Radio History

[TV.Cynic]

Various stations (4ZZZ and 4MMM) announced on air that they were going to higher power on thier new frequencies.

[Brianc68]

@TV.Cynic

Various stations (4ZZZ and 4MMM) announced on air that they were going to higher power on thier new frequencies.

Yes. But it was barely noticeable, even at the fringes of reception like the Gold Coast.

[TelevisionAU]

@ron12

In the 1980’s, many capital city FM stations were spaced by 0.8 MHz or multiples of 0.8 MHz from each other, but many were not. For example, in Brisbane, 4ZZZ was on 102.1, 4MBS on 103.3, 4MMM on 104.1 and ABC FM on 106.1.

I think in places like Hobart and Alice Springs, some FM stations are still not in neat 0.8 spaces.

@ron12

For example, 4MBS and 4MMM moved to 103.7 & 104.5 respectively. Even 2SER moved from 107.5 to 107.3 MHz (JJJ was on105.7, MMM was on 104.9, etc.).

Melbourne had a restack in the late 1980s. This gave Melbourne a neat row of FM stations from 101.9 to 106.7, with 107.5 set aside for 3JJJ and allowing gaps at 101.1 and 104.3 for AM-FM conversions.

[ron12]

@TelevisionAU

I think in places like Hobart and Alice Springs, some FM stations are still not in neat 0.8 spaces.

Correct. Also the Gold Coast.

@TelevisionAU

Melbourne had a restack in the late 1980s. This gave Melbourne a neat row of FM stations from 101.9 to 106.7, with 107.5 set aside for 3JJJ and allowing gaps at 101.1 and 104.3 for AM-FM conversions.

Melbourne was a bit different to other capital cities like Sydney or Brisbane at the time. Two of the community stations on FM had transmitters in the suburbs rather than the main transmitter site on Mt. Dandenong, and couldn’t be received Melbourne-wide, even though they were supposed to be Melbourne-wide stations. One (3PBS) was low power (around 0.1 KW). The other (3MBS) had a 4 KW transmitter but still nowhere near the coverage of other stations on Mt Dandenong.

After all the changes, those two stations were on the same 0.8 MHz frequency lattice, their transmitters moved to Mt Dandenong, and they had similar power and Melbourne-wide reception as other city-wide FM stations.

3PBS only moved 1 MHz from 107.7 to 106.7.

3MBS moved from 93.7 to 103.5.

These changes happened in late spring/early summer 1987-88. I was overseas for most of that time so missed most of it.

ABC FM had previously moved 0.2 MHz from 105.7 to 105.9 but I can’t remember when. I remember seeing an ad in The Age Green Guide about it.

EON FM moved from 92.3 to 105.1 and changed callsign to 3MMM but it wasn’t for this reason as they were already on the same 0.8 MHz spacing as other stations. I assume it was either to a) Be near all the other stations at the time, including the commercial stations that would convert to FM, or b) To be near 105 like all the Triple M stations in Sydney and Brisbane.

[TV-Expert]

@ron12

ABC FM had previously moved 0.2 MHz from 105.7 to 105.9 but I can’t remember when. I remember seeing an ad in The Age Green Guide about it.

Going through the ABC annual reports, the change would’ve happened around 1986-87.

[Brianc68]

@ron12

@TelevisionAU

I think in places like Hobart and Alice Springs, some FM stations are still not in neat 0.8 spaces.

Correct. Also the Gold Coast.

@TelevisionAU

Melbourne had a restack in the late 1980s. This gave Melbourne a neat row of FM stations from 101.9 to 106.7, with 107.5 set aside for 3JJJ and allowing gaps at 101.1 and 104.3 for AM-FM conversions.

Melbourne was a bit different to other capital cities like Sydney or Brisbane at the time. Two of the community stations on FM had transmitters in the suburbs rather than the main transmitter site on Mt. Dandenong, and couldn’t be received Melbourne-wide, even though they were supposed to be Melbourne-wide stations. One (3PBS) was low power (around 0.1 KW). The other (3MBS) had a 4 KW transmitter but still nowhere near the coverage of other stations on Mt Dandenong.

After all the changes, those two stations were on the same 0.8 MHz frequency lattice, their transmitters moved to Mt Dandenong, and they had similar power and Melbourne-wide reception as other city-wide FM stations.

3PBS only moved 1 MHz from 107.7 to 106.7.

3MBS moved from 93.7 to 103.5.

These changes happened in late spring/early summer 1987-88. I was overseas for most of that time so missed most of it.

ABC FM had previously moved 0.2 MHz from 105.7 to 105.9 but I can’t remember when. I remember seeing an ad in The Age Green Guide about it.

EON FM moved from 92.3 to 105.1 and changed callsign to 3MMM but it wasn’t for this reason as they were already on the same 0.8 MHz spacing as other stations. I assume it was either to a) Be near all the other stations at the time, including the commercial stations that would convert to FM, or b) To be near 105 like all the Triple M stations in Sydney and Brisbane.

