Classic Rock Radio

Broadcast area Melbourne RA1[1]
Branding Classic Rock Radio
Format Classic rock
Power 5 kW
Callsign meaning 3 - Victoria
Mornington Peninsula
Former frequencies 1380 kHz AM (1976–1978)
Owner Pacific Star Network
(Malbend Pty Ltd)
Sister stations 1116 SEN
Aussie Digital
KOOOL Digital
Website www.classicrock1377.com.au

Classic Rock Radio is a commercial radio station, broadcast from Rowville, Victoria and licensed to Greater Melbourne. Owned and operated by Pacific Star Network from studios in Richmond, it broadcasts a classic rock format on 1377 AM and DAB+ digital radio.

History

1970s

3MP began transmission 21 July 1976, as Melbourne's seventh commercial radio station and the city's first new commercial station in over 40 years. The original licencees included a consortium of businessmen and media identities.

Unlike other Melbourne radio stations that were based in the inner city areas, 3MP - as the callsign "MP", which stands for Mornington Peninsula, implies - was based in the south eastern suburb of Frankston, originally from studios in Bayside Shopping Centre. The station first broadcast on from Rowville on 1380 kHz AM, changing to 1377 kHz AM in 1978, with its initial music format being a one-for-one mix of solid gold and current Top 40 music. Developed by the station's first General Manager, Ray Bean, and Operations Manager, Geoff Brown, it was strongly targeted at the 25-39 demographic as a less edgy version of the popular "More Music" 10-17 and 18-24 demographic format employed at the time by #1 rated 3XY.

1980s

Although the original Articles of Association prohibited any one person from owning more than 5% of the shares in Mornington Peninsula Broadcasters Ltd, the station was sold outright to AWA in 1980.

In 1985, rival station 3AK suddenly dumped its Beautiful music format, despite strong ratings. The perception of management was that the format did not attract the sort of younger, more impulsive, listeners that had high disposable incomes so therefore were seen to not be attractive to advertisers. 3MP, which at the time was broadcasting a 'Hits and memories' format, saw the gap in the market, and within two weeks of 3AK's format change, 3MP had completely revamped its music library, on-air personnel and image to adopt an Easy listening format. Following the change, 3MP's previously modest ratings grew strongly, and it became a real competitor with the top FM stations, as well as dominant talkback station 3AW.

In 1987, the station changed hands once again, with 3MP, along with sister stations 2GN Goulburn, 3BO Bendigo, 4CA Cairns, 4TO Townsville and 6KY Perth, purchased by Wesgo Communications for A$40 million.[2][3]

1990s

In 1993, Wesgo Communications purchased rival station 3EE The Breeze, replacing 3EE's format with a simulcast of 3MP. However, following complaints from Triple M, Gold FM, Fox FM and 3AW, the Australian Broadcasting Authority ruled against this,[4] and in 1994 Wesgo launched oldies formatted 'Magic 693', ending the simulcast. Magic 693's format, along with coverage of weekend AFL matches, proved successful as ratings climbed, albeit at the displacement of 3MP.

In 1995, the stations were sold to Southern Cross Broadcasting, which at the time operated 3AW and 3AK, and the newsroom used by both 3EE and 3MP closed. Southern Cross Broadcasting was made to sell two stations, including 3MP. By 1996, it was sold to Goulburn Valley Broadcasters, which operated Shepparton-based 3SR.

2000s

In 2001, ownership of 3MP was transferred to Data and Commerce Limited, which owned and operated Melbourne AM station 3AK. In 2002, 3MP relocated its studios from Frankston to inner suburban Richmond where it shared facilities with 3AK.

The final "on air" line up at 3MP as a music station (before changing to a talk format) was John Tamb - Breakfast (Shawn Cosgrove had previously done the breakfast shift but had left the station a few weeks earlier), Peter O'Callaghan - Mornings, Mark Johnson or Mark Irvine - Afternoon / Drive and Eddie Olek - Evenings.

2010s

In December 2009, existing operator Pacific Star Network and Macquarie Radio Network, the owner of top rating Sydney talkback radio station 2GB, agreed to create the joint-venture 'Melbourne Radio Operations Pty Ltd', to supply radio programming in the Melbourne market. In April 2010, the two signed an interim agreement to launch right-wing talkback station MTR 1377 - replacing 3MP on AM radio - to compete against incumbent 3AW.[5][6]

MyMP logo (April 2010 – May 2015)
MyMP logo (April 2010 – May 2015)

As MTR launched on 19 April 2010,[7] the 3MP format became exclusive to digital radio, branded as MyMP. For the first year of MyMP's existence, the station ran announcer-free; and, for a period, advertisement-free. Announcers returned to MyMP on 13 May 2011, including Mark Johnson, John Tamb and Eddie Olek.[8] In October 2011, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, acting on a complaint, shut down a pirate radio station operating from the Melbourne suburb of Chadstone, re-broadcasting the MyMP signal on AM radio.[9]

3MP logo (May 2015 – October 2016)

However, the aggressive right-wing nature of MTR's talkback format proved to be a failure, and, with the Pacific Star/Macquarie Radio joint-venture entering administration,[10] on 2 March 2012 MyMP reappeared on 1377 AM, after a short simulcast of sister station SEN.[11] From 7 March, MyMP's announcers returned, with John Tamb on Breakfast, Mark Johnson on Afternoons and Eddie Olek on Drive / Evenings.

In April 2012, 3MP was granted a power increase to better cover the northern and western areas of Melbourne - first applied for while operating as MTR.[12] Also in 2012, MyMP introduced 'lifestyle weekends', with Phil Wall hosting My Fishing and Richard Stockman hosting My Wine & Food. Former Sale of the Century host Glenn Ridge moved into weekday mornings, hosting My Melbourne.

In 2015, MyMP adopted the positioner of "Melbourne's Greatest Hits from the 60s, 70s & 80s", and in May reverted to the 3MP brand, last heard in 2010. In July, the newsroom shared between 3MP and sister station 1116 SEN was closed, replaced with a service from Macquarie National News.[13][14]

On 24 October 2016, 3MP was relaunched as Classic Rock Radio.

Former presenters

References

  1. ↑ http://www.acma.gov.au/licplan/defmaps/documents/maps/la_531.pdf
  2. ↑ "AWA Radio Execs reunite". Radioinfo. 4 June 2004. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "AWA's 100th Birthday". Radioinfo. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Thomas (26 November 1993). "Simulcast must stop, 3MP told". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Macquarie Radio and Pacific Star sign Interim Agreement". ASX ComNews. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  6. ↑ Quinn, Karl (19 April 2010). "Look who's talking - MTR hits the airwaves". Age. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  7. ↑ Day, Mark (19 April 2010). "Talk radio entrant faces a hard, oft-travelled road". The Australian. Features: 31. Retrieved 26 Apr 2010.
  8. ↑ "MyMP, 3MP's new digital radio station". WebDevSys. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
  9. ↑ "ACMA search, seizure and enforcement". Amateur Radio Victoria. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  10. ↑ Bodey, Michael (2012-03-03). "MTR closes, with loss of $15m". The Australian (1 - All-round Country ed.). p. 27. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  11. ↑ "3MTR goes dark". Radioinfo. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Reborn 3MP gets a power increase to better cover Melbourne". Radioinfo. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  13. ↑ Gunn, Nikole (8 July 2015). "Another one bites the dust". Radio Today. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  14. ↑ Rawsthorne, Sally (8 July 2015). ""Melbourne's Home of Sport" shutters its newsroom". MediaWeek. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "What's On".

External links

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