ABC Radio Melbourne

ABC Radio Melbourne (official callsign: 3LO) is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. It began transmission on 13 October 1924, and was Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR.

ABC Radio Melbourne (3LO)
Broadcast areaMelbourne RA1
Frequency
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatTalk radio
NetworkABC Local Radio
Ownership
OwnerAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
List
History
First air date
13 October 1924 (1924-10-13)
Former frequencies
  • AM: 800 kHz (1924–1935)
  • AM: 770 kHz (1935–1978)
Call sign meaning
LOndon
Technical information
Licensing authority
ACMA
Power50000 W
Transmitter coordinates
37.72055°S 144.784034°E / -37.72055; 144.784034
Repeater(s)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websiteabc.net.au/radio/melbourne/

Most Local Radio stations in Victoria simulcast ABC Radio Melbourne's programming when not airing local shows for their areas.

History

The station was initially owned by the Broadcasting Company of Australia, owned by J. & N. Tait (theatrical entrepreneurs), Buckley & Nunn (a department store) and The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd (a newspaper company).[1] It was named after 2LO in England, where the LO probably stood for London. However, many radio historians believe the following alternative reason for the name: the first landline between the studio and transmitter did not work properly and, therefore, a second line was put into use, and someone with a sense of humour named the station 2LO, standing for Second Line Out.

The station began transmission with an outside broadcast of a performance of 'La Bohème' featuring Dame Nellie Melba, from His Majesty's Theatre.[2]

The station initially operated on longwave on 174 kHz (1720 metres) using 5 watts from a site in what is today Maidstone (and was then considered Braybrook). In July 1925, it moved to the mediumwave 810 kHz.[3]

From 1927 to 1939, the shortwave service "Voice of Australia" broadcast 3LO material to the world.[4]

From 1928 the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) was responsible for the technical side of all Australian A Class stations including 3LO. Also in 1928, the Australian Broadcasting Company was given a licence to provide all programming on 3LO. The Australian Broadcasting Company was nationalised and became the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932.[5]

In 1938, transmission moved from Maidstone to Delahey (on a site then considered St Albans), where it remains today.[6]

The two Melbourne stations (3LO & 3AR) had a studio in Melbourne Place, a laneway off Russell Street near Little Collins Street, until the building of Broadcast House in Lonsdale Street in 1945. The 3LO on-air studio at Broadcast House was studio 308, although for many years the news broadcasts came from Marland House in Bourke Street. The studios were transferred to the ABC's then new Southbank Centre in 1995.

In its early days the station was involved in programs, such as Kindergarten of the Air, giving children in regional areas greater social awareness and preparation for school.

In early 2006, with the start of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, the ABC set up what was known as "The G-Spot" at Federation Square – an outside broadcast studio where members of the public could watch and participate in the broadcast. At the same time, ABC Radio Melbourne became the second Local Radio station to introduce streaming broadcasts in addition to its regular radio broadcast, subject to sporting rights and legal concerns.

Present

ABC Radio Melbourne provides a mix of local and national news, talkback, current affairs and sports programming. During part of the day it is also identified as ABC Radio Melbourne and ABC Victoria, as much of its content is also heard on other stations in the ABC Local Radio network in Victoria. It is also available through online streaming.

ABC Radio Melbourne's 774 kHz transmitter is located in Delahey, 20 km north-west of Melbourne's central business district. The station broadcasts at a power of 50,000 watts, covering the majority of Victoria, and one of two transmitters using the callsign 3LO, the other being at Marengo on 89.5 MHz with an EIRP of about 327 watts serving the Apollo Bay area.

ABC Radio Melbourne sometimes broadcasts live from events such as the Gardening Australia Expo, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the C31 Melbourne Antenna Awards, the Royal Melbourne Show and the Royal Geelong Show.

The station is housed in the ABC Southbank Centre, which has four levels incorporating ABC Local Radio, ABC Radio National, ABC Classic FM, Triple J, ABC Dig Music, Radio Australia, Australia Network, ABC News and Current Affairs and ABC TV.

ABC Radio Melbourne is an official Emergency Services Broadcaster, a role it notably filled during the Black Saturday bushfires and recovery in 2009.[2]

Programs

Daily scheduling
  • Breakfast, with Sammy J (Monday to Thursday) and Charlie Pickering (Friday) – 5:30am to 8:00am
  • AM, with Sabra Lane – 8:00am to 8:30am
  • Mornings, with Rafael Epstein – 8:30am to 11:00am
  • The Conversation Hour, with Richelle Hunt – 11:00am to 12:00pm
  • The World Today, with Sally Sara – 12:00pm to 12:30pm
  • Afternoons, with Trevor Chappell (Monday to Thursday) & Jacinta Parsons and Brian Nankervis (Friday) – 12:30pm to 3:30pm
  • Drive, with Ali Moore – 3:30pm to 6:30pm
  • PM, with David Lipson – 6:30pm to 7:00pm
  • Evenings, with David Astle (Monday to Thursday), Sirine Demachkie (Friday, National Broadcast), Christine Anu (Saturday, National Broadcast) – 7:00pm to 10:00pm
  • Nightlife, with Philip Clark (Monday to Thursday) and Suzanne Hill (Friday to Sunday) – 10:00pm to 2:00am
  • Overnights, with Michael Pavlich (Monday to Thursday from Melbourne) and Rod Quinn (Friday to Sunday from Sydney) – 2:00am to 6:00am

Other programs
  • The Friday Revue, with Jacinta Parsons and Brian Nankervis - Friday 12:30pm to 3:30pm
  • Saturday Breakfast, with Alice Zaslavsky - Saturday 6:00am to 8:00am
  • Saturday Mornings, with Matt Preston - Saturday 8:30am to 12:00pm
  • Saturday Morning Sport, with Matt Preston and Catherine Murphy - Saturday 11:00am to 12:00pm during Saturday Mornings with Matt Preston, it's broadcast to all of Victoria.
  • Sundays, with Lisa Leong - Sunday 10:00am to 12:00pm
  • Grandstand is the ABC's sport program, which is broadcast from 12 noon on a Saturday and Sunday
  • Songs and Stories, with Robbie Buck - Sunday 6:30pm to 9:00pm
  • Various weekend DAB programs, with Editor's choice, Live and Local, Babytalk, Weekends, Saturday Afternoon, The Best of the Story Stream, Countrywide, A Big Country, and Sunday Afternoon, which is broadcast on DAB+ digital radio from 12 noon to 7pm on a Saturday and 12 noon to 6:30pm on a Sunday
  • Speaking Out (Radio National), with Larissa Behrendt[7]

Former presenters

See also

References
  1. "From 3LO to 774 – ABC (None) – Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  2. "About Us – ABC Melbourne – Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  3. "1924 – Braybrook (Melbourne) Transmitters". bpadula.tripod.com.
  4. "1924 – Braybrook (Melbourne) Transmitters". bpadula.tripod.com.
  5. "Adventures in CyberSound". Archived from the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 3 October 2007.
  6. "1924 – Braybrook (Melbourne) Transmitters". bpadula.tripod.com.
  7. "Speaking Out, with Larissa Behrendts". Australia: ABC Radio. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
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