Radio History

[dxnerd]

Looks like this fertile ground has been covered before:

First song played on the launch of a new station?

Listening to the launch of a new radio station can be an exciting thing. Part of the excitement is the anticipation of what song is going to be played first. When 3ZM converted to FM they played ‘Stairway to Heaven’. Big song, though interestingly not part of their playlist prior nor after. Similarly, when 92 MORE FM launched in Christchurch they played Boston’s ‘More than a feeling’… even though it didn’t fit with their ‘Not too heavy Not too soft’ format ~ they didn’t play it again for year…

Rule #1 of forum posting: Google (and MediaSpy archives) are your friends

[Radiohead]

That was a while ago, but you never know, someone else might have a new one that we didn’t know about.

[Brianc68]

@ron12

@dxnerd

FM104- Rock In Stereo

Do you mean 4MMM Brisbane? The first song was Cool Change by the Little River Band according to this article.

Brisbane radio milestones for Nine’s 4BC and SCA’s Triple M - Mediaweek

Yes it was definitely Cool Change by LRB.

[1323ZM]

September 15 1990 and Coast Rock FM launched.

I was always pretty impressed with the sound/production of the station. Lot’s of big ballsy Ray McGregor stings and sweepers (but then I guess, who didn’t back then?). Had a very metro sound. I used to be able to pick it up when I stayed at the Gazebo at Kings Cross.

Oh, and just out of interest - Rolling Stones - Start Me Up was the first track played. Pretty appropriate really, considering the state of Australian FM radio back then, the Stones were a core artist across the FM dial. Plus it became a ‘hit’ again a few years later thanks to Bill Gates.

[dxnerd]

@1323ZM

Oh, and just out of interest - Rolling Stones - Start Me Up was the first track played. Pretty appropriate really, considering the state of Australian FM radio back then, the Stones were a core artist across the FM dial. Plus it became a ‘hit’ again a few years later thanks to Bill Gates.

Funnily enough I still think of Windows 95 every time I hear it. Somewhat of a cliche as an opening song now; it was also used by GN FM back in 2022.

[TV.Cynic]

@1323ZM

Oh, and just out of interest - Rolling Stones - Start Me Up was the first track played

Also the first song played on Radio 10

[Radiohead]

Fun Coast Rock FM fact.

They had their frequency changed TWICE before they even got to air.

100.5 was to be their original frequency, until someone realised that it may cause issues with Channel 9 TV reception.

So it got changed to 99.7… and then (I think) late in the piece, it was changed to 101.3… I don’t why this was, but I figure it must have been late, as their original studio phone in number was 234 997 when they first went to air … it got changed to 23 1013 after a few months.

[TV-Expert]

@Radiohead

So it got changed to 99.7… and then (I think) late in the piece, it was changed to 101.3… I don’t why this was, but I figure it must have been late, as their original studio phone in number was 234 997 when they first went to air … it got changed to 23 1013 after a few months.

I think it may have something to do with WIN Wollongong still transmitting on VHF 4 at that time, in which 99.7 fell within that TV frequency (WIN vacated VHF 4 in March 1991).

[Radiohead]

I wondered that too, but the article I read in the paper at the time definitely said Channel 9… perhaps they meant 4, which sounds logical… I’ll have to see if I can find that article next time I go “micro fishing” at the library.

[Radiohead]

3NE’s FM relay at Mt Buffalo was originally put into service on 10 January 1992 (according to this ‘Border Mail’ article for 31 Dec 1991), but on 105.3 (not 99.1 as it now).

Apparently it had it’s own ID of “NE FM”, which I’ve never heard of … all I ever heard via night skip around that time was a joint ID of “15 Double 6.. FM 105.3 … 3NE”… Not sure when/why it was later changed to 99.1… At least we might get to hear “NE FM” again soon!

[1323ZM]

1323ZM

If you are a radio tragic, and you believe in your own radio history…

What is your earliest memory in radio?

Like most Kiwi kids I have incredibly vivid memories of listening to ‘Badjelly the witch’ and ‘Flick the fire engine’ on RNZ… that’s when I would have been 4… and then when I was still 4, maybe 4½ my parents rang 2ZA and got a request played for me (which was my favorite song at the time)

The Cover of the Rolling Stone - Dr Hook

Wow! I got to hear my name on the radio! So that is also one of my earliest radio memories. Maybe that is when I fell in love with the medium.

[RFBurns]

@Radiohead

100.5 was to be their original frequency, until someone realised that it may cause issues with Channel 9 TV reception.

So it got changed to 99.7… and then (I think) late in the piece, it was changed to 101.3… I don’t why this was

The second harmonic frequency of 100.5 would’ve fallen directly on the Mono audio carrier frequency for Channel 9.
99.7 would’ve fallen just outside the WIN channel 4 mono audio carrier.

I’m not sure why they ever would’ve been allocated those first two frequencies as that would’ve been known, unless they asked for them for some reason, available antenna tuned to that frequency at the time?

I don’t have my frequency list close by at the moment, but I think 101.3 falls just outside the top edge of VHF Channel 4 & in between it & Channel 5, 101.3 might have just scraped the second (stereo) audio carrier of channel 4, but I don’t remember if WIN 4 ever ran in stereo like NBN 3 Newcastle & the Sydney stations did?

[Mechsta]

WIN4 was one of the first channels to do stereo audio. They were promoting it back in the day. https://youtu.be/McKgDVDB6rQ?si=ASeSiHZRPwVjXZi1
Source: Zampakid (YouTube)

[Mechsta]

I discovered Coast Rock FM completely by accident just after it launched in 1990. As a 10 year old, I was quite intrigued by the fact that it could be easily heard in Richmond.

[TV.Cynic]

Ch 4 sound was on 100.75, so the stereo carrier would have been approx 101.0 (AFAIK).

[RFBurns]

Yeah that sounds about right.

[ron12]

@Radiohead

100.5 was to be their original frequency, until someone realised that it may cause issues with Channel 9 TV reception.

But 100.5 is used by 2RPH in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and Newcastle, and both were on the air at the same time as channel 9 analogue was still on the air.

[ron12]

Also, C91.3 was on the air while WIN3 (85-92 MHz) was still on the air. Was that ever a problem?

[Radiohead]

I recall C91.3 had to use vertical polarity to minimise interference to WIN-3 North Wollongong.

[TelevisionAU]

@1323ZM

What is your earliest memory in radio?

Early 80s. Mum listening to 3DB every morning for breakfast.
Dad having 3AK Beautiful Music on in his shop.
Grandmother listening to 3UZ Radio Auditions on a Sunday morning, and Bert Newton on a weekday morning.
My first regular listening when i got my first transistor (AM only) radio was of 3MP when it was still a bit of a soft rock station, not quite as heavy as 3XY. After a brief detour to Fox FM I eventually did settle on 3XY Hot Hits around 1985 and stayed there until XY Easy Rock came along.