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Magic 1278 (official
callsign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
: 3EE) is a commercial radio station in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment Co, and run under a lease agreement by
Ace Radio Ace Radio Broadcasters is an Australian media company. Formed in 1984, it operates 21 commercial radio stations in Victoria and southern New South Wales, as well as the digital marketing agency Ace Digital and ''The Weekly Advertiser'', a free ...
.


History


1935–1991: 3XY


1935–1967

3XY began broadcasting on 8 September 1935, the original licence being held by the inaugural United Australia Party (and later the Liberal Party).
3KZ Gold 104.3 (call sign: 3KKZ) is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. Gold 104.3 is part of the Pure Gold Network (which itself is a part of the Australian Radio Network) and broadcasts on the 104.3 MHz frequency. History 3KZ ...
was licensed to the Industrial Printing Co. Ltd. for and on behalf of the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch).]Walker, R.R., ''The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia'', 1973, The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne However, from commencement, 3XY's programs were provided by Efftee Broadcasters Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Efftee Studios, who were the first in Australia to produce
sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
s.Fitzpatrick, Peter, ''The Two Frank Thrings'', 2012, Monash University Publishing, Clayton, Victoria. Efftee was owned by Frank Thring Sr., father of internationally renowned actor
Frank Thring Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Ho ...
Jr. Frank Thring Sr. died of cancer on 1 July 1936, and Efftee Studios and Efftee Broadcasters were inherited by his second wife, Olive. Nevertheless, Frank Thring Jr., who was only 10 year's old when his father died, often referred to himself as the ''proprietor''. Tom Holt, the father of the future Prime Minister of Australia,
Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until his presumed death in 1967. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party. Holt was born in S ...
. was in control of Efftee Studios at this time and Frank Thring Sr. appointed him as the first manager of 3XY. 3XY originally broadcast from studios in the former ballroom at the top of the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, but in the early 1960s, the station moved to purpose-built studios in Faraday Street, Carlton; this was the first of a number of subsequent relocations. Like virtually all broadcasters prior to the introduction of
television in Australia Television in Australia began experimentally as early as 1929 in Melbourne with radio stations 3DB and 3UZ, and 2UE in Sydney, using the ''Radiovision'' system by Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald, and later from other locations, such as Bris ...
and the invention of the transistor radio, 3XY broadcast a variety of programming styles; theoretically providing something of appeal to all its prospective listeners. The station's original slogan ''The Quality Station'' was taken seriously by management, who tried to produce programs which they often perceived as being superior to similar programs being produced by rival stations. 3XY was the last commercial radio station to come on air in Melbourne until
3MP 3MP is a commercial radio station, broadcast from Rowville and licensed to Melbourne. Owned and operated by Ace Radio from studios in South Melbourne, it broadcasts an easy listening music format on 1377 AM and DAB+ digital radio. History Ea ...
began broadcasting in 1976, 41 years later. By the time 3XY began broadcasting in 1935, most listeners had established their broadcasting patterns and they often continued to listen to 3XY's rivals, which is usually seen as the reason why 3XY was very low in the ratings for some decades.Australian Broadcasting Control Board, Annual Reports. In the collection of Albert Isaacs, Melbourne.Jones, Colin, ''Something in the Air: A History of Radio in Australia'', Kangaroo Press, 1995. Despite generally low ratings, there were a few popular programs, including the children's session sponsored by Peters Ice Cream, One Man's Family,
Raising a Husband ''Raising a Husband'' was an Australian television game show which aired in 1957 to 1958. Information on this series is extremely scarce. Based on a 3XY radio show, it was hosted by Alwyn Kurts, aired on station GTV-9 in Melbourne, and was produ ...
, etc. The station also produced some top class live variety programs with artists of the calibre of Stella Lamond; Doug McKenzie;
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...
, Max Reddy, Leslie Ross, etc.collection of published radio guides, in the collection of Albert Isaacs, Melbourne
Frank Thring Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Ho ...
Jr. started his career as both a thespian and radio announcer at 3XY in 1941, as a young man of 15. His numerous jobs at the 3XY microphone included being ''Uncle Frankie'' in the children's session. Thring's acting career, whilst mainly centred around the Melbourne theatre scene, also included periods in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
. The late Bert Newton grew up in the Melbourne suburb of
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
where he became a
scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...
. His first broadcast in a radio, television and theatrical career that spanned nearly 60 years was in the 3XY program ''Scouting Around'', hosted by Tom Jones. In the mid-1950s, Newton presented the 3XY midnight-to-dawn program. He returned to the station in the early 1970s (see below). Because of the lack of listeners, 3XY did not get as much advertising revenue as some of its rivals, but this was, in part, compensated for by the broadcasting of many sponsored religious programs, particularly on Sunday afternoons, as well as sponsored non-English programs, mainly Italian. At the time, 3XY had to comply with an
Australian Broadcasting Control Board The Australian Broadcasting Control Board was an Australian government agency formed in 1949 whose main roles were to regulate commercial radio and television broadcasting. It was also the introducer and regulator for FM broadcasting. The agency ...
regulation that required anything broadcast in any foreign language to also be translated into English. From the commencement of the 1936
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
season (about seven months after 3XY had first come on air) it became the very first station to broadcast descriptions of
Victorian Football Association The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
games. 3XY later broadcast games of the
Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
. They also broadcast descriptions of Melbourne
thoroughbred horse races Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...
each Saturday, as well as transmitting some interstate races. On some weeknights, harness races, then known as ''the trots'', were broadcast. Prior to 1967, the station had many prominent announcers, as well as a number of broadcasters who would go on to achieve fame at other stations. These included Frank Avis, Laurie Bennett, Graham Berry, Carl Bleazby, John Boland, John Burls, Ray Chapman, Peter Charleston, Bern Davis, Col Denovan, Jack Dyer, Keith Eden,
Doug Elliot Douglas Elliot (18 April 1923 – 12 March 2005) also known as W.I.D. Elliot and Doug(ie) Elliot was a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for .Massie, p.185 He was six feet three inches and over fourteen stone.Massie, p.18 ...
, Peter Evans, Vi Greenhalf, Mary Hardy, Ken Hibbins, Geoff Hiscock, Ken Howard, Tom Jones, Craig Kelly, Maurie Kirby, Wayne Kirby, Paul Konik,
Alwyn Kurts Alwyn Cecil Kurts (28 October 1915 – 4 May 2000) was an Australian drama and comedy actor of radio, television and film, best remembered for his role as gruff Inspector Colin Fox in the TV series ''Homicide''. Biography Kurts' father, David D ...
, Ray Lawrence, Barry Looms, Bernice (''Binny'') Lum, Alex McNish,
Bruce Mansfield Bruce Mansfield (24 April 1944 – 17 April 2016) was an Australian television/ radio personality and narrator. Early career Mansfield began in radio at age 16, when he won a junior announcer's competition at the 3UZ radio station in 1960. The ...
, John Magee, Ian Major, Tom Miller, Alf Minister, Bert Newton, Bill Passick, Sir Eric Pearce, Stan Rofe, Bob Rogers, Will Sampson, Dennis Scanlon, Barry Seeber,
Wallace Sharland Wallace Sutherland Sharland (11 October 1902 – 17 September 1967) was an Australian rules football player, journalist and commentator. He played with Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Sharland, who was commonly known by his nick ...
, David Shoreland, Paul Sime, Clyde Simpson, Eric (''Tiny'') Snell, Roy Stenye, Cyril Stokes, John Storr, Jeff Sunderland, Madge Thomas,
Frank Thring Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Ho ...
Jr., Hal Todd, Iven Walker, Mike Walsh, Jeff Warden, Dorothy Wilby, Madge Wister, Johnny Young, etc. Between 1954 and 1962, 3XY was Victoria's only 24-hour broadcaster. (In the 1930s, the Postmaster-General's Department issued 24-hour licences to one station in each capital city market except Melbourne. In Melbourne, since 1931,
3AK 3AK is the call sign of SEN 1116, an earlier the on-air name of a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116. A number of unusual events and precedents throughout the stati ...
had been broadcasting almost exclusively in the early-morning hours when other stations were off the air. However, on 1 February 1954, 3AK began broadcasting exclusively during hours of daylight, and concurrently 3DB,
3UZ RSN Racing & Sport (ACMA callsign: 3UZ) is an Australian radio station in Australia. Owned and operated by thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing bodies of Victoria, it broadcasts a sports radio format to Melbourne, and to much of Victor ...
and 3XY were all given 24-hour licences, but both 3DB and 3UZ had ceased all-night broadcasting within six months. Nevertheless, between 1962 and 1968, the
Australian Broadcasting Control Board The Australian Broadcasting Control Board was an Australian government agency formed in 1949 whose main roles were to regulate commercial radio and television broadcasting. It was also the introducer and regulator for FM broadcasting. The agency ...
had granted 24-hour licences to all Melbourne commercial stations; 24-hour transmission on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
stations was to follow within a few years.) ''An excellent history of the first 10 years or so of 3XY can be accessed in the following book: Fitzpatrick, Peter, ''The Two Frank Thrings'', 2012, Monash University Publishing, Clayton, Victoria.''


