Yes, Rox had a big presence in Coffs as it was the only game in town on FM before FM 105.5 started, at least in terms of commercial FM. CHY had a good following back then too- I listened to them occasionally.
I was up there in July ‘97 which was when FM 105.5 first tested. Did not recall tuning into FM 104.7, though I was listening to the Ashes cricket on the way back from the Gold Coast through there (yes, we went to the GC on a day trip)!
According to ACMA, FM 105.5 commenced broadcasting on 30th June 1997.
As it happens, it was around the same time that DMG bought 2MC & Rox FM from local ownership, according to my research. Rox rebranded to Star in 1999, and 2MC moved to FM in January 2000.
2CS was already owned by DMG by the time FM 105.5 went to air.
That station didn’t came on the air until November, according to ACMA.
Back then, 2GF & FM 104.7 were still locally owned until Caralis bought them in 1999.
As always, TV_E provides the goods! I may have been there on 30 June 1997, depends on the fall of the school holidays that year.
When in Melbourne last week, I spent a few hours digging out coverage of the launch/conversion of FM stations in regional VIC… Sadly, they only really had Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Mildura on microfilm, was hoping to get some SUN FM Shepparton info but they didn’t seem to have any such papers available.
So starting with BAY FM Geelong, as the earliest one.
From the ‘Geelong Advertiser’, BAY FM launched Friday 8 December 1989
And the following day, turns out there was a hitch with the launch.
Now 3GL/K-Rock… Saturday 27 January 1990 (also from the ‘Geelong Advertiser’).
Also an interesting article on BAY FM and it’s battle against Melbourne FM stations.
SUN FM Shepparton was on the air before November 30 1990, which was when I heard it while on a bus from Melbourne to Sydney. There may have been an article in The Age Green Guide before that date, either that or there was a job vacancy ad in B&T Magazine, or both, can’t remember which. Hope this helps.
Yes, @hatdj confirmed a SUN FM start date of 10 Nov 1990 not long ago.. the first regional commercial FM station in VIC (outside of Melbourne/Geelong) and (I think) the 2nd in Australia (behind NOW FM Moree).
I think Bundaberg was the first one in QLD? (outside of Gold/Sunshine Coasts)
Yes, Hitz Bundaberg was the first regional commercial FM station in QLD outside of Gold/Sunshine Coasts, in which it was launched on 29th March 1993.
is this at the State Library in Swanston Street? They used to have The Shepparton News on microfilm. Maybe they don’t anymore?
Yes, State Library in Swanston St .. I couldn’t find anything under Shepparton / Goulburn Valley (the drawers are listed in alphabetical order by title)
they might have had a purge and maybe put them in storage for order/retrieval. They did that with all the interstate papers a while ago. When they moved the newspaper reading room I think they lost a bit of space.
Oddly they kept a lot of older titles out for smaller papers from little towns I’ve never heard of… rather than keeping out the bigger ones.. which seems odd to me.
Anyhow, next time I go down, I’ll ask beforehand if they can retrieve that one… thanks.
Yes I remember it going to air. The local TV news reported it as 4RUM was going to air, I guess before they knew the branding was going to be Hitz FM.
The Heat 96.1 from Gympie was fairly quick off the mark too IIRC. It certainly beat Sea FM Maryborough. I remember local businesses in Maryborough tuning in to The Heat before Maryborough had its own FM. Similar to how they used to tune into 4GY before that, as it was way better than 4MB 
I also like to think 4MK was a bit of a regional FM pioneer, their FM translator in Airlie Beach went to air I think around 1985. Although of course not a separate station, just a translator for the main AM service. I think it was one of the earliest of those though.
2XL had an FM translator at Thredbo Village in 1981 (when I holidayed there) so that would probably be the first FM translator in Australia (didn’t know if it was in stereo as the place I stayed at had a mono AM/FM radio).
State Library had the Shepparton News on microfilm but the most recent issue was 1976.
Best callsign in Australian radio.
Shame we don’t have 4 letters… 4BEER could be a Triple M station, playing nothing but the most bogan long blocks of non stop rock, 105 in a row commercial free in crystal clear FM stereo.
When 3GL moved to FM, their callsign became 3CAT after the Geelong VFL (now AFL) team, the Geelong cats.
But you can’t drink cats.
I have heard that this started as an ‘unofficial’ FM relay before getting licensed some time in the 80s. 1981 would be much earlier than I thought though. That was the best ski season on record with over 3 m of snow depth so would be quite a memorable year.
