By Glen Atwell
GOLDEN tonsils of the City of Casey, 3SER FM station manager David Lentin, has signed off for the last time.
Local airwaves will never be the same after Mr Lentin, 77, died on 1 February after a courageous and lengthy battle with cancer.
He left behind the legacy of a thriving community radio station that will continue to broadcast in his honour.
Mr Lentin, who is survived by his wife Primrose, was the pioneer behind the resurgence of the volunteer-run station, located at 97.7 FM, which was formed in 1992.
Mr Lentin took the reins of the station in 1996, when it was operating out of its Magid Drive studio in Narre Warren, and oversaw two relocations before Casey Radio settled at its current Cranbourne Library address.
Long-time station volunteer Jim Hines said Mr Lentin took the station from what he described as a ‘struggling rubble’ and turned it into a professional community broadcaster. “David’s influence was immediate and it wasn’t long before things started to turn around. He oversaw the move from Magid Drive to Webb Street, then our final relocation to Cranbourne,” he said.
Mr Lentin, who worked at most major Melbourne AM networks during his career, was also the driver behind 3SER’s decision to venture into outside broadcasts at local sports events.
Its weekly coverage of Victorian Football League matches during winter rates among the station’s most popular programs.
Outside his career in radio, Mr Lentin served Victoria Police for many years, spent time working as a private detective and was a founding pioneer of the Neighbourhood Watch program.
Mr Hines described Mr Lentin as a man who did many remarkable things during his life.
“Even when his illness worsened, he would still commute from Parkville every day to be at the studio five days a week,” he said.
A morning tea to celebrate Mr Lentin’s contribution to 3SER was held in December.
His funeral was held at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic church in West Melbourne last Thursday.“He installed professionalism amongst the station’s many volunteers and gave everyone interested in radio a chance to shine.”
at the Amstel Golf Club and was attended by many of his friends and former colleagues.
