2GN was also running AM Stereo around that time or at least a pilot; I remember the ST pilot activating on a Honda Concerto radio (1989 model).
I also remember an AM Stereo pilot on 2UE in the mid 90s.
2 Likes
2UE were full AM stereo in the mid 1990s. It sounded great on a wide band receiver.
6 Likes
Thanks for confirming that. The Honda car radio wasnât really equipped for good AM Stereo fidelity, and I was only a kid at the time so couldnât tell you if it sounded genuine or not.
Iâm in Newcastle at the moment. I saw this today. Unfortunately, I suspect that SCA has put 2KO in the red bin.
Itâll never be recycled and be back on air in Newy.
Or is it Newie?
SCA would not know how to spell it as theyâre from Sydney. And Triple M is now everywhere and nowhere.
4 Likes
SCA will say bin there, done that.
2 Likes
How far behind were they from the original date?
Now this I did not know.
2DAY and 2MMM were first meant to go to air on 11 July 1980 but didnât due to technical issues. 2JJJ and 3EON got the jump on them. This article from Sydney Morning Herald 12 Jul 80.
I couldnt find an article confirming when they actually went to air.
6 Likes
Never knew 2NUR FM was originally on 103.9.
This guide from the day before the 9 khz spacing came into effect. The Newcastle Herald updated the guide with the new frequencies, but couldnât find an article advising listeners of the change.
4 Likes
2WS articles from November 1978, including the 2SM court case. One article also states the 9khz spacing change occurred 12am on 23 Nov.
4 Likes
It says that 2HD was on 1210 and 2NC on 1230. Were they that close together or was 2HDâs frequency an error (e.g. was it 1120 or 1140)?
1 Like
2HD was 1140.
1 Like
I remember switching channels to watch Sounds Unlimited on 7 on a Saturday morning in 1980 here in Melbourne. They just happened to have an interview with people from one or both of 2MMM and 2DAY-FM. They said that the two stations were supposed to go to air the day before but only 2JJJ was on air, and that they had to adjust their transmitters because they were coming in too strong into Newcastle. I canât remember if the adjustment happened already or was going to happen later on.
I vaguely remember that this show was on the day after EON FM went to air, i.e. July 12, but now Iâm not so sure. According to the 2DAY-FM article in Wikipedia, both stations went to air on August 2 1980 and Triple J went to air the day before, but according to the Triple J article, 2JJJ started on July 12. Triple M Sydneyâs article says that it went to air on August 2. August 2 was also one day after FOX FM went to air. So the interview was either on the July 12 or August 2 show.
Didnât really check that⌠makes me wonder if 103.9 for 2NUR was wrong as well.
Looking at the ABT annual reports from 1978-79 & 1979-80, 2NUR was indeed on 103.9 before it moved to 103.7. The move in frequency wouldâve happened at around the time when 2DAY & 2MMM went to air in August 1980.
1 Like
The book Donât Touch That Dial (Wayne Mac) gives a launch date of 1 August 1980 for both 2MMM and 2DAY.
But, according to the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal Annual Report 1980-81, 2MMM commenced on 29 July 1980, 2DAY on 1 August 1980. https://apo.org.au/node/62993
EDIT: I think Mr Mac might be right, after all. The Sun-Herald on 3 August 1980 notes that both 2DAY and 2MMM launched at 4.00pm on 1 August 1980 The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search
We seem to have something of a history of radio stations not opening as they should. 3MP was three days late opening in 1976, I think due to some technical issues.
And in 1992, 3EE had to postpone its launch by a week because apparently some critical piece of equipment was left sitting at the docks and not realised until the last minute.
1 Like
Agree, NEW FM is another, their initial plan was to go to air on 1 Jan 1988, but appeals and court challenges added another 15 months to that.
1 Like
3MP was supposed to launch on Sunday morning, July 18 1976, but the start was delayed until Thursday the 22nd due to some issue. I was a little kid that Sunday morning LOL.
Yeah I donât remember much of 70s radio either, despite being born in the early 70s, it wasnât until the early 80s I started to get an interest in radio.
OK Radiohead - where did you unearth all of these fantastic news articles from the 70s?
1 Like
Ah, the State Library of NSW in Sydney. Here for a couple of nights. They have old copies of newspapers on microfilm and you can snip and save anything to USB.
3 Likes