It does. At one of the large regional broadcasters who claim to have lots of local content, if anyone did an interesting interesting interview, they would make the audio available for the other stations to use with their own announcers. I can’t vouch that this is still happening, but it was a couple of years ago so I can’t see why it still wouldn’t be.
1 Like
Wasn’t that meant to relate to moving to Mt Elliott? (due to its lower elevation).
Is that move still on the cards?
The move to Mt Elliot is no longer planned, Coast FM will be staying a Somersby.
The power increase was partly related to that move, but not exclusive to it.
The Central Coast community stations operate under the same Radio LAP as the commercials, meaning both need to cover the exact same area, but the commercials get 16kW & the communities only get 2kW ERP to do it.
Coast FM would like the 2kW bumped up to 4kW, to at least have 1/4 power of the commercials.
Coverage to the North East is limited from Somersby, & the extra 2kW ERP would help that, otherwise a translator at Forresters Beach would be another option.
The hills between Somersby & The Entrance (which Mt Elliot is part of), blocks the signals & lots of people have reception difficulties around Berkley Vale, The Entrance & especially around the shopping centre area of Lake Haven, (even the commercial stations have poor reception around Lake Haven). Being on 96.3 & the blow torch Triple J from Taree being what it is, makes reception in the North/North East of the Coast even more difficult.
As we’re in the radio history section of the forums, a bit of history, Coast FM or 2CCC-FM had planned to move off 96.3 before, many years ago, but from what I’ve been told, the management committee couldn’t agree on the frequency move, so the tech at the time who had it all planned, left the station & went to ACMA applying for 94.1 & started up Todays Country 94.1 community station before the new 2CCC-FM tech & management could do anything & apply for the (only other available at the time) frequency, thus have since been stuck on 96.3.
When I first bought up the frequency/transmission site change, management still couldn’t agree, but I’ve kept on their backs about it, & we’ve had a couple of bad years for co-channel interference from Triple J, & they now realise it’s only likely to get worse, & have agreed a change of frequency is in the best interests of the listeners & station going forward long term, now we’ve just got to get ACMA to agree. Unfortunately things don’t happen fast at ACMA.
2 Likes
That’s great info! Thanks!
When 2CCC first started, were they on 97.3 for a short while before moving to 96.3? I seem to vaguely recall that, but not sure…
1 Like
Here’s the discussion paper from 1999 about 2CCC’s proposal to move to 94.1.
2 Likes
I am guessing this 2KW ERP limit on the Central Coast community stations is to protect the Illawarra community stations Pulse and Power fm from cochannel interference in their respective licence areas, The 2KW on Coast fm ito protect Triple J Middle Brother.
One thing of interest on the ACMA website it has the licence specs for Coast fm, Radio 50+ and Today’s Country as directional 2KW (0-30, (280-360) 1KW (130-260) (250-280) and 500W (160-250).
While Rhema CC has 2KW Omnidirectional, I thought they used the same antenna which was rated at omnidirectional?
In a perfect world if ACMA was to grant the Central Coast communities 16KW a broadcast antenna similar to what Power fm Nowra uses could be used allowing 16kw out the front 3.2kkw out the sides and 480W out the back to protect Wollongong.
2 Likes
Triple J doesn’t need any “protection” at 100 kW!
And 94.1 could be interesting when Rebel FM Great Lakes (Coomba Park to Stroud) finally gets to air… Whilst only 1kw, it will have pretty good elevation.
2 Likes
That was changed on the online versions of the licences when Rheema moved sites & joined the other 3 stations on the same antenna, however it’s still omni-directional specifications on our “physical” paper licences & as such Coast FM nor the others, have any intentions of reducing power to meet the supposed 1kW & 500W directional limits.
The CC Community stations antenna is for all intents & purposes omni-directional, but it’s location on the tower is facing South East, (back in towards Gosford CBD/East Gosford), so full power goes in that direction, however the tower itself & the “wings” that come out the sides, (off the legs of the tower) also reduce the signal levels in other directions somewhat, making it kinda partially directional, not to those listed licence specs though.
1 Like
Anyone? This is the predecessor to Rebel FM (4SUN), not the Alice Springs or Shepparton stations.
1 Like
Classic Hits/Easy Listening. Not dissimilar to Breeze but less newer hits.
2 Likes
My vague recollection from 99.5 Gold Coast Hinterland (now 99.4) in the late 90s was that it was best described as a blend of Rebel and Breeze music.
3 Likes
Gold Coast has always been an interesting market as the local ABC station is far more music centred or previously was compared to 612 for example.
Yes, it was once.
1 Like
Just confirming the old building that used to house 2UW in the 80s with Albert Productions, 11 Rangers Road Neutral Bay has long been demolished (about 2010 to 2012). It looks like a block of flats there now with some business office space on the lower floor, I remember going there in 1998 for a job interview, it then still was a two story building with Mix 1065 on the left and alberts on the right.
