Back when music suited me to a TT
BearCave
this morning 20 years ago. Today's posts are about remembering 3TT (3-
Double-T) which launched at 5am on the 2nd of April (Easter Saturday)
in 1988.
I became a regular listener of the station just a few days short of
3TT's launch, while the station's former identity 3DB was signing
off. From what I recall, 3DB commenced promotion of the 3TT launch on
31st March 1988, the morning that Bert Newton hosted his final morning
radio show on 3DB. The first 3TT television advertisements went to
air during Channel 7's Good Friday Appeal. The final 3.5 hours of
3DB's broadcast life was a replay of 3DB's 60th anniversary memoir,
modified slightly to acknowledge the changing of call-signs from DB to
TT.
3TT was the most influential radio station in providing me with a
lifelong love for radio broadcasting, though that interest had already
been developing for many years.
It would remain my most-listened-to radio station for ten years,
evolving from being the "Classic Hits 3TT" radio station on 1026 AM in
1988 to eventually being a leading FM pop music station - 101.1 TT-FM
- by 1998. The station remained my favourite music station until
2001. The station is now called Mix 101.1 and has a "music and
lifestyle" focus that's targeted primarily to women.
I have gathered together a music compilation of 200 songs that will
air today on my LPON station based in Frankston - 87.6 Surf FM. All
200 songs in rotation on Surf FM were previously selected for air play
on 3TT, based on accurate research I've kept archived . I'll be
continuing to grow this compilation for a few more weeks to pay
tribute to the great variety of music that 3TT once played.
Andrew Bayley wrote a synopsis about 3TT some years ago and I
republish that for this ocassion:
The Herald Weekly Times had to sell 3DB due to the upcoming changes to
the media
ownership laws. It was sold to the Albert family whos radio interests
were the
forerunner to ARN. The new owners announced in January that the call
sign would
change in April to 3TT. 3DB was the racing station prior to 1988, and
their
last racing broadcast was in February 1988 when the broadcast rights
transferred
to 3UZ (now Sport 927). 3DB went into basically a low key middle-of-
the-road
music format leading up the change to 3TT. The changeover happened at
5am
Saturday 2 April 1988, the day after the annual Royal Children's
Hospital Appeal
of which 3DB was involved with former sister media outlets HSV7 and
HWT. In
December 1988, 3TT studios and offices moved from the basement of the
Herald And
Weekly Times building, where 3DB had occupied previously, into new
studios in
South Melbourne.
3TT was the 3rd highest bidder for the 2 x FM conversion licences in
1989 -
losing out to 3KZ (now Gold 104) and 3AK. 3AK ended up forfeiting the
FM
licence and 3TT picked it up and converted to Classic Hits 101.1 TTFM
on 24 June
1990 at 12 midnight. 4 weeks later the simulcast between 1026 kHz and
101.1 MHz
ended.
More later,
...From Justin
Glenn Hampson
"BearCave" <bearc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:10090063-ff26-4244...@s13g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
I had an aquaintance do the first overnights on TT when it was in
Queensbridge St and it was a very revolutionary station back then as it was
totally touch screen and all the music was kept in an air tight vault.....
I also remember the inception of the station and Kevin John pleading for a
tech on air as this system took forever to settle down due to its technical
nature....
I remember sitting in that studio at night and overlook the Aussie Post Mail
sorting area behind the premises in South Melbourne it always used to be a
hive of activity......
I loved the original 3TT it was exceptional with Coxy and Wood,Steve
Anderton,Kevin John,Mike Hammond and Brent James..........
G
newtaste
> republish that for this ocassion:
>
> The Herald Weekly Times had to sell 3DB due to the upcoming changes to
> the media
> ownership laws.
When the cross media ownership rules were were legislated in 1987,
exisiting ownership was grandfathered, which is why Bruce Gordon has
been able to own i98 and Win Wollongong from before 1987. Ownership of
the stations has never changed so Gordon kept both through the 20
years the laws were in force. No-one was forced to sell unless
ownership changed.
