't happened before because, for a variety of reasons, women's careers had been shorter.
"I think there have probably been some people over the years who have had the capabilities but they just haven't taken or wanted to take that career path," she said.
But as in other industries, women's involvement in radio management was changing, according to Mrs Cameron.
"I'm delighted to see it and I'm delighted to help because women are capable of doing the job," she said.
But unfortunately Mrs Cameroncouldn't recall any other women owning radio stations in Australia at the moment.
Takeovers and consolidations meant there were now fewer owners generally, according to Mrs Cameron, whose interest in radio started with the family-owned station 2DU at Dubbo.
Mrs Cameron has had a long association with the Illawarra, having been an initial shareholder of 2ST.
She is now the sole owner of 2ST and Power FM.
Her two children, Grant and Allison, were born in Wollongong.
She lived at Port Kembla while husband Dougal was works manager at Australian Fertilisers and the family still owns a home at Kangaroo Valley.
Mr Cameron is now involved in the administration and technical side of the radio network and the two children have also come on board.
Mrs Cameron expected Mrs Gee, 52, would face many challenges in her new role and suggested Wollongong provided an additional challenge because of its proximity to Sydney.
"It's a very competitive market," she said.
"It's one of the few markets left where you have independently owned radio stations."
Mrs Cameron said Mrs Gee would bring her own style to the manager's position.
"I think she is very thorough and is very enthusiastic," Mrs Cameron said.
"I am very confident she will do a very good job."
Mrs Gee has been involved in the radio industry since she arrived in Australia from England in 1991.
She began her radio career at i98fm (formerly 200) nine years ago and joined WAVE FM as sales manager three years ago.
Prior to coming to Australia Mrs Gee was a regional manager for the pharmaceutical group Bristol Myers.
Mrs Gee said while it wasn't something she deliberately set out to achieve, she would be happy if her role in management helped open doors for other women.
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