Darwin: 8DN

Darwin, Australia’s smallest capital city, received its first radio station, ABC’s 5DR (later 8DR and now 8DDD), in 1947. 

The first commercial station was 8DN, launched in 1960.  8DN  was Darwin’s only commercial radio station for over 30 years and the launch of the city’s second commercial station, FM station 8HOT in 1991, essentially led to 8DN becoming one of the few radio stations in Australia to simply cease operation.

Above: 8DN in 1989

The licensee of 8HOT, Northern Territory FM (NTFM), had taken a financial interest in 8DN prior to 8HOT commencing transmission.  This was deemed a breach of broadcasting laws that stated that no one operator shall own two radio stations in the same license area.  NTFM pledged to sell its interest in 8DN prior to 8HOT commencing broadcast, however the sale was refused by the broadcasting authority as the potential buyer of 8DN, Territory Broadcasters, was buying 8DN with an interest-free loan from NTFM, essentially continuing to give NTFM undue influence over two stations.

8DN therefore had its licence cancelled and the station ceased to broadcast from 1992. 

Ironically, it was not long after 8DN’s closure that the broadcasting rules were changed to allow a licensee to operate two radio stations in one market.

8DN’s broadcast frequency, 1242 kHz, is now used as a relay station for Queensland-based racing station Radio TAB.

Launceston: 7LA

7LA was the first commercial radio station in Launceston, Northern Tasmania, when it launched in 1930.  The station originally broadcast on 1100 kHz before shifting to 1098 kHz in 1978.

In the early 1930s, 7LA offered to carry a relay of programs from the national broadcaster, ABC, from Melbourne for several hours a day as the broadcaster did not have a local presence in Northern Tasmania.  ABC declined the offer and instead opened their own station, 7NT, in 1935 on the frequency 750 kHz (later adjusted to 711 kHz).

Launceston’s second commercial station, 7EX, opened in 1938.

Above: 7LA in 1993.

For reasons not known to this author, Launceston remained excluded from the spread of commercial FM throughout regional Australia – with 7LA and 7EX left plugging away on the AM band.  Development of the FM band in the region may have been hampered by ABC’s local TV outlet – ABNT3 – occupying a VHF frequency that interfered with the FM band.  ABC eventually moved ABNT to a UHF channel during the ‘90s but continued to simulcast on both VHF and UHF channels until well into the 2000s.

It was not until late-2008 that 7LA made the move to the FM band, re-launching as LAFM (call-sign 7LAA), broadcasting on the frequency 89.3 MHz.

7NT and 7EX have also moved to the FM band to 91.7 MHz and 90.1 MHz respectively.

LAFM is now a member of Tasmanian Broadcasters, operated by Grant Broadcasters.

Website: LAFM

Sydney: 2JJJ

In January 1975 the national broadcaster ABC launched its new youth music station, 2JJ, in Sydney.  Broadcasting on 1540 kHz (later changed to 1539 kHz in 1978), it was ABC’s first 24-hour radio station and was intended to be the first link in a national youth-oriented radio network.  Budget cuts meant that the ambition of creating a national network was put on hold until the late 1980s.

In 1980, 2JJ became the first radio station in Australia to move from the AM to the FM band – to the new frequency 105.7 MHz – and assigned a new call-sign 2JJJ, though the station was known on-air just as Triple J.

It wasn’t until 1989 that Triple J began to realise its early ambition of national expansion.  Triple J launched in Melbourne (call-sign 3JJJ) in October 1989 and the Triple J network would gradually open in each of the other capital cities, plus the NSW city of Newcastle, over the next twelve months. 

Triple J in 1994:

In the mid-‘90s Triple J embarked on a campaign to expand its coverage to regional markets across Australia.  A total of 44 regional markets were completed in this stage of the national roll-out.

Triple J has also expanded its brand to include online, a monthly magazine (jmag) and Triple J TV.

Website: Triple J

Alice Springs: 8HA, 8SUN

Alice Springs, located in the Northern Territory, is the centre of Australia’s rugged outback. The national broadcaster, ABC, started a local service – 5AL – after World War II though the station was initially a straight relay of ABC radio in Adelaide. (The call-sign later changed to 8AL once ‘8’ was designated for Northern Territory call-signs)

The town’s first commercial radio station, 8HA, began broadcasting in March 1971. The “HA” letters stand for “Heart of Australia”.

Above: 8HA in 1986

Above: 8HA in 1992 (apologies, the original colours are not quite as scanned)

By the early ‘90s, media laws permitted rural stations to open a secondary service on the FM band. This led to the launch of 96.9 SUN FM (call-sign: 8SUN).

Above: SUN FM in 1992.

Websites: 8HA, SUN FM, 783 ABC

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