News Corp purchased the Herald and Weekly Times in 1987, which is when
the cross media ownership rules started. HWT had to sell 3DB (and
HSV7) only because News Corp took them over. If News hadn't, HWT could
have kept 3DB (and HSV7).
If I have this wrong, let me know.
BearCave
> I have gathered together a music compilation of 200 songs that will
> air today on my LPON station based in Frankston - 87.6 Surf FM. All
> 200 songs in rotation on Surf FM were previously selected for air play
> on 3TT, based on accurate research I've kept archived . I'll be
> continuing to grow this compilation for a few more weeks to pay
> tribute to the great variety of music that 3TT once played.
Well, this had been my intention, but a certain wind gust that swept
through Melbourne yesterday ensured an electricity blackout across the
City of Frankston, forcing Surf FM to take most of the day off. The
station should be back on air after a technical assessment later this
morning. Given some damage to my property caused by the wind gust, it
was probably a safety requirement to keep the station off air even
after the electricity was restored.
Thanks to my reply posters for the memories. I hope to add a few more
memories of 3TT soon.
...From Justin
Wombat Lover
The same storm, of high wind gusts also took out 3MDR's transmitter on
Wednesday afternoon, in Emerald.
Also, 3RPP were noticed on air, but with no audio going through, in Mono
And Eastern FM kept playing, but were also in Mono, there seemed to be gaps
between songs though
So this unusual weather pattern has affected some stations
--
From Robert | Wombat Lover | Melbourne | http://www.surfnetvictoria.com
Glenn Hampson
"Wombat Lover" <Wo...@Lover.com.au> wrote in message
news:OI4Jj.5591$n8....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
I am far from surprised 3RPP was affected with the very exposed tower at
Arthurs Seat
G
BearCave
<glennhamp...@nospamoptusnet.com.au> wrote:
> I had an aquaintance do the first overnights on TT when it was in
> Queensbridge St and it was a very revolutionary station back then as it was
> totally touch screen and all the music was kept in an air tight vault.....
> I also remember the inception of the station and Kevin John pleading for a
> tech on air as this system took forever to settle down due to its technical
> nature....
> I remember sitting in that studio at night and overlook the Aussie Post Mail
> sorting area behind the premises in South Melbourne it always used to be a
> hive of activity......
On Apr 1, 11:35 pm, "Glenn Hampson"
<glennhamp...@nospamoptusnet.com.au> wrote:
> I had an aquaintance do the first overnights on TT when it was in
> Queensbridge St and it was a very revolutionary station back then as it was
> totally touch screen and all the music was kept in an air tight vault.....
> I also remember the inception of the station and Kevin John pleading for a
> tech on air as this system took forever to settle down due to its technical
> nature....
> I remember sitting in that studio at night and overlook the Aussie Post Mail
> sorting area behind the premises in South Melbourne it always used to be a
> hive of activity......
Here's the last song that was played on 3TT's Gavin and Coxy breakfast
show before the station signed off from the old 3DB basement in
Flinders Lane:
Dean Martin - Memories Are Made Of This
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MWN_duZfIs
And the song that aired from Queensbridge Street immediately after 9am
on that certain morning in January 1989 was Cliff Richard - Wired For
Sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcSwOwtyVHA
newtaste
> evolving from being the "Classic Hits 3TT" radio station on 1026 AM in
> 1988 to eventually being a leading FM pop music station - 101.1 TT-FM
> - by 1998. The station remained my favourite music station until
> 2001. The station is now called Mix 101.1 and has a "music and
> lifestyle" focus that's targeted primarily to women.
Both 2UW in Sydney and 2CC in Canberra had the Classic Hits slogan.
The 2UW jingle was: "From us to you the classic hits live on 2UW".
Also being owned by the Albert family, 2CC had the same jingle.
BearCave
> The 2UW jingle was: "From us to you the classic hits live on 2UW".
> Also being owned by the Albert family, 2CC had the same jingle.
At the same time (in 1989) the 3TT jingle was "It's the way rock 'n'
roll should be, the classic hits live on 3TT".