By Olivia Condous
A local community radio DJ was given special recognition of his many years of service reporting from the annual Eurovision Song Contest.
Duane Zigliotto, a weekly radio presenter on Melton’s 979 FM radio station, received a recognition of service award from the European Broadcasting Union for his twenty years of radio journalism at the famous competition.
Mr Zigliotto has a passion for all things Eurovision and has run his weekly radio show called Eurozone for the last thirty years.
He said one of the things he loved most about the event was that one could always “expect the unexpected.”.
“It’s a crazy event… it’s a huge audience in Europe,” Mr Zigliotto said.
He recalled many fond memories of interviewing Eurovision artists, such as English singer Cliff Richard, as well as a two-time winner of the competition Johnny Logan.
“Johnny Logan, he won it twice for Ireland… but he was born in Frankston, so I say to my friends from the BBC that [Australia] has won it twice because he was born in Frankston,” Mr Zigliotto said.
Mr Zigliotto, who is better known by The Captain DdZ when he’s on the airwaves, broadcasts his Eurozone show each Monday afternoon on 3RIM radio from 4pm.
The show is the only radio programme in Australia that covers the Eurovision song contest.
So far, he’s presented 1560 shows and interviewed more than 3000 artists.
“When I went in 2000 for the first time,I spoke to some of the Europeans and when I said, ‘I’m from Australia,’ they said, ‘Oh, you’re from Austria?’”
“They never thought of Australia coming when I started, but now it’s more common,” Mr Zigliotto said.
He’s had an illustrious 50-year-long career in community radio and isn’t paid for his coverage of Eurovision, but is happy to do it out of love for the contest.
“I do it for the love, for the community stations… [the recognition] is much appreciated.”
