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

1 March
2SB Sydney 1924 They changed their callsign to 2BL.

1949 RCA Victor released the worlds’ first 45 RPM record; “Texarkana Baby” by Eddie Arnold.

2 March
MTR Closed in 2012 at 5PM.

2UE Sydney 1958 Introduced the very popular TOP 40.

8HA Alice Springs 1971  Was to open as 8NT (Northern Territory), then 8CA (Central Australia), eventually opening as 8HA (Heart of Australia). Started by Eddie Connellan (founder of Connair) and George Brown (Director of the Royal Flying Doctor Base). To speed up the opening date, S.T.C. used a DC6 aeroplane to deliver the technical equipment.

3 March
2BE Sydney 1927 Burgin Electrical. Broadcast live from the Radio and Electrical Exhibition at the Sydney Town Hall.

4AY Ayr 1942 The Australian Navy banned them from broadcasting at night during WWII as their signal could be used as a homing device for WWII bombers. Photo is their first studio.

2GZ Orange 1950 Put off the air due to a lightning strike on their tower.

4 March
3YB Warrnambool 1937 They were sold to the Argus with new studios in the Commonwealth bank and a 200 watt transmitter built by their Chief Engineer, Harry Fuller from 3HF. News was read from the Argus.

5RPH Adelaide 1991 Launched as Radio for the Print Handicapped. Used the former 5KA 1197 KHz. frequency when 5KA moved to F.M. Previously, they had a one hour program daily on 5UV from 1982.

5 March
9AD Morotai (Dutch East Indies) 1946 Australian Army station. Their Chief Engineer was Arthur Pettet from 2UE, assisted by R.A.A.F. radio technician Malcolm Philps. Announcers included Laidley Mort from 3LO (and later 3UZ), plus Tom Miller from 3XY, and Norm Spencer from 3DB (and later GTV-9 TV). Their station theme was “Thanks for the Memories” by Bob Hope. They had 1,600 records in their library. Their Commanding Officer was Eric McRae from 3SR and 7HO, who had earlier established 9AG in Borneo.

6 March
2WN Wollongong 1959 A.B.C., relaying 2BL with some local programs. Wollongong National service. Started as 2KS in Kiama in 1948 before moving to Wollongong. Held a radiothon in 1990 to raise funds for Newcastle earthquake victims. Moved to F.M. in March 1991, with 2RN launching on their A.M. frequency.

7 March
6KY Perth 1973 Bought by STW-9 TV. Photo is Johnny Young in 1965.

8 March
3UZ Melbourne 1925 First planned to open as 3ZL. Launched by Oliver J. Nilsen (later Lord Mayor of Melbourne) from his Burke Street radio shop. On air two nights per week with 27 watts, using one gramophone, one pianola, and one microphone. Known as “The Voice of Victoria”. Increased power to 500 watts to transmit television experiments in January 1929.

4AY Ayr 1946 They broadcast live all emergency communications as all other emergency communication systems had been wiped out by flooding.

9 March
7AD Devonport 1940 Originally 7UV Ulverstone (6-8-1932). Owned by the Advocate. Later purchased by the Findlay family. First to broadcast stereo in Tasmania (with 7BU) during joint tests in 1958. Both stations broadcast the same program at the same time, with the left and right channels on separate stations. Listeners needed two radios to hear stereo.

10 March
6VA Albany 1956 Built by Gerry Wild, managed by Harry Atkinson (VK6WZ), and owned by the Albany Advertiser. Harry earlier managed 6KG and 6GE. Known as “The Voice of Albany”. Harry was sacked in 1958 with no reason being given. As a protest, no one in Western Australia applied for the position. Harry later established a Sound and Radio shop, and produced several programs for the A.B.C., later moving to 6WB as manager. Photo is an early studio.

11 March
4SB Kingaroy  1938. South Burnett Broadcasting. Most programs were on relay from 4BC. Contact with their control room was via Morse code. In 1944, 33 year old future Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen started his brief media career here.

12 March
5DR Darwin  1946:  Ex Australian Army broadcast station was reopened by the A.B.C.

13 March
4CA Cairns  1950:  Forced to move their transmitter to higher ground to avoid flooding.

14 March
5AA Adelaide  1976. Installed by A.W.A. Started with a “Good Music” easy listening format. Only Adelaide station to agree to condom advertising.

15 March
5CK Port Pirie  1932. Operated by the privately owned Australian Broadcasting Company with 60 minutes of advertising per day. Used a 7,500 watt S.T.C. water cooled transmitter at Crystal Brook. Often heard in the U.S.A. Taken over by the A.B.C on 1-7-1932, relaying 5CL. From 1970 their transmitter was remotely controlled by the local A.B.C. television station.

