History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Publications/Australian Radio History/On this day/October

On this day - October

1 October

4AY Ayr 1934. Started by Norman Dahl at his farm near Airdmillan with 50 watts, on air 1800-2230. Known as “The Voice of the Cane Fields”. Often heard in New Guinea, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Canada. Moved to Ayr in 1936 Banned by the Navy from night broadcasting during WWII as their signal could be used as a homing device for bombers. Charged 2/6 for requests on Saturdays and Sundays, being their main revenue source.

4VL Charleville 1949: Their Radio Women’s Club held a fund- raising appeal for a radio distribution system in the local hospital with headphones beside each bed.

2GB 1959: They originated and relayed via landline more programs than any other commercial station in the world.

2BE Bega 1987: They changed their callsign to 2EC (East Coast).

5KA Adelaide 1951: Commenced 24 hour broadcasting.

2 October

2FC Sydney 1926: They moved from long wave (273 KHz.) to medium wave (678 KHz.)

3 October

5SE Mount Gambier 1976: Commenced 24 hour operations.

4 October

3UZ Melbourne 1956: Put off the air when their tower collapsed. Photo is John Worthy.

5 October

4TO Townsville 1931. Launched by A.W.A. with Ernest Fisk as a director. On air six hours per day over four time slots. First station to have a two-way live broadcast from an aeroplane. Produced a weekly four page Radio Times newsletter in 1936.

2PK Parkes 1937. Launched by owner Mayor Frank Spicer, using 100 watts and known as “The Voice of the Golden West”. An announcer was sacked for saying “The Voice of the Dirty Dusty West” during a dust storm. Their office, studio, and transmitter were destroyed by fire in 1946, then their two towers were destroyed by a severe storm in 1949.

6WN Perth 1938. A.B.C. First planned to operate as 6PH. Some radio dials had this callsign, even though it was changed before opening. Do any radio collectors have a dial with 6PH on it? Photo is Godfrey Carter in 1939.

3CV Maryborough 1943. Launched with a Central Victoria promotion (previously 3MB Birchip 26-10-1935 and 3CV Charlton 31-3-1938). Bought by 3AW in the 1950s, on relay from 1800 until the 1960s. Installed a new transmitter on 3-8-1952 (often heard in New Zealand, Hawaii, and the U.S.A).

6 October

6GE Geraldton 1937. Before their launch it was first planned to open as 6GT. Operated with a D.C. electricity supply, and two windmills supporting their antenna. Known as “The Feature Station”. Their tower fell down during an earthquake in 1941. Purchased by Whitfords, which immediately ordered all the 6GE neon signs to be removed from outside the station’s building (as with 6KG).

7 October

3CS Colac 1939. Launched by owner by C. Sellwood with two staff. Their 300 feet high tower fell down in April 1940. Only had two announcers during WWII. Had 12 managers over 16 years after WWII. Relayed some programs from 3WM. Once banned all Beatles records. Ian MacRae, Sam Galea, and Greg Evans started their careers here. Has had more owners than any other station. Photo is Harry Wilde in 1977.

2CA Canberra 1938: Started broadcasting 24 hours per day except during WWII. Photo is Ted Reeves in 1951.

8 October

2EL Orange 1996: Started on the former 2GZ A.M. frequency (1089 KHz.) after they moved to F.M.

3AK Melbourne 1968: 24 hours after buying 2BS in Bathurst, they installed a directional antenna there to stop interference on the same frequency.

9 October

4NA Nambour 1964. Launched after 4BH failed to obtain the licence. Their first and second managers were Ralph Taylor and Pat Maher from 4AY. Their manager once used a rowboat to take a microphone and record player to the transmitter, as floods had cut the cable from their studio.

3SR Shepparton 1998: Moved to F.M.

10 October

5AN Adelaide 1937. A.B.C. Adelaide National service. Started with their tower on the G.P.O. Incorrectly claimed to be the first in Australia to experiment with stereo programs with 5CL during May 1958 (6WF was first on 1-9-1929). The left channel was on one station, and the right channel on the other. Listeners needed two radios to hear stereo.

6KY Perth 1965: Launched their “Top Popper Survey” (Top 40 music).

11 October

1939 6TZ Bunbury Launched by Nicholsons Electrical with a 100 watt transmitter at Waterloo which was first tested in a tent. Mainly a relay station of 6PR with a studio above Nicholsons Electrical in Perth.

12 October

2KO Newcastle 1992: Moved to F.M.

1918: Australia’s first demonstration of public broadcasting was conducted from one side of the Perth Agricultural Show to the other by Walter Coxon (later first manager and chief engineer of 6WF).

13 October

AWA Melbourne 1920. Demonstration of music broadcasting by A.W.A. chairman, Ernest Fisk, to Members of Parliament in Melbourne’s Queens Hall, at the request of Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Billy Hughes. Note the WWW.

3LO Melbourne 1924. Before opening they planned to operate as 3FL (Farmer and Co. Ltd.). Was also issued a licence for 3FC (Farmer and Co. Ltd.), which never went to air. All the equipment was battery powered on the roof of the “Herald”. First manager was Major W. Conder, former Governor of Pentridge Gaol. Their opening broadcast was Dame Nellie Melba’s farewell concert from His Majesty’s Theatre. Photo is their 1928 control room.

14 October

1931 6PR Perth Perth Radio. Launched by Nicholsons Electrical, located in their music store. Started on 200 watts with four staff. Launched 6TZ Bunbury in 1939.

