and even when it did start nobody bought tuners to listen to it
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I did… my parents brought an AM stereo car radio back from overseas… it was actually pretty good… but it couldn’t compete with FM
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I can also remember a Rock 40 countdown at some stage hosted by Mike Hammond
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I think that might have been the ARN or “Mix network” version?
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Logan radio did a couple of test broadcasts on 107.3 before securing the 101.1 frequency.
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While CBC was a complete disaster in Melbourne where 3AK’s ratings fells to twos and threes, it was less so in Sydney where figures were still low but nowhere near as terminal as Melbourne’s was. Even though the name and networked concept was short lived it actually formed the foundation for what would become a very successful talk format for 2UE for the next 20 or so years.
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I may be wrong but I think what saved 2UE and put an end to the CBC experiment was John Laws’ return to the station from 2GB. What initiated CBC was the Carlton - Laws duo on 873 that had flatlined 2UE.
CBC’s inherent flaw were the changes to one hour shows that were hosted by big names with little radio experience. For example George Negus.
When Laws moved back to North Sydney 2UE changed back to the 3 hour shifts for its presenters and the ratings returned.
I confess I had to look at the Wikipedia page to see what CBC was- perhaps I’m not an old codger yet! Any attempt to network Sydney and Melbourne in talk radio is doomed to fail imo; MTR 1377 is proof positive of this. The late Stan Zemanek failed to catch on in the culture capital, too.
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The timeline wasn’t quite that streamlined if memory serves.
After CBC, 2UE went through a series of format changes; “All Time Greats” being the one most removed from its usual news, talk and music format of the era.
CBC only lasted about 6 months and Laws didn’t return for a couple of years as I recall.
It’s certainly true that 2UE’s fortunes were ultimately turned around by Laws return.
The CBC format was flawed first and foremost because of the attempt to network between Sydney and Melbourne - it didn’t work then and it didn’t work 20 years later with MTR. Clunky technology didn’t help networked show presentation either.
The one hour formats were potentially an issue as well with the audience not used to that style of radio.
The inexperience of the hosts wasn’t necessarily a problem. Remember Alan Jones at this time was relatively inexperienced, he’d only been doing radio for a year or two when CBC began.
I worked at 2UE before, during and after the CBC launch. The weirdest part was that before CBC launched we always knew that what was being broadcast on 2UE was emanating from one of the three studios overlooking the station’s North Sydney carpark. We were live and we were Sydney. It was exciting.
When CBC launched some of the energy left the station. The studios were often empty when the shows from coming from Melbourne. I often think of other stations where the studios are empty because of networking in the modern era. There is a certain buzz when you are in a building and you know that a microphone is live and broadcasting to the city.
Two more mid 80s memories.
Firstly, I always suspected that 2UE was in trouble when Laws left that station. Everyone at 2UE kept listening to Laws while we were working (on portable radios). If we could not give him up - then why would the rest of Sydney?
Secondly, the 2UE studios in North Sydney were essentially in a one story building of which the land would have been worth more than a Powerball win. Yet the carpark out the back was never paved - it was a large dirt space where it was difficult to not do wheelies as you parked. At least the “stars” used the carpark under the studios - it reduced the chance I would lose control of my P-plated car and smash into a Maserati (or any other type of fancy pasta).
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At least you got to park in the big car park.
For a long time, due to council zoning or something, no one could park in that vast open space. The non-star staff were consigned to trying to find a spot near by everyday and hopefully dodge council rangers.
But eventually sanity and sensible zoning prevailed 
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So what was the timeline?
Sydney 95 2UE
CBC
All Time Greats
NewsRadio 954
Radio Active…
I don’t even remember this one. I must admit i thought they went straight from CBC to Newsradio.
Which shows came out of Melbourne?
The only thing i did like from 3AK CBC was that they had the 2UE news intros with the time calls “
… it’s 9 o’clock… 
”
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Big band music… “All Time Greats, All The Time”
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I was only a teenager in the 80s and whilst I was lucky enough to work with the stars and greats at 2UE my heart was down the road at 2SM.
I first worked at the station when they were Personality Radio with the 2UE logo in the thin blue line. I still have several station memos from the time.
I remember the jingles that 2UE used when AM stereo was launched - they were simple - 2UE Stereo 954. They sounded great in stereo.
During the “All Time Greats All The Time” era I was zoned out. As a teen this programming was totally unappealing. The only thing worse at that time would have been working at 2CH. Thank goodness for me this format did not last long! I may have ended up psychologically unhinged.
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2UE Stereo 954
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Sydney 95 2UE
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2UE Singing clock - the midnight version was chilling (well it was to a kid)
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Thankfully, that medley of old 2UE jingles posted for the 90th birthday celebrations a few years ago is still online:
There’s a minute long “All Time Great” jingle in there a bit, although but what I’d probably like to know is what era the “News To Me” jingle aired in!
The news theme medley:
Don’t some of the other stations in the Macquarie Radio Network still use that last news theme? Although from a Sydney perspective, I personally thought it worked better on Show Radio (they used it until 2012, adopting a more contemporary theme the following year) than it did on 2UE!
That was probably first launched in 1988 (there were a lot of rebrands in Australian TV & radio for the Bicentennial Year, so it wouldn’t overly surprise me if 2UE did one too) or sometime around then? Either way, it’s on YouTube:
…along with the accompanying news stings:
What I’d personally love to hear one day is a clean version of the old 2UE weather theme music they used in the 1990s/2000s which some regional or community stations (2CC Canberra & Alive 90.5 are places I’ve heard it in recent years) may still use to this day.
Also on the wish list would be a clean/full version (with or without a “2UE 954 News” VO) of the remixed “Radio Active” news theme used from 2012 until the Talking Lifestyle relaunch.
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Around the traps, including at 2UE itself that Radio Active logo was dubbed “the exploding dunny”
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