3 Likes
Ah yes I remember it well. Also went in there for a job interview early 2000. Prior to that building in Neutral Bay … 2UW occupied for many years that little white building at 365 Kent Street on the western edge of Sydney’s CBD (long since replaced by hotel apartments). Now that was a famous little hangout of course for all the New 2UW jocks of the 60s (Ward Austin & co) and later John Laws for his 10 year stint at UW through the 70s. Many a pimply school kid would hang around the entrance to that building to get a glimpse of their favourite jock … incl me. Occasionally we even got a tour inside to watch the magic happen in the studio.
3 Likes
1993 was Larry Emdur & John Bell for breakfast on 2UW- not sure what happened to John Bell-
John Bell is still around and described as Self Employed radio/voice over person on his link ed in profile. He was a great journeyman Sydney announcer during the 80s & 90s through 2SM, MMM, 2Day, 2UW/MIX and 2CH.
Anyway, if I’m correct, Mike Carlton took over circa 94-95
Indeed Mike did 2UW/MIX Sydney breakfast 94/95 … a great example of a square peg in a round hole (another memorable example was Clive Robertson on 2Day breakfast in 1980). Mike had just returned to Sydney from his stint on London radio. 2UW plonked him on breakfast just before they switched over to FM as MIX 106.5. Mike states in his book that “Meeting the Alberts was the upside of my 2UW gig, but that was about it. The rest of it was a disaster, the worst career decision I have ever made.”
3 Likes
Oh really? 
I thought by that stage they had moved temporarily into 2WSs Seven Hills studios by the end of 1998 before all three stations (2WS, 2UW (MIX 1065), and the then 96.1 FM), would move to their Byfield Street North RIde premises as part of ARNs final consolidation of the stations in 2002, but I stand corrected if this is not so? So possibly they moved out in 2000 then?
I was only curious to mention this, as there seems to be very little material around from the then “11 rangers road” era on the internet. I wasn’t around when the 11-10 boys were popular, I listened often during the late 1979 to early 1990 era when Trevor SInclair, Rick Melbourne, Graham Stone, and Bazz and Pilko were doing there thing.
Highlights for me was the Hit Radio 11 2UW days from 1981 to 1983, pretty much the station at it’s peak, with another good period from about 1985 to 1988. Still remember the trip to high-school was always around the 8:30 news during 1985 1988 when Graham Bond was reading out the news with often newsbytes from the USA from Connie Lawn. Bazz and Pilko’s Prank calls were always a good laugh, and there twisted version of the then popular remake of David Lee Roth’s “California girls”, which from memory was turned into “East Sydney Girls”. Still have that on a tape berried somewhere. David Kidd’s Love-Match in 1985 was an interesting twist on the game show of Perfect Match, and briefly in the later part of 1985, 2UW had the 10 O Clock Special where they would play five songs in a row of a particular theme. One of the forgotten moments of 2UW was Wacka McCartney doing evenings from 6:00 pm in 1983, and the infomous repeat loop (voiced possibly by Holger Brockmann) for Sydney’s New Radio station that ran non stop over the week end of Sat 21st and Sun 22nd Jan 1984 for the beginning of Tragic 11. I believe from what Trevor SInclair had mentioned on a youtube vid, that they didn’t know about the changes until the Friday before. Can’t remember much of Tragic 11 as most of 1984 I tuned to either 2Day FM or on seldom occasions 2SM. Les Thompson and the overiding boomer playlist was a complete turn off. Colin Mooney took the reigns for breakfast in early 1991 with Andy Church during the day, from that point, 2UW was just another bland hits and memories station.
4 Likes
Mix never established themselves at Seven Hills. 96.1 moved there in December 1997
2 Likes
I recall in about 1984 or 1985 my local station in Maryborough QLD started taking the 2UW overnight program. I can’t remember if it kicked in about 10PM or maybe a bit earlier but it certainly sounded very polished. It seemed very middle of the road hits and memories. It did jar a bit with the daytime sound of 4MB which had probably evolved into skewing a bit younger during the day, although still basically hits and memories.
5 Likes
Oh Yes … Really. I think you will find MIX relocated from Rangers Road to North Ryde around 2002.
1981-82 was the “New 2UW” era (the second time that relaunch tag was used by the station… the 1st being in 1964 when they junked the oldies radio serials and brought in the 11-10 men to chase the much younger set). Followed in 1983 by Hit Radio 11, The Amazing AM (what a mouthful).
You are right about Tragic 11 … that disastrous “Magic 11” 1984 relaunch is best forgotten when 2UW dropped their callsign altogether. A massive failure ! Fortunately the station got its groove back as Classic Hits 2UW from 1987 which was a strong format for some years. They definitely lost their way in the early 90s until the MIX FM relaunch in 1994.
1 Like