1918: Walter Coxon (later 6AG and 6WF) was the first person in Australia to publically demonstrate broadcasts of music and speech. This was from one side of the Perth Agricultural Show to the other side.

15 October

2DU Dubbo 1944: They raised 101,070 pounds from listeners for a WWII war loan.

4BC Brisbane 1951: Commenced 24 hour broadcasting.

16 October

6NR Perth 1976. New Radio. Educational licence. Western Australia’s first public broadcaster. Opened by the Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University) with 37 ethnic programs, 25 religious programs, plus Aboriginal and Radio for the Print Handicapped programs.

17 October

4QS Toowoomba 1939. A.B.C., relaying 4QG with some local programs. Their equipment was supplied and installed by S.T.C. A celebration dance was held at Dalby (the transmitter location).

18 October

3YB Mobile 1932: The station was transferred from a model T Ford to further operations in a train carriage.

19 October

7BU Burnie 1935. Started by the Findlay family using 50 watts above their radio shop with a 120 feet high mast. Renowned for their large number of live outside broadcasts. Their own staff designed and built their second transmitter in 1936 (200 watts). Known as “The Station with a Smile”.

20 October

1940: Letter to the Editor “I am nauseated by the obviously artificial, affected diction of some radio announcers. One is almost led to believe that such manner of speech is an essential requirement for the job”.

21 October

2BH Broken Hill 1944: They broadcast a WWII relief concert which was relayed on short wave by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

9AG Balikpapan (Borneo) 1945. Australian Army Amenities station opened to entertain the A.I.F. (7th Division) in Borneo using a 200 watt transmitter feeding two 90 feet high towers. Their Commanding Officer was Eric McRae from 3SR and 7HO. Their chief announcer was Pat Barton from 2KO.

7ZR Hobart 1953: Their tower fell down.

22 October

6SE Esperance 1982. South East service. Started by Ralph Bower, who originally set out to establish a local television station. His television venture was stopped only by a lack of sufficient funds.

23 October

6KY Perth 1941. Launched after first planning to open as 6LP. A Labor Party station. Launched a Jazz Club in their theatrette in 1950 and regular square dancing events at Fremantle in 1951. A sex program called “Topless Radio” was banned by the censors. Often received at Australian Antarctica bases. First Perth station to broadcast 24 hours per day (1961) and first to use an aeroplane to report sporting events.

8DN Darwin 1991. Their Chairman sought a court injunction to prevent the sacked manager from entering the station.

24 October

3HA Hamilton 1931. Installed by Rupert Fitts (Chief Engineer 3AR/3LO - later manager of the Victorian Broadcasting Network in 1937. Opened in the Y.M.C.A. building with a 200 watt A.W.A. transmitter on air 20 hours per week, powered by a crude oil generator. Known as “The Age Broadcasting Service”.

1966: The Radio Hauraki crew is arrested while trying to head out to sea.

25 October

4PM Port Moresby 1935. Opened at 4PM. Owned by A.W.A. Known as “The Voice of Papua”. On air 1300-1400 and 1800-1900, except Sundays, mainly with weather, shipping, and aircraft movement news, plus personal messages, due to poor mail and telephone services.

6RPH Perth 1991. Radio for the Print Handicapped, using the former 6PM 990 KHz. A.M. frequency. Previously, in the 1980s, they presented programs for one hour daily on 6NR.

26 October

3MB Birchip 1935. Owned by Mallee Broadcasters P/L using 50 watts. Launched as “The Brighter Country Station”. Only station to be received on Queensland’s Mornington Island. Became 3CV Charlton on 31-3-1938.

27 October

1927: Letter to the Editor “A new wireless set that dispenses with large batteries and accumulators has been developed. Now how about one that dispenses with bad programs?”

28 October

2BE Bega 1983: At Broulee they opened Australia’s first commercial relay transmitter.

29 October

RAAF Madang (T.P.N.G.) 1944. “R.A.A.F. Radio Madang – The Voice of the Islands”. Established to entertain R.A.A.F. personnel at this T.P.N.G. air base.. Managed by Ric Havyatt (VK2PH), with technical assistance from E. Parris (2PK manager). Their Chief Announcer was Sergeant F. Sheppard from 4QG and 4QR. Other announcers were Alan Watson from 2CK and 2KO, plus Maurice Lockie from 3BO and John West (later both well-known on A.B.C. radio). Transcription programs were provided by 2GB and 2UW.

30 October

1948: A Letter to the Editor in the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper stated “It’s a pity the recent fire at Kalgoorlie was not at radio station 6GF instead of 6KG. The programmes from 6GF are far from satisfactory”.

31 October

2KY Sydney 1925. Financed (£1,636) by Emil Voigt who then donated the station to the Trades and Labor Council. First planned to open as 2LC (Labor Council), then 2TH (Trades Hall). Broadcast a metronome while changing records, to let listeners know that they were still on air. First year costs were £1,500, with an income of £500. Applied for an 8,000 watt license in 1926 believing they would cover the U.S.A.

2GZ Orange 1935. Launched after first planning to operate as 2GX. Officially opened by the Post Master General, The Hon. Alexander McLachlan, from 3GI via landline. Started by the local Graziers Association, but owned by the Ridley family. Their first manager, George Anderson, also oversaw the establishment of 2IN/2LV/2NZ, before moving to 2GB as manager. Produced a 40 page “2GZ Magazine” in 1936 explaining how a radio station operates.

2CC Canberra 1975. Capital City Broadcasters P/L. Launched as “Music Radio 2CC”. Their first manager was Nick Erby from 2VM. Their program “National Country Music Jamboree” was relayed to 43 stations.