# Radio History **URL:** \ **Category:** General Radio and Digital\ **Created:** [December 28, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236 "2015-12-28T07:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 30
**Author:** ![TV-Expert](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@TV-Expert](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TV-Expert)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/583 "2017-07-22T04:38:17Z")
You can see Radio Caroline’s playlist here: [http://onlineradiobox.com/uk/radiocaroline/playlist/](http://onlineradiobox.com/uk/radiocaroline/playlist/) ---
**Author:** ![Radiohead](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/radiohead/32/21429_2.png) [@Radiohead](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Radiohead)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/584 "2017-07-22T06:52:20Z")
Don’t get me wrong - there are some great songs on Radio Caroline and Absolute Radio, but what kills it for me is a distinct shortage of Aussie music. And I prefer music on the radio to be interspersed with local news and weather info. So it will pretty much FM or DAB for me. If I want pure music and at high quality I will reach for my iPod or phone. ---
**Author:** ![Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Brianc68)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 11:06am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/585 "2017-07-22T11:06:45Z")
I will certainly give Radio Caroline a go. I’ve been meaning to for a while. ---
**Author:** ![nickatnights](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/nickatnights/32/83113_2.png) [@nickatnights](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/nickatnights)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/587 "2017-07-26T02:50:55Z")
That Triple M aircheck from 1982 quite surprises me. People forget that in 1982 MMM was playing The Go Go’s and Culture Club. No wonder Sydney had started flicking the switch to FM in 1982. Mind you - 2SM in 1982 was fighting back with its high energy “More Music” format. ---
**Author:** ![Laoma](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Laoma](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Laoma)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/588 "2017-07-26T05:43:22Z")
Yes I liked the variety of music they played in 1982. ---
**Author:** ![TheHomeOfMusic](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/thehomeofmusic/32/51117_2.png) [@TheHomeOfMusic](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TheHomeOfMusic)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 8:59am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/589 "2017-07-26T08:59:16Z")
> [@nickatnights](#): > > That Triple M aircheck from 1982 quite surprises me. People forget that in 1982 MMM was playing The Go Go’s and Culture Club. No wonder Sydney had started flicking the switch to FM in 1982. > > Mind you - 2SM in 1982 was fighting back with its high energy “More Music” format. and still today MMM plays the Go Go’s and Culture Club! The regional MMMs that is! ---
**Author:** ![TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/televisionau/32/125_2.png) [@TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TelevisionAU)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/590 "2017-07-31T13:44:20Z")
Anyone interested in radio history might like to listen to _3DB The First 60 Years_ which was produced in 1987 and presented by Bert Newton. Heaps of archival material from what was one of Melbourne’s most successful radio stations in the 1930s through to the 1950s. It never really kept up with the introduction of television and found the later decades a lot harder, so when it was sold off after News Limited took over the Herald and Weekly Times in 1987, and after it had lost the horse racing rights, it was revamped as 3TT. I remember listening to this program when it first aired, and then again on the early morning of 2 April 1988 as it the last program to go to air on 3DB before it changed its name to 3TT at 5am. This is Part 1: [www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ASP\_0iFZI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ASP_0iFZI) So far 4 parts have been uploaded to YouTube but I would say there is more to come. YouTube: Alex Hehr OAM ---
**Author:** ![Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Brianc68)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/591 "2017-07-31T23:32:33Z")
That’s very interesting. Do you know why they picked TT as the new call sign? Seems a bit random for a Melbourne station name. ---
**Author:** ![TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/televisionau/32/125_2.png) [@TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TelevisionAU)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/592 "2017-08-01T00:45:15Z")
> [@Brianc68](#): > > Do you know why they picked TT as the new call sign? Seems a bit random for a Melbourne station name. No significance to the letters as far as i know. The station frequency was ten 26 but this had no connection to the TT letters. They were reportedly considering other options like 3BB and 3MM but settled on TT. ---
**Author:** ![dxnerd](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/dxnerd/32/404112_2.png) [@dxnerd](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/dxnerd)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:17am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/593 "2017-08-01T09:17:39Z")
Double (and triple) letter callsigns were the cool thing back then- at least that’s how Wayne Mac (_Dont Touch That Dial)_ sees it. One of the more interesting callsigns is 2XL Cooma- literally, “to excel”. It’s unfortunate that this Monaro broadcaster couldn’t use the initials of the Snowy Mountains to describe itself. ---