1967–1989

From 1 July 1967, under the direction of General Manager Bob Baeck the station became Melbourne's dominant music radio station and remained so until the mid 1980s, with a
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
music radio format, which often topped the ratings. Its sister station during this era was Sydney's
2SM 2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group. The SM call sign is taken from the initials of Saint Mary's. 2SM's progra ...
. Of the many promotions conducted by the station, the most important during the 1970s/80s was ''Rocktober'' held annually during the month of October. 3XY dropped all of its religious programming in the late 1960s under the direction of Program Manager Dick Heming. (Heming received a letter of complaint from a woman who signed herself 'Yours in Christianity' but which concluded: 'I have prayed to the Lord that you be struck dead'.)Griffen-Foley, Bridget, ''Changing Stations The Story of Australian Commercial Radio'', UNSW Press, 2009, Sydney In the early 1970s, there was a head-on battle for the lucrative Top 40 market between 3XY, by then managed by Rod Muir, and Rhett Walker's
3AK 3AK is the call sign of SEN 1116, an earlier the on-air name of a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116. A number of unusual events and precedents throughout the stati ...
. The fact that 3XY won the battle is reflected in 3AK's rapid change away from its Top 40 format. However, 3XY's fortunes declined in the late 1980s after the advent of FM radio in Australia, a few years' earlier. 3XY
DJs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
during this era included: Barry Bissell, Hans Christian, Jack Daniels, Greg Evans, Peter Grace, Peter Harrison, Jane Holmes, John Hood, Craig Huggins, Kevin Hillier, Mark Irvine, Peter James, Chris Maxwell, Peter O'Callaghan, John O'Donnell, John Peters, Stan Rofe,
Lee Simon Vassilis Simon, who worked as Lee Simon (born 1954), is a retired Australian TV presenter and radio DJ, programme director and broadcaster. He hosted adult, album-orientated music show, ''Nightmoves'' from 1977 to 1984. As a radio presenter he w ...
, Peter ''Grubby'' Stubbs, Richard Stubbs, Gary Suprain, Paul Turner, Karl van Est. As well as its Top 40 format, in the early 1970s, 3XY also experimented with a ''personality'' format with Bert Newton conducting the breakfast program, and Graham Kennedy presenting a morning session from a studio especially constructed at a cost of $10,000 in the bedroom of his house in Frankston, thus saving him from even having to leave home to present the show. He often broadcast whilst in pyjamas. During the late 1970s Derryn Hinch presented a current affairs morning program. The Liberal Party continued to have a marked influence at 3XY. In the late 1970s and 80s, the manager of the station was Stanley Guilfoyle, husband of Liberal Senator Margaret Guilfoyle.
Magnus Cormack Sir Magnus Cameron Cormack KBE (12 February 1906 – 26 November 1994) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served multiple terms as a Senator for Victoria (1951–1953, 1962–1978), including as President of ...
, a former Liberal senator, served as chairman of the company after his retirement from politics in 1978. The company's articles of association provided that, upon the sale of the company, any proceeds should be "given or transferred to some institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the company". In 1986, the radio licence was sold to businessman Paul Dainty for $15 million. The proceeds were used to establish the Cormack Foundation, which became a major donor to the Victorian Liberals.


