Radio History

[TelevisionAU]

@hora27fm

7HO has now been on the air for 87 years. It officially opened on the 13 August 1930 at 8:15pm. S. H. Findlay spoke the first few words, Miss M. Langdon and J. Montford introduced the announcer and entertainer and then called on the then Premier, J. McPhee, to officially open the station.

7HO had an original staff of only five. The call-sign of 7HO stood for three different things: the first two letters in Hobart, “Hobart’s Original” and the first two letters of the original owner Ron Hope’s surname.

Its total audience when it started was less than 30,000.

7HO’s original studios were at 80-82 Elizabeth Street in the Findlay’s Building, which was on the corner of Bathurst and Elizabeth Streets Hobart. The transmitter was situated on the roof and the station occupied two rooms, one with the library and studio, the other containing the technical equipment.

The studio manager, announcer and typist were all in the one room. A microphone on a clothesline was moved backwards and forwards according to the needs of singer, instrumentalist, announcer, or studio gramophone.

When the announcer spoke, any conversation the manager might be having with a potential advertiser would be suspended.

Very interesting. When I was a kid growing up, we had a copy of The Mercury’s 100th anniversary souvenir from 1954 that had been left behind at our place from the previous owners. It included some ads for both 7HO and 7HT at the time including some of the old program lineups. And I’m kicking myself I never kept that magazine. I think my parents threw it out in a spot of spring cleaning

But I did find this recently, this promo card showing 7HO’s ratings back in 1987:

Note the change in terminology. “Housewives” in 1987 is now “Grocery Buyers”