Radio History

[Daniel_Anderson1]

@TV.Cynic

In Brisbane, Billy J Smith on 4IP used to make “pirate” radio calls of the local BRL games at Lang Park. IIRC 4BH had the rights to have a booth at the ground with George Lovejoy calling games. 4IP found an elevated site outside the grounds where the commentaters could still see the action. 4IP’s younger announcers suited their audience. Eventually, they were also granted a booth inside the grounds. I think 4BK also may have called games.

If you wanted to see the game on TV, you had to wait for ABC’s edited 55 minute broadcast at 6pm or the full game on TVQ. Different images and commentary from the two networks with two sets of cameras covering the action. Billy J later moved to TV and became the chief caller for O.

4BH and TVQ would have a booth on site, but not 4IP?
also, how could TVQ show the full game, but not ABC?

[littlegezzybear]

When it started Tim Webster was the voice of MIX 106.5 both on-air and on the television commercials. The original logo was a 100% rip-off of the then logo of MIX 106.5 Baltimore. Here’s an earlier version of the Baltimore logo from 1986, and their commercial. They later dropped the W from the logo and that is the one the Sydney station copied.

[Brianc68]

Wow that really is a complete ripoff of the logo. LOL

[TelevisionAU]

Here’s a radio program guide for Melbourne, 31 January 1958, from what was then TV-Radio Week

:

[tamago_otoko]

Forgive my not knowing, but what was 3LK?

[TelevisionAU]

@tamago_otoko

Forgive my not knowing, but what was 3LK?

the station that is now 3WM in Horsham.

3LK used to stand for Lubeck which is a nearby town in Victoria. I think the call-sign changed in the 1970s.

3LK and 3DB were both owned by the Herald and Weekly Times and 3LK was pretty much just a straight relay of 3DB although apparently 3DB announcers were sometimes seconded to Horsham to do local broadcasts or host local events.

The station used to ID on-air as “3DB-LK”

[littlegezzybear]

3XY appeared to be 24 hours a day, maybe?

[TelevisionAU]

@littlegezzybear

3XY appeared to be 24 hours a day, maybe?

Yes back then they were the only 24 hour radio station in Victoria.

Sydney at the time I think only had one or two 24-hour stations.

And 3AK was limited to being a daytime station because its 1500 kHz signal interfered at night with 2BS in Bathurst on the same frequency.

The solution was apparently to have the stations use directional signals but 2BS never wished to comply. So eventually it took Frank Packer who owned 3AK to buy out 2BS and suddenly problem solved. That led to 3AK going 24/7 late in 1968.

[littlegezzybear]

There are still AM daytime only stations in the US. Reducing power at night is common, but I’ve read that there are a few stations that have to reduce power to a couple of watts and the odd one that goes silent; though streaming or getting on an FM HD subchannel of nearby station can help get around the nighttime power reduction. Was 3AK the only station in Australia that had to switch off at night, do you know?

[TelevisionAU]

@littlegezzybear

Was 3AK the only station in Australia that had to switch off at night, do you know?

Only one that I know of. I don’t know why either station didn’t or couldn’t just change frequencies.

[hatdj]

2WEB in Bourke started on 576kHz and was Daytime only. That changed when they changed to 585kHz

[tamago_otoko]

Thanks for sharing, did not know it went by a different callsign.

Funnily enough a quick check does show the TX for 3WM is still in Lubeck, and there is even a ‘3LK Road’ there (though strangely the TX is not actually located on this road)

[crankymedia]

Why would it have been allocated the same freq as a national broadcaster from Sydney?

[idtvidtvidtv]

@nickatnights

“Where No Wrinkles Fly” appears to be a famous slogan from 3AK. I have heard it mentioned before. I also have never quite understood what it means. I know it refers to the period of time when 3AK targeted a younger audience. I get “No Wrinkles” although it’s bizarre. But why would they fly?

Maybe it was slang at the time?

Love “That Summer Feeling” from 3MP. It is sweltering in Sydney today yet few stations make use of the season as a positioner unless they are just adding it to their normal slogan - for example Pure Gold Summer.

Two great campaigns…

Where No Wrinklys Fly, the TV advertisement was once on YouTube: a series of images (flares, long hair, protesters, etc) with the voiceover (along the lines of) “If you screwed your nose up once, you’re a Wrinkly”. Then an end board: 3AK Where No Wrinklys Fly. I cannot find it now.

3AK riding high in the ratings got duly smashed soon after by More Music 3XY and by end 1972 was Beautiful Music.

3MP The Sound of Summer and later, That Summer Feeling, ran for years with a slew of great jingle packages by Mike Brady, (Pete Best, I think) and others (and featuring Linda George). The TV ad lives on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48DXzO45UYk

[idtvidtvidtv]

@TelevisionAU

No one’s mentioned “Rhythm of the City” on 2UE and 3DB.

3DB had so many revamps and slogans. It was such a ratings powerhouse pre-TV but never really found its niche once TV arrived.

Rhythm of the City landed on 3DB Melbourne quite a bit after other markets such as Adelaide and Sydney, but actually hung around much longer, as a result of tens of other Rhythm of the City 100 3DB jingles (including a long running news theme) that did not run in most R H Y T H M markets. I’m not sure who produced it and how it related to three plus minute song, which was released on vinyl. (I appreciate it was all born at KFRC, but cannot find the DB package on any US or AU station archives).

[TelevisionAU]

@idtvidtvidtv

Where No Wrinklys Fly, the TV advertisement was once on YouTube: a series of images (flares, long hair, protesters, etc) with the voiceover (along the lines of) “If you screwed your nose up once, you’re a Wrinkly”. Then an end board: 3AK Where No Wrinklys Fly. I cannot find it now.

Here’s the press ad at least:

[radioengineer]

Not sure its been posted… seem as thou 4BH is dead and Magic not far behind it… here is a little gem of 4BH from 1955

Should I post some pictures from 4BC in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s ?

[idtvidtvidtv]

@TelevisionAU

Here’s the press ad at least:

3AK Where No Wrinklys Fly

And note the 3AK logo. The font is based on the Channel 9 logo “font” (the 9 dot grid). It was also used for LIVING COLOR and WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS.

[crankymedia]

@radioengineer

Should I post some pictures from 4BC in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s ?

Do you need to ask? Of course not! Post away, happily viewed.

[Brianc68]

You know I’ve had that “no wrinklys fly” campaign explained to me a number of times and I get it.
But I still don’t “get it”. So very bizarre!! LOL