1989–1991

After losing the ratings and financial battle with FM rivals
3EON Triple M Melbourne is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Victoria. Its target demographic is the 18-54 age group. Triple M Melbourne is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Triple M Network and broadcasts on the 105.1 MHz frequency. The st ...
and
3FOX Fox FM (call sign: 3FOX) is a commercial broadcasting, commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on a frequency of 101.9 MHz, and is the flagship station on Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network. The station's ...
, the 3XY licence was bought in late 1989 by the parent company of BAY-FM, a
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
based station which was then just about to come on air. When BAY-FM commenced broadcasting in December 1989, 3XY briefly simulcast the BAY-FM overnight programs, retaining its
rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
format during the day. However, once new studios in
Corio Bay Corio Bay is one of numerous internal bays in the southwest corner of Australia's Port Phillip, and is the bay on which abuts the City of Geelong. The nearby suburb of Corio takes its name from Corio Bay. Etymology When Hamilton Hume and Willi ...
were completed, Bay FM and 3XY began full-time simulcasting, 3XY breaking only for coverage of
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
(AFL) games, which they were contracted to cover. After a period of 12 months, the then- Australian Broadcasting Authority demanded that the two stations begin separate programming. While the two stations remained in their Corio studios, Bay FM relaunched with an
easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...
format, with 3XY retaining its soft rock format. In 1991, 3XY was sold to
AWA Limited AWA Technology Services, name based on former name Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd, is an Australian provider for technology related services. Throughout most of the 20th century AWA was Australia's largest and most prominent electronics o ...
, owners of
2CH ''2CH'' was a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia. It was owned by Pacific Star Network. The station changed formats on 10 June 2022 to sports. History 2CH commenced broadcasting on 15 February 1932 on 1210 kHz. It moved to ...
Sydney and other stations, who almost immediately shut the station down and re-opened it seven months later as 3EE. 3XY's transmitter was turned off at 1.00 pm on 23 September 1991. The final on-air program as 3XY was a one-hour pre-recorded special, commissioned by AWA and produced and presented by music historian
Glenn A. Baker Glenn A. Baker (born 28 July 1952) is an Australian journalist, commentator, author, and broadcaster well known in Australia for his vast knowledge of Rock music. He has written books and magazine articles on rock music and travel, interviewed ...
. It was a tribute showcasing the music of 1976 when 3XY was number one in the radio ratings. Roxanne Bennett was the last 'live' announcer on 3XY, finishing her shift at 12 noon that day with
Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
's song '' I'll Be Gone'' the final song played before the one hour pre-recorded special was aired. The last song to be ever aired on 3XY, was
AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
's '' It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)'', at the end of the pre-recorded special. AWA formally applied for a change of callsign from 3XY to 3EE and a change of frequency from 1422 kHz to 693 kHz. Both requests were granted by the Australian Broadcasting Authority. Although it was a relaunch of the 3XY licence that had existed since 1935 and not the issuing of a new licence, AWA chose to promote the forthcoming 3EE as a "completely new" station. (A new licence for the 1422 kHz frequency was purchased at auction in 1994 by the Greek Media Group. Initially the licence was for a specified period of three years, and was then to be subject to a five yearly auction cycle. This rule was removed, and the station was effectively permitted to continue on a permanent basis. The new station adopted the 3XY call-sign. It is a narrowcast
Greek language Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...
commercial station, with no connection to the station of 1935–91.)


1992–1993: 3EE

The "new" station 3EE began official transmission at 7.00am Friday 2 July 1992. Promoted as ''The Breeze'', the station had a mix of easy listening music, personality talk and Saturday AFL football. Some programs garnered a loyal following but overall the station failed to gain a commercially viable audience in its target demographic of people aged 40+. AWA had a three-year strategy to grow the 3EE audience, but in 1993 the company decided to exit the commercial broadcasting sector and concentrate on its core business of electronics design and manufacture. AWA sold 3EE to Wesgo Communications, owner of another Melbourne station,
3MP 3MP is a commercial radio station, broadcast from Rowville and licensed to Melbourne. Owned and operated by Ace Radio from studios in South Melbourne, it broadcasts an easy listening music format on 1377 AM and DAB+ digital radio. History Ea ...
, based in Frankston, an outer south-eastern suburb. A few months later in 1994, AWA sold 3EE's sister station in Sydney
2CH ''2CH'' was a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia. It was owned by Pacific Star Network. The station changed formats on 10 June 2022 to sports. History 2CH commenced broadcasting on 15 February 1932 on 1210 kHz. It moved to ...
, bringing to an end AWA's 70 years in radio broadcasting.


1993–2017: Magic 693/1278


Magic 693

3MP and 3EE
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...
their programs until the ABA ordered that they cease the practice and recommence two separate formats. As from December 1993, 3EE used the marketing name of ''Magic 693'', whilst retaining its official call-sign 3EE. It had a 1940s, 1950s and 1960s music format, while 3MP maintained its more mainstream
easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...
format on 1377. Media operator Southern Cross Broadcasting, which also owned Melbourne radio stations
3AK 3AK is the call sign of SEN 1116, an earlier the on-air name of a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116. A number of unusual events and precedents throughout the stati ...
and
3AW 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne. It broadcasts on 693  kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station. The station is owned and operated by Nine Entertainment Co. Hist ...
, bought the 3MP and 3EE licences, and in accordance with media ownership laws which restrict any organisation from owning more than two radio stations in one region, they chose to keep 3AW and 3EE (''Magic 693''), while selling off the lower–rating 3AK and 3MP licences.


