2HD
Encyclopedia
2HD is an Australia
n radio station, serving the lower Hunter Region. It operates at 1143 kHz
on the AM
band, from its studios along the Pacific Highway
in the Newcastle
suburb of Sandgate
. Its power output is 2 kW.
The station also has a translator
in Port Stephens, on 97.5 MHz in the FM
band.
It is owned by Broadcast Operations Group
(itself owned by Bill Caralis), and is a sister station to New FM
.
2HD was once the local radio station of the Newcastle Knights
, until a dispute between BOG, Macquarie Radio Network
and the National Rugby League
(NRL) saw both the Continuous Call Team and Knights games go to KOFM, starting 2006.2HD is still the Official Radio Station for the Newcastle Knights. The coverage is replaced by a relay of 2SM
's Talkin' Sport program. On 20 March, 2HD reverted to its old 1990s logo.
Saturday
Sunday
enthusiast, and an alderman
on the Newcastle City Council
from 1919 to 1922.
The station was originally in the suburb of Hamilton
, but moved to the corner of Darby and King Streets soon after. Douglas sold the station to William Johnston
in 1928, who sold the station to the Airsales Broadcasting Company two years later in 1930. Airsales owned the company for 10 years, and was responsible for the move to its landmark studio building in Sandgate, which was 2HD's home for nearly 50 years. Although the building itself is very different, the middle section of the building is still the 1931 building.
Under controversial circumstances during World War II
, 2HD was closed in 1941, under the National Security Regulations. At the time, around 25 staff were employed by the station, and stories claimed that the station's owners were sending covert messages, based on the timing of the music being played etc. 2HD remained silent until near the end of the war when the Australian Labor Party
and the Labor Council of New South Wales
bought the station, and resumed transmissions on 15 January 1945.
One of 2HD's notable personalities of the 1930s was Uncle Rex Sinclair, who continued to perform on local radio and stage until shortly before his death in 2001.
.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 2HD was one of the founding shareholders of local television station NBN Television
.
2HD broadcast in the popular The Good Guys of Life format, also used by other stations, including 2SM
Sydney
. Presenters during this time included Harry Randall, Tom Delaney, Art Ryan, Haff Enegg, Mal Lamonte, John Hill
, Allan McGirvan, Mike Jeffries, Malcolm Elliott
, Keith Haerris, Graeme Gilbert
, Don Mayo, Rob Maynard and Cliff Musgrave. Towards the end of this period, announcer Geoff Gregory joined the station, but was better known as a program director, and host of the Sunday night program Country Sounds.
After the Good Guys era ended, 2HD transmitted other formats including Easy Alternative
and country
. In 1977, the original office building on Maitland Road Sandgate was closed. Several years prior to that, the building was gradually being demolished, starting with the destruction of the original transmitter building to make way for a dual carriageway along Maitland Road in 1964. The increased traffic and the location of the road near the old building was taking its toll. A new administration building, nicknamed "the submarine" was built, and NSW Premier
Neville Wran
opened the building in 1977.
For decades after the end of the "Good Guys" era, the station's ratings were in the doldrums, however, the station accomplised its first number one ratings success in 1987, after adopting a strong news and talk format. Factors in this success were the recruitment of 2KO's Pat Barton to present their breakfast program, and Warwick Teece, whose Openline program was a huge success. Program Director Peter Butler was a key part of the station's success, guiding the team to the top of the ratings. The coverage of the Newcastle Earthquake in 1989 by the news team, led by Tony Briscoe, won the station a National Radio Award. The 90's saw 2HD confirm its place as the top rating station in Newcastle, led by the breakfast team of David Collins and Tanya Wilks who notched up over 8 years of consecutive survey wins, and supported by Geoff Jay and Richard King.
The station expanded, following the purchase of local FM station New FM in 1995, which resulted in internal re-modelling of the building. In 1999, the NSW Labor Party and NSW Labour Council sold the station to Bill Caralis.
In 1997, the station added the John Laws morning program to its lineup, becoming a ratings success. After Laws retired, Steve Price took on the morning shift, then in 2010, Steve Libermann. The station lineup in 2011 consists of Richard King for Breakfast, John Laws (returned January 31, 2011), Meryl Swanson in the Afternoons from 12-4pm, Talkin' Sport from 4 - 7pm, Graeme Gilbert with Talk Tonight and Gary Stewart Overnight.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n radio station, serving the lower Hunter Region. It operates at 1143 kHz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
on the AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
band, from its studios along the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
in the Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
suburb of Sandgate
Sandgate, New South Wales
Sandgate is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area.It has a railway station on the Hunter Line....
. Its power output is 2 kW.
The station also has a translator
Broadcast relay station
A broadcast relay station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator , rebroadcaster , or repeater is a broadcast transmitter which relays, repeats, or reflects the signal of another radio station or television station, usually to an area not covered by the signal of the originating station...
in Port Stephens, on 97.5 MHz in the FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
band.
