New podcast with Waynee poo Roberts chats about his career
Wayne is truely one of the legends of Australian radio and a top bloke to boot.
2 Likes
Some great reflection on the great Brian Wilshire radio here.
https://podcastaddict.com/overnights-with-mike-jeffreys/episode/214935860
Check from 7 min :50 secs in.
Also Frankâs segment as well!
[Nights with John Stanley] Franks Treasure Trove - VALE Brian Wilshire #nightsWithJohnStanley
https://podcastaddict.com/nights-with-john-stanley/episode/214903394 via @PodcastAddict
Rest in peace Brian.
3 Likes
Another one Iâve been meaning to post from my Christmas visit to the Gold Coast.
From the âGold Coast Bulletinâ, Hot Tomato launching Friday 1 August 2003.
9 Likes
FM radio began in Australia, midday Sunday 15 December 1974⌠by 2MBS in Sydney on 92.1.. it was only in mono for the first couple of weeks however.
And Melbourne first got FM radio on Thursday June 12, 1975 with 3MBS⌠I did not know that 3MBS was initially on 92.5 (before moving to 93.7 and then to 103.5)
8 Likes
Still boggles my mind, given that the MBS stations were the earliest of stations on FM in this country, that the ABC then decided they needed to start a classical music station as their foray into FM broadcasting.
5 Likes
The article about 3MBS in Melbourne isnât quite correct. Apart from ongoing âtestâ broadcasts in Melbourne in the 50s (40s and early 60s too?), which were simulcasts of ABC programming, the PMG, or whoever, ran tests from Mt Dandenong in the early 70s. Unfortunately it wasnât the most exciting to listen to, just a tape of various pop music tracks repeated each day. But I remember being amazed by the sound quality and hearing stereo over the radio.
Not actual stations as such, but FM radio existed in Melbourne well before 3MBS came along.
4 Likes
Glad we got ZZZ in Brisbane before MBS.
It was a very sparse FM band back then of course. In Brisbane you could potentially get 4ZZZ and 2MBS plus in some high places 2NCR from Lismore.
Additional broadcasts on the band came from the Vision and Audio from Channels 3, 4 and 5. So 91.75 was audio from ABDQ3 and 100.75 was audio from SDQ4 which a loud buzz at 95.2 from the channel 4 vision. Channel 3 vision was just off the bottom of the ban at 86.25. DDQ 5 had very low levels on 102.25 and 107.75.
When there was E-skip the most common logs were from ABNT 3 Launceston and ABNQ 3 Townsville. GTS 4 Port Pirie (GTS/BKN) was also frequently received.
3 Likes
I think the article is referring to official or licenced broadcasters, not test or experimental stations which did, as you mentioned, exist as far back as the 1940s.
Telecom (now Telstra) also conducted some test/experimental transmissions in 1975 for signal testing prior to the launch of ABC FM. In Melbourne this was at around 103 MHz, but apparently gathered some interest!
3 Likes
Yep it sure was sparse even into the 80s. I could get 2NCR reasonably well in Carina (on a hill).
4 Likes
2NCR even made it to Melbourne on a couple of occasions in late 1989 and early 1990.
2 Likes
ABC Classic will mark 50 years on air this Saturday 24 January with a special all-day broadcast celebrating five decades of Australiaâs leading classical music network.
3 Likes
I see a piece in that article saying âThe Albury station will convert to FM in the next two monthsâ which is referring to 1494 AM 2AY. Which is my local station, still going strong for 95 years.
Iâm curious if anyone has any history on 2AY and also any information as to why it changed from AM to FM as 104.9 (Which is now HIT 104.9) and then back to AM 1494 in the 90âs.
Glad that it is still going, Iâm in my 20âs and 2AY is the only station I listen to as 3NE now is gone.
3 Likes
Also further above is coverage on the switch on of 2AY 104.9 Albury
I suspect the decision to move the 2AY brand back to AM was purely in name only, as B104.9 (AFAIK) kept the same format as 2AY had on FM, and 2AY retained the same format on AM as the former AM 1494.
And welcome to the site!
2 Likes
I could be wrong but I think B104.9 (Star 104.9/Hit 104.9) was a supplementary licence for 2AY (AM). During those times most AM regional stations were offered a âfreeâ supplementary station to launch on FM. The original licence for 2AY never actually converted to FM.
Then a bit later along came another new FM licence for the area which was auctioned off and was launched as The River 105.7 by RG Capital. Both of the FMâs were eventually bought together under SCA ownership and as an operator can only have 2 stations in a market they had to sell the 2AY licence and it went to ACE Radio, the current owners.
So the original 2AY licence remains so far an AM licence and has never converted to FM as yet. Regardless of them IDâing as just AM1494, it was still the original AM licence and I donât believe they ever changed the callsign from 2AY at any point.
Iâm also not aware of whether B104.9 ever Idâd as 2AY-FM. Itâs official callsign is still 2AAY, but regardless it wasnât a âconversionâ of 2AY, but rather an additional new licence.
1 Like
And today, 2LM still using that same logo.
3 Likes
Sadly no longer AM stereo though!
It did. Got a bumper sticker somewhere. Will dig it out
1 Like
And @Brianc68 newspaper ad aa below also posted sometime ago
2 Likes
Reminds me of the FonzâŚAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
Shouldâve gotten Henry Winkler to do promos for 2AYâŚ2AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
3 Likes