Magic 1278

From 1 May 2006, Magic 693 became Magic 1278 after switching frequencies with 3AW. The change was suggested by 3AW's then Midnight-to-Dawn host
Keith McGowan Keith McGowan OAM (9 March 1943 – 22 December 2013) was an Australian radio presenter. He was born in Melbourne, Australia and died there, aged 70 years. Radio career McGowan got his first job in radio in May 1957, when he started as an offi ...
. By doing so, it placed 3AW between
Radio National Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors an ...
and ABC Radio Melbourne, meaning that Melbourne's three major talk stations were together on the AM radio dial. On 13 April 2015, the station's entire on air line-up, and most of the programming and production team, was made redundant, as the result of the merger of
Fairfax Media Fairfax Media was a media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The Sydney Morning Herald' ...
's radio assets and the Macquarie Radio Network. Immediately, a new music format was introduced that focused on the classic hits of the 1960s and 1970s. In November 2015, it was announced that the station would begin networking programming into
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
on sister station
Magic 882 4BH 1116 is the on-air identifier ( ACMA callsign: 4BH) of a radio station in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It broadcasts on a frequency is 1116 kHz in the AM radio band and is simulcasted in DAB+ on channel 9B. It is o ...
. The last song to be played on Magic 1278 was '' Thank You for the Music'' by
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
.


2017–2018: Talking Lifestyle

On Monday 27 February 2017, Macquarie Radio Network relaunched 3EE as Talking Lifestyle. The launch of Talking Lifestyle into the Melbourne and Brisbane market followed 18 months of development by Macquarie Media and a soft launch in the Sydney market in September 2016 through
2UE 2UE is an all-music radio station in Sydney owned by Nine Entertainment Co and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. It currently broadcasts from its studios in Pyrmont, New South Wales. History 1920s 2EU Electrical Utilities applied to the ...
. The Brisbane outlet was
Talking Lifestyle 882 4BH 1116 is the on-air identifier ( ACMA callsign: 4BH) of a radio station in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It broadcasts on a frequency is 1116 kHz in the AM radio band and is simulcasted in DAB+ on channel 9B. It is o ...
. Presenters for the station broadcast from either Sydney or Melbourne. The on-air line-up included Ed Phillips, Catriona Rowntree, Nick Bennett, Dee Dee Dunleavy and Sabina Read.


2018–2020: Macquarie Sports Radio

On Wednesday 4 April 2018, the three Talking Lifestyle branded stations relaunched with a new
sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on-ai ...
format under the name Macquarie Sports Radio with coverage of the
2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...
. 1278 did broadcast Melbourne Storm matches as well as a selection of interstate NRL matches broadcast by the Continuous Call Team


2020–2021: Magic 1278 (second incarnation)

On 21 January 2020, Nine Entertainment announced the Macquarie Sports Radio brand would be abandoned and the station – along with its interstate sister stations
2UE 2UE is an all-music radio station in Sydney owned by Nine Entertainment Co and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. It currently broadcasts from its studios in Pyrmont, New South Wales. History 1920s 2EU Electrical Utilities applied to the ...
and
4BH 4BH 1116 is the on-air identifier ( ACMA callsign: 4BH) of a radio station in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It broadcasts on a frequency is 1116 kHz in the AM radio band and is simulcasted in DAB+ on channel 9B. It is o ...
– would return to an all-music format "built around the best of the '50s, '60s and '70s" with a "soft launch" on 2 February 2020.


Nine Radio leases Magic 1278 to Ace Radio

On 28 October 2021, Nine Radio and
Ace Radio Ace Radio Broadcasters is an Australian media company. Formed in 1984, it operates 21 commercial radio stations in Victoria and southern New South Wales, as well as the digital marketing agency Ace Digital and ''The Weekly Advertiser'', a free ...
entered into a deal for Ace to manage the radio station, along with sister stations 2UE and 4BH, from early 2022. Ace Radio took control of the station on 14 January 2022. The station relaunched with a new presenter line-up, logo and imaging on this date.


See also

* ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
''


References


External links


Magic 1278 official siteMagic 693/3AW Change-over3XY publicity from ''Broadcast Year Book and Radio Listeners Annual 1946-47'', courtesy The Radio Heritage Foundation
{{Melbourne AM Nine Radio Oldies radio stations in Australia Radio stations in Melbourne Radio stations established in 1935 Rock radio stations in Australia 1935 establishments in Australia