4MMM wasn’t really a Triple M station in 1987/88. It was known as FM104 and hadn’t been sold to Hoyts at that stage I don’t think. I’d say EON just wanted to be near the other stations.

[Radiohead]

@Brianc68

I’d say EON just wanted to be near the other stations.

Yes, there was no coverage disadvantage from being on 92.3. The move to 105.1 was purely for “dial effect” only, but Smooth have shown being at the other end of the dial is no issue.

It’s odd to think that in 1980, 2 of our 7 commercial FMs were on 92.3 and 107.5 (SAFM), yet nowadays with dozens of commercial FMs, none use either of these as their main frequency (thus excludes satellite/relays).

And there were 2 stations using 104.1, now only 1.

[dxnerd]

You also have to remember that 92-94 MHz was the only unencumbered part of the FM BSB back in the 80s; there were still plenty of Ch 3-5s on air around the capital cities. The Ch 5s at Wollongong and Newcastle moved at the end of the 70s (?) to allow Sydney FM from 102-108 MHz. Also remember that 2MBS was originally on 92.1 MHz, so I’m guessing the 5s were still on air back in 1974-1975.

I’m sure a look back at the ABCB reports will confirm these dates, might be a job for the venerable @TV-Expert

[ron12]

@Radiohead

Yes, there was no coverage disadvantage from being on 92.3. The move to 105.1 was purely for “dial effect” only, but Smooth have shown being at the other end of the dial is no issue.

Brisbane was supposed to have two stations convert from AM to FM like all the other mainland state capitals, but only one did (4BK → B105). I have a vague memory that the other station (can’t remember which one it was) was offered a frequency like 96.5 but didn’t want to move there because it was too far away from the other commercial stations. So at the time, proximity must have been important to commercial stations. Fun fact: Brisbane eventually got a new commercial FM station on 97.3.

[Radiohead]

@ron12

I have a vague memory that the other station (can’t remember which one it was)

I think that might have been 4BH?

[TV.Cynic]

Correct - 4BH got the licence but then couldn’t afford it.

[thesub1]

… But are finally having the last laugh given recent survey results.

[Brianc68]

@Radiohead

@ron12

I have a vague memory that the other station (can’t remember which one it was)

I think that might have been 4BH?

Yes 4BH won the auction but didn’t come up with the cash. They were reportedly offered 96.5 but wanted to be closer to the action of 104.5, 105.3 and 106.9
There was talk of letting them have 102.9 despite some technical difficulties with that frequency. As it turned out they didn’t pay to convert, so it was offered to second highest bidder 4KQ, and ARN declined to pay to convert that as well! Which seems insane in retrospect.
I don’t know if the 3rd bidder was offered the conversion but I know 4BC had bid, not sure about 4IP but guessing they did too. I reckon they should have allowed QFM to move to Brisbane on 106.9 if both 4BH and 4KQ wouldn’t cough up the money.

[Radiohead]

@Brianc68

I reckon they should have allowed QFM to move to Brisbane on 106.9 if both 4BH and 4KQ wouldn’t cough up the money.

Except it was meant to be an ‘AM to FM’ conversion and QFM was already on FM… Really one of 4BH, 4BC, 4IP and 4KQ should have converted… I’m still amazed none of them did.

And 4IP probably would have gone back to Top 40 if they had converted. Imagine if they got 99.7 or 100.5 and they could have been ‘Radio 100/Stereo 100’!

[Karen_Cee1]

Yes a big disappointment they turned out to be evantually.15TH October,2001 ,97.3 FM officially debuted on air,23 years ago,after 2 -3 weeks of test broadcasting before then.

[TV.Cynic]

97-3 was such a disappointing unimaginative name.

[Radiohead]

I think that came about as RG Capital had trademarked the ‘Mix’ name in QLD, otherwise I’m sure they would have been branded as Mix97.3.

[Karen_Cee1]

Yes I agree,and KIIS 97.3 IS even worse

[TV.Cynic]

That would have been passable. But even with that ruled out there were so many other possibilities. Easy, Lite, Warm, Briz, Fox, Cool etc

[Vidiot]

@TelevisionAU

I think in places like Hobart and Alice Springs, some FM stations are still not in neat 0.8 spaces.

But at least they fit into the band plan of 200kHz channels from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz.

There are a few off channel stations like 2CBA in Sydney and 3PVR in Melbourne’s north east (88.6). Apparently they were put on those off channels because of potential interference to analog VHF TV stations. It’s a pity that wasn’t resolved by a small frequency change after the analong TV services were closed down.

BTW moving 2CBA from 103.2 to 103.3 would have little to no effect on a Goulburn station on the same frequency. Except in areas of very fortuitous reception. All due to the capture effect of FM. Areas way out of the service boundaries shouldn’t have protection. They don’t in other countries. And it’s one reason why we have so few “available” frequencies for new services. There should be a lot more reuse of frequencies in the crowded band on the east coast.