**Author:** ![TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/televisionau/32/125_2.png) [@TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TelevisionAU)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:26am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/594 "2017-08-01T09:26:27Z")
> [@dxnerd](#): > > Double (and triple) letter callsigns were the cool thing back then- at least that’s how Wayne Mac (Dont Touch That Dial) sees it. They were quite the trend… just some of the new or revamped stations to spring up from the 1970s onwards… 2JJ, 3ZZ, 2CC, 2XX, 2OO, 4RR, 2MMM, 4MMM. Later there was 3MMM, and I’m sure there were plenty of community FM stations doing similar. 5MMM in Adelaide (later picked up by 104.7), 3CCC in Castlemaine etc… ---
**Author:** ![Radiohead](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/radiohead/32/21429_2.png) [@Radiohead](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Radiohead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 10:02am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/595 "2017-08-01T10:02:15Z")
And even into the 80s/90s, callsigns that were a word or phrase (particularly on FM) were popping up everywhere 2ME 2DAY 2HOT 2WAY 2YOU 3WAY 4YOU 4US 4OUR 6IX 7WAY ---
**Author:** ![TV.Cynic](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/tv.cynic/32/316932_2.png) [@TV.Cynic](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TV.Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 10:14am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/596 "2017-08-01T10:14:43Z")
I’m thinking that 4GG was the trend setter for double letters, starting in 1967 (50th anniversary next month) known on air as just “Double G”. As far as FM goes, 4ZZZ would probably have been the first triple letter FM call sign. ---
**Author:** ![littlegezzybear](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/littlegezzybear/32/219836_2.png) [@littlegezzybear](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/littlegezzybear)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 10:20am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/597 "2017-08-01T10:20:21Z")
In Canberra there is 1WAY meaning there’s only One Way. Artsound is 1ART. ---
**Author:** ![Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Brianc68)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/598 "2017-08-01T11:22:03Z")
Yes I think 4GG set the trend. They were originally going to be 4GC but it was felt that would cause confusion with nearby 4BC. 4CD became 4CC in the 80s I think, following the trend. 4NA became 4SS. But at least the letters had significance, unlike 3TT who just seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon 🙂 Among the ‘triples’ I think 4ZZZ was first in 1975 before 3RRR in 1976. ---
**Author:** ![TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/televisionau/32/125_2.png) [@TelevisionAU](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TelevisionAU)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/599 "2017-08-01T13:36:00Z")
> [@Brianc68](#): > > Yes I think 4GG set the trend. They were originally going to be 4GC but it was felt that would cause confusion with nearby 4BC. isn’t there a 4GC in Charters Towers or wasn’t that in existence back then? > [@Radiohead](#): > > And even into the 80s/90s, callsigns that were a word or phrase (particularly on FM) were popping up everywhere Just a few more: 3FOX (although I think at first they actually ID’d the station as “3.F.O.X.”? Not sure if that is correct?) 3EON 3SUN 8SUN 2ROX 6NOW 3BAY 3CAT 4SEA (the first “SEA FM”) 4MIX 8HOT 3JOY 4RUM (Bundaberg RUM!) But there’s a call-sign that’s not a word but I’ve no idea what the letters mean: 2PTV and 3PTV – the Smooth FM stations We know that the Nova callsigns were based on the airport codes for each city (SYD, MEL, ADL, etc) but what on earth did PTV mean? And I thought WSFM’s 2UUS was a fairly clever call-sign as it was pronounced “2WS” ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/600 "2017-08-01T13:48:23Z")
> [@TelevisionAU](#): > > But there’s a call-sign that’s not a word but I’ve no idea what the letters mean: > 2PTV and 3PTV – the Smooth FM stations I think I’ve seen it explained as Paul Thompson Vega. ---
**Author:** ![Radiohead](https://forums.mediaspy.org/user_avatar/forums.mediaspy.org/radiohead/32/21429_2.png) [@Radiohead](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Radiohead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/601 "2017-08-01T18:25:50Z")
> [@TelevisionAU](#): > > And I thought WSFM’s 2UUS was a fairly clever call-sign as it was pronounced “2WS” I think 2UUL (2WL) made it to FM first, I suspect 2WS may have copied them? ---
**Author:** ![TV-Expert](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@TV-Expert](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/TV-Expert)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/602 "2017-08-01T21:39:47Z")
> [@Radiohead](#): > > I think 2UUL (2WL) made it to FM first, I suspect 2WS may have copied them? Yes, 2WL converted to FM in July 1992, nearly a year before 2WS did the same. ---
**Author:** ![Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@Brianc68](https://forums.mediaspy.org/u/Brianc68)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236/603 "2017-08-02T04:24:29Z")
Yes I can’t find the date but 4GC Charters Towers went to air later than 4GG. And also Charters Towers is over 1,000km from 4BC so no problem. With the overlap of Brisbane and Gold Coast I think even the broadcasting authority had concerns over 4BC/4GC so close. [Previous page](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236.md?page=29) [Next page](https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/radio-history/236.md?page=31)