9AC Torokina (T.P.N.G.) 1945. Australian Army Amenities Station on Bougainville Island. On air daily 0630-0830, 1030-1400, and 1630-2200, using a 200 watt transmitter on 1280 KHz. Their Chief Announcer was Warrant Officer Maurice Callard from 3DB, plus Eric Spence from 3AK and Brian Carlton from 3XY.

16 March
2CH Sydney  1936:  Commenced broadcasting the A.WA. production “Fred and Maggie Everybody”, Australia’s longest running sitcom series with 3,000 episodes.

6MM Mandurah  1988. Launched as a commercial licence with Easy Listening programs.

17 March
6NA Narrogin  1973:  Bought by STW-9 TV.

18 March
1930: Letter to the Editor “It is time 2KY woke up to themselves and improve their transmission or get off the air”.

19 March
6ML Perth  1930. Their equipment was all designed, built, and installed by Walter Coxon from 6AG and 6WF. Member of the Federal Radio Network, with 2UW, 3DB, 4BC, 5AD. Relayed numerous programs from 2UW via A.W.A. short wave relay, VK2ME, due to high P.M.G. landline charges from Sydney. Owned by Musgroves Ltd. Music Store, with the studios upstairs. Their manager, Beyn Samuels, also sang on air, and did the commentary for live boxing and wrestling. Closed on 30-5-1943 due to a lack of suitable staff during WWII. Photo is their first studio.

4QL Longreach  1947. A.B.C. Relay of 4QG using a 200 watt transmitter at the Post Office. They had some local programs, including news, from 1952 with a studio in the Town Hall. This callsign was previously issued as an experimental broadcasting station at Brisbane in the 1920s.

20 March
4KZ Innisfail  2006:  The Australian Army helped them re-erect their tower which was demolished by a cyclone.

21 March
1924: Grace Bros. department store in Sydney was the first Australian retail outlet to sell radio receivers.

3LO Melbourne  1925:  They were the first Australian station to broadcast a play “The Barbarous Barber”. Photo is their 1928 control room.

22 March
3DB Melbourne  1931:  Put off the air when one of their towers fell down.

23 March
1935: The A.B.C. in Sydney installed a disc recorder, allowing programs to be recorded for the first time in Australia.

24 March
1937: Letter to the Editor “The A.B.C. has done nothing for brass bands, but thousands have been spent on symphony orchestras and other entertainments for the educated only. Surely some consideration should be given to the entertainment of the masses?”

25 March
5KA Adelaide  1927. Launched as “The Voice of South Australia”, in Kintore Avenue using 300 watts. Australia’s first sports station. Closed on 8-1-1941 by the military for allegedly airing a WWII security breach while owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Reopened by the Methodist Church on 6-12-1943. Their first antenna was a wire running up a church steeple. Banned advertising on Sundays until 1973. Announcer Jack Hume launched the first Australian radio station strike in 1946 when management refused to get rid of a flea infestation.

26 March
1927: Letter to the Editor “There are far too many records and cricket descriptions on 3AR and a total lack of musical talent”

27 March
3NE Wangaratta  1954. North Eastern Broadcasters P/L. Owned by a group of local businesses. Their transmitter site was chosen by conducting test transmissions at different sites from an Army weather balloon. First manager, Murray Norris, was sacked and locked out of the station on the next day. Allegedly he spent half the station’s first budget on a private car.

28 March
3SA Melbourne  1954. Cable radio station owned by Clark Sinclair at St. Kilda East on air 0800-0000 three days a week. Operated radio announcer training courses, supplying announcers to stations around the country. Clark also worked for 3AK, 3XY, 3KZ, 3CV, 3UL, 3YB, 3AW, 3CR, 3EE, and 2QN. He was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to broadcasting in 1981. Clark passed away in 2010.

29 March
1936: An undersea cable was installed across Bass Straight, allowing programs to be relayed to Tasmanian stations.

30 March
2LV Inverell  1936. Listed as 2IV by S.T.C. who installed all their equipment. Started with 100 watts, having Stuart Beattie (2CH) as manager/announcer. Owned by 2AD and also the Inverell Times. Known as “Your Station”. Often heard in New Zealand. Bought by 2GZ, changing to 2NZ on 25-1-1937 with 1,000 watts.

31 March
A.W.A. Melbourne  1922:  They conducted an experimental live broadcast of a play (note the WWW on their logo).