Interesting read, thanks Cynic.
I picked up on the list of three AM frequencies in Melbourne that were “previously used by commercial AM radio services which converted to the FM band” - 1116 kHz is still occupied by 3AK, which was to convert under Alan Bond’s ownership but failed to come up with the money.
1422 kHz was never an FM conversion - the former 3XY later morphing into 3EE/The Breeze on 693 kHz (now a Greek language narrowcaster). 1593 kHz is Rete Italia now - was there a former service I’ve missed?
Of the two stations that did convert, 1179 kHz (then 3KZ) is now used by 3RPH/Vision Australia Radio, and 1026 kHz (then 3DB/3TT) is now 3PB/ABC News.
1593 used to be 3PB aka PNN AFAIK.
Note that 3AK moved to 1116kHz in the early 2000s (from memory) from 1503kHz where it had been. Now that original 3AK frequency is also in use by a community broadcaster
From TV History thread:
I remember CBC rated terribly in Sydney but I don’t think it was as much a car crash as 3AK which was already coming off a very low base. At least 2UE was able to build up from the failure of CBC to become a talkback giant with Alan Jones and so on, 3AK couldn’t get anything to work – talkback or otherwise – until it became SEN in 2004.
What was 2UE’s format before CBC?
And I had an old B&T article somewhere from around the time the first ratings for CBC came out. I’ll see if I can find it.
It was a talk station but I don’t remember it being as news focused or opinion driven in the early 1980s. They had Gary O’Callaghan on Breakfast and Laws on Mornings before 2GB lured him across with big money.
What station has rebranded as much as:
3DB - 3TT - TT FM - Mix - Kiis.
Smooth in Sydney is a close competitor in only a decade:
- vega - Classic Rock - Sydney’s 95.3 - smooth
Sydney’s changing call signs include:
2SM
2SM - Lite’N’Easy - GOLD 1269 - KICKAM - 2SM
And:
2UW - Magic 11 - 2UW - Mix - KIIS
Some stations have never changed their ID. Examples would include 2GB, 2DayFM and 2CH.
Sydney’s Triple M use to be 2TripleM in the 80s so I did not include it. WSFM has removed the “2” as well.
In Brisbane
4IP - Radio 10 - Stereo 10 - Lite & Easy 1008 - 4IP - 4TAB - Radio TAB
If I recall right was 3CS Colac a country station for a while back in the 80s?
I’m not sure but would be interesting to know.
I believe 4CD Gladstone (later 4CC) started off as a country station.
4KQ Brisbane was country for a while.
So was 3UZ for a year or so. Never really took off and then they got the racing back.
4KQ will be 70 this Sunday having commenced in 1947.
Did 2CH change to magic? Or that does not count. They did occasionally say Magic 2CH.
As far as I know 2CH only ever went as far as Magic 2CH without dropping the 2CH. Unlike 4BH which was dropped entirely to Magic 882
Although it was de-emphasised a little with the Magic Network branding and even the 2014-16 “Happy Days” branding which came before that, 2CH never dropped the callsign from it’s branding.
I loved listening to this grab from 2SM in 1977 with Ron E Sparx.
2SM was rating over 18% and there are three things I notice that is so different to music radio today:
- Ron E Sparx is playing Top 40 music and he has a real voice for radio. So many of the KIIS, Hit and Nova announcers today sound like their voices have no broken. Mind you - WSFM often broadcasts without a DJ (last Saturday afternoon was an example). Ron E was also given some freedom to show his personality.
- It was rare for 2SM to play more than one song in a row. There was an ad break after nearly every song. No wonder 2WS (which came on the scene in 1978), 2UW (which became the New 2UW in 1980 and used the slogan “Better Music and Less Commercials”) and the FM stations were able to eat into the SM audience. Too many ads.
- The news service was top quality.
I can’t remember 1977 but how good was the music!
What is it about those top 40 (or CHR) stations today?
You’re right. Most of the announcers sound like little kids on a community radio station screaming into the microphone. And with the same level of skill. It seems to be a very Australian thing. Never hear that in the UK or US.
I agree. It’s not just the top 40 stations either. They’re either high pitched and squeaky or overly bogan sounding these days. UK sounds generally better.