It is owned by Broadcast Operations Group
Broadcast Operations Group
Owned by Bill Caralis, Broadcast Operations Group operates a number of radio stations in northern New South Wales & southern Queensland, Australia. These are collectively known as the "Super Radio Network"...
(itself owned by Bill Caralis), and is a sister station to New FM
New FM
NEWFM is an Australian radio station, licensed to, and serving Newcastle and its surrounding area. It is owned by Broadcast Operations Group, and operates at 105.3 megahertz on the FM band. Its callsign is 2NEW, the 2 being a standard prefix for stations in New South Wales, and NEW short for...
.
2HD was once the local radio station of the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, until a dispute between BOG, Macquarie Radio Network
Macquarie Radio Network
Macquarie Radio Network is the name of the company that owns and operates 2GB and 2CH in Sydney and MTR 1377 in Melbourne. It is a publicly listed company, majority owned by John Singleton. The Chief Executive is Angela Clarke....
and the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL) saw both the Continuous Call Team and Knights games go to KOFM, starting 2006.2HD is still the Official Radio Station for the Newcastle Knights. The coverage is replaced by a relay of 2SM
2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
's Talkin' Sport program. On 20 March, 2HD reverted to its old 1990s logo.
Line-up
Monday-Friday- Talk Overnight with Gary Stewart (12am to 5am)
- Early Breakfast with Grant GoldmanGrant GoldmanGrant Goldman is an Australian radio and TV personality. Goldman began his radio career at the age of 14, and has worked for numerous stations, including 2TM, 2GB, 2UE, 2WS, and 2DAY. He was educated in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, and is married with 6 children and 3 grandchildren,...
(5am to 5:30am from 2SM2SM2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney) - Breakfast Show with Richard KingRichard KingRichard King may refer to:*Richard King , founder of the King Ranch in South Texas*Sir Richard King, 1st Baronet , British admiral, Commodore Governor for Newfoundland and Labrador...
(5:30am to 9am) - John LawsJohn LawsRichard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
Morning Show (9am to 12pm from 2SM2SM2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney) - Meryl Swanson (Broadcaster) In The Afternoon www.2sm.com.au/swanson (On Air from 12pm to 4pm ~ 12pm to 3pm - Network Show + 3pm to 4pm - Local Show)
- Talkin' Sport (4pm to 7pm from 2SM2SM2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney) - Talk Tonight with Graeme GilbertGraeme GilbertGraeme Gilbert is an Australian host of nightly radio program Talk Tonight With Graeme Gilbert on Sydney station 2SM and the Super Radio Network. In 2002 Gilbert's night time show on 2SM scored a rating of 0.1% in Sydney, the lowest rating ever recorded for a commercial program in a metro market in...
(7pm to 12am from 2SM2SM2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney)
Saturday
- Classic Hits Overnight (12am to 4am)
- Hi-Tide Fishing Show (Saturday mornings 4am to 6am)
- Burke's Backyard - Don Burke (Saturday mornings 6am to 9am from 2UE2UE2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 1025 kHz AM before moving to 950 kHz in 1935 when virtually all Australian radio stations were assigned new...
Sydney) - John Carroll Saturday Morning (9am to 12pm)
- Talkin Sport (12pm to 6pm from 2SM2SM2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney) - Carter Edwards Country (6pm to 12am)
Sunday
- Classic Hits Overnight (12am to 4am)
- Hi-Tide Fishing Show (Sunday mornings 4am to 7am)
- John Carroll Sunday Morning (7am to 12pm)
- Straight Talk With Poppy Savakis (12pm to 6pm from 2SM2SM2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney) - Carter Edwards Country (6pm to 12am)
1925-1945
2HD began broadcasting on 27 January 1925, a day after Sydney's 2UE began operations, making it Australia's second oldest existing radio station. The station's call sign are the initials of the founder, Harry Douglas, not "Hunter District" as commonly believed. Douglas was a keen amateur radioAmateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
enthusiast, and an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
on the Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear, England. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the city's 26 wards...
from 1919 to 1922.
The station was originally in the suburb of Hamilton
Hamilton, New South Wales
Hamilton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. The main commercial centre is located around Beaumont Street and boasts a vibrant multicultural atmosphere providing an array of restaurants, retail, fashion and commercial outlets...
, but moved to the corner of Darby and King Streets soon after. Douglas sold the station to William Johnston
William Johnston
William Johnston may refer to:*William Johnston , U.S. Representative from Ohio*William Johnston , Irish politician and Orangeman...
in 1928, who sold the station to the Airsales Broadcasting Company two years later in 1930. Airsales owned the company for 10 years, and was responsible for the move to its landmark studio building in Sandgate, which was 2HD's home for nearly 50 years. Although the building itself is very different, the middle section of the building is still the 1931 building.
