July 24, 2010

Warragul: 3UL, 3GG

Warragul, a town south east of Melbourne and in Victoria’s Gippsland region, received its first local radio station, 3UL, in 1937.  The letters in the call-sign are said to be taken from the last two letters in the town’s name.

The station initially broadcast further down the AM dial but eventually settled at 531 kHz, the lowest AM channel available, and could be received over much of Melbourne as well as Gippsland.

By the mid-1980s 3UL, like most other commercial AM stations at the time, had commenced transmission in stereo:

3UL_1987_0001

And in 1987, 3UL celebrated fifty years on-air:

3UL_1987

In November 1989, 3UL changed its call-sign to 3GG, reflecting the station’s coverage area of ‘Greater Gippsland’ and continuing the trend of ‘double letter’ call-signs which became popular in the 1970s and ‘80s. The station had also moved its studios to the larger Gippsland town of Traralgon.

 3GG_1989

3GG is now part of the Macquarie Southern Cross regional radio network and in 2002 launched its FM sister station, Sea FM (call-sign: 3SEA), which is now Star FM, broadcasting on 94.3 MHz in Warragul and 97.9 MHz in Traralgon.

Website: 3GG

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Dave said...

I recall 3UL being 530 and the station jingle was "First On The Dial, Gippsland's 3UL Great station with Andrew & a character Eugene, I think on a Wednesday night, I recall Ron Bourke who is now on AW, being an announcher, and Steve Goode also.

Anonymous said...

3GG Is No Longer Part Of The Macquaire Southern Cross Regional Radio Network. They Are Now Part Of The Resonate Radio Network. Star FM 94.3 & 97.9 Is Still Owned By MSCM But Not 3GG.

Anonymous said...

I remember the Greater 3UL back in the 1960's when music was Music.I do believe that this was the era of John Farnham & that dreadful Sadie track that sold millions.
I wonder what happened to all the announcers?????