Under controversial circumstances during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 2HD was closed in 1941, under the National Security Regulations. At the time, around 25 staff were employed by the station, and stories claimed that the station's owners were sending covert messages, based on the timing of the music being played etc. 2HD remained silent until near the end of the war when the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
and the Labor Council of New South Wales
Labor Council of New South Wales
The Labor Council of New South Wales is a representative body of Trade union organisations in the State of New South Wales, Australia. As of 2005 there are 67 unions and 8 Rural and Regional Trades & Labor Councils affiliated to the Labor Council, representing 800,000 workers in NSW...
bought the station, and resumed transmissions on 15 January 1945.
One of 2HD's notable personalities of the 1930s was Uncle Rex Sinclair, who continued to perform on local radio and stage until shortly before his death in 2001.
1945-1977
The Labor Party and the NSW Labour Council owned 2HD from 1945 until 1999. For the first 29 years of its ownership, the station was under the management of Jim Storey, with his wife Twink acting as program director and on-air personality. Other announcers during this time included Harry Randall, Stuart Dibbley and Tom DelaneyTom Delaney
Cyril Terence "Tom" Delaney was a British sportsman and industrialist, perhaps best known in his later years for being the oldest licensed racing driver in the world, having competed in the same Lea-Francis car for more than three-quarters of a century from 1930 until just a few months before his...
.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 2HD was one of the founding shareholders of local television station NBN Television
NBN Television
NBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station was inaugurated on 4 March 1962 as the first regional commercial television station in New South Wales, and has since expanded to 39 transmitters throughout the northern half of New South Wales and...
.
2HD broadcast in the popular The Good Guys of Life format, also used by other stations, including 2SM
2SM
2SM is an Australian radio station, licensed to and serving Sydney, New South Wales, broadcasting on 1269 kilohertz on the AM band. It is owned and operated by Broadcast Operations Group...
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Presenters during this time included Harry Randall, Tom Delaney, Art Ryan, Haff Enegg, Mal Lamonte, John Hill
John Hill
-Politics:*John Hill , MP for Dorchester *John Hill , United States Representative from Virginia...
, Allan McGirvan, Mike Jeffries, Malcolm Elliott
Malcolm Elliott
Malcolm Elliott is an English professional cyclist, whose professional career has lasted from 1984 to 1997 when he retired and from 2003 up to the present day when he made his comeback in British domestic racing....
, Keith Haerris, Graeme Gilbert
Graeme Gilbert
Graeme Gilbert is an Australian host of nightly radio program Talk Tonight With Graeme Gilbert on Sydney station 2SM and the Super Radio Network. In 2002 Gilbert's night time show on 2SM scored a rating of 0.1% in Sydney, the lowest rating ever recorded for a commercial program in a metro market in...
, Don Mayo, Rob Maynard and Cliff Musgrave. Towards the end of this period, announcer Geoff Gregory joined the station, but was better known as a program director, and host of the Sunday night program Country Sounds.
After the Good Guys era ended, 2HD transmitted other formats including Easy Alternative
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. In 1977, the original office building on Maitland Road Sandgate was closed. Several years prior to that, the building was gradually being demolished, starting with the destruction of the original transmitter building to make way for a dual carriageway along Maitland Road in 1964. The increased traffic and the location of the road near the old building was taking its toll. A new administration building, nicknamed "the submarine" was built, and NSW Premier
Premiers of New South Wales
The Premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature...
Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
opened the building in 1977.
1977-today
In the late 1970s-early 1980s, the station was the subject of a takeover bid from NBN, which resulted in a shake-up in ownership at the television station, and the bid was eventually rejected.For decades after the end of the "Good Guys" era, the station's ratings were in the doldrums, however, the station accomplised its first number one ratings success in 1987, after adopting a strong news and talk format. Factors in this success were the recruitment of 2KO's Pat Barton to present their breakfast program, and Warwick Teece, whose Openline program was a huge success. Program Director Peter Butler was a key part of the station's success, guiding the team to the top of the ratings. The coverage of the Newcastle Earthquake in 1989 by the news team, led by Tony Briscoe, won the station a National Radio Award. The 90's saw 2HD confirm its place as the top rating station in Newcastle, led by the breakfast team of David Collins and Tanya Wilks who notched up over 8 years of consecutive survey wins, and supported by Geoff Jay and Richard King.
The station expanded, following the purchase of local FM station New FM in 1995, which resulted in internal re-modelling of the building. In 1999, the NSW Labor Party and NSW Labour Council sold the station to Bill Caralis.
In 1997, the station added the John Laws morning program to its lineup, becoming a ratings success. After Laws retired, Steve Price took on the morning shift, then in 2010, Steve Libermann. The station lineup in 2011 consists of Richard King for Breakfast, John Laws (returned January 31, 2011), Meryl Swanson in the Afternoons from 12-4pm, Talkin' Sport from 4 - 7pm, Graeme Gilbert with Talk Tonight and Gary Stewart Overnight.