Why are we here at aus.radio.broadcast?
Seagull
It's amazing that this Oz radio list has been around for so long. So
many decent people have come and gone. And so many (let's call them)
internet terrorists have tried to saboutage the list or take it over.
So here we all are! Those loyalists who chose to stay through good
times and bad.
It's a good free list where anyone can and does say anything.
So ... why are we all here? What is our agenda?
I'll have first go.
I have been a radio junkie ever since being a kid. The best present I
ever got in those early years was my own biggish wooden homemade radio
when I was about 9 or 10. My Dad (who's studied wireless in WWII)
made me a great set with good DXing abilities and a wonderful strong
shortwave band.
I remember doing my homework listening to the request programs on 3KZ
(John Bright) or 3DB (was it Dennis Scanlon?). A highlite for me was
listening to "Showtime" from Geelong's 3GL at 8:30 pm on Friday
nights. I taped a number of tracks onto my reel to reel tape.
Forward we go to 1980 when EON-FM and FOX-FM arrived.
Much as community radio had got a start on the FM band, these new
stations to me offered nothing new. In a short time they both sounded
like newish versions of the old favourite Me-Too-3XY.
But in 1985 AM stereo arrived!
All of a sudden I had the opportunity to enjoy the music and talk
progamming on 3LO, 3MP (the new station since 1975), the Brighter 3KZ,
3AW, 3AK, the Greater 3UZ, and what was left of 3XY etc in hi-hi
stereo.
It sounded great ... but there wasn't many AMS receivers available for
sale. AM stereo was never properly promoted.
I suppose the old station so many loved (and I hated) 3XY had to do
something. It went under and turned into 3EE, a massive failure.
The ashes rose on a new station on a new frequency ... Magic 693 in
1994.
I've always supported Magic ... even though it's had ownership changes
(thankfully to Fairfax rather than Murdoch).
Unfortunately the great AM Stereo station 3MP from 1985 to 2007 has
recently become MTR - Melbourne Talk Radio. It will be interesting to
see if this station actually makes inroads into 3AW. It's at least
good that 3MP continues on digital radio as 3MP-MyMP.
I love music (that I like) and talk (that I like) on radio.
I hope that digital radio provides all the extra stations that we may
need. I support local radio.
I also support community radio. It seems to me that radio is the last
thing that should be nationalised. It's a local thing. And that's the
way it always needs to be.
- Seagull
Station X
My turn.
From the day I was able to say the word I was facinated with radio. I
liked the concept of talking to people from a far. I was a teenager in
hi school and never one of the cool kids. But the nerdy type that had
a 9foot stainless on his bike! Yep I did! 23 Ch Kraco and working the
US peddling to Hi School! Yup did it & did I cop it? Yep! Only did it
once! I did my Novice ticket in 1981 (when read hams used Morse Code).
Can't say I got the jizzim flowing over the long overs or the endless
talk of who died and the fucking weather. Fuck!
So for me it was actually 27mhz CB. Oh yes I had all the switches
hanging out of my PLL 02 Cybernetics rig and all the naughty channels
to boot. It was an Apollo Base!
I remember MMM FM 104 was my fav around 85 but hated the album shit.
Luved the quality! My sister 3 years my junior was still with all the
hip top 40 and was aways turning my radio over to Stereo 10. This was
more like 85-89 area. MMMM AM stereo nah! Never made it too
interesting for me!
But then my mum and dad seperated at 88/89 so i had to support the
family. I was doing TAFE to be a TV & Radio Tech. They setup a radio
station in the campus! Well that's where it all started! The dj bugg
bit hard I got a gig at the local Skating Rink (this is the 80s so
that was the shit). Whooo big time! The TAFE was trying to get a
Public License so we were doing a few tests on 90.9 with a stack of
donated gear from 4GG (still on 1197 AM). They soon stopped donating
old gear - I wonder why?
We were used a Guinee Pigs for the Commercial license to be issued
later as 90.9 Sea FM. All the crew were very disilutioned at the
internal politcs and hard work was wasted. We all moved on. I was
doing everythng from working in the Audio Game doing sound for bands,
Skating Rink shifts, Djing at Weddings etc! Still do!
I think my passion switched towards the "technical more than the
showmanship" side right away. I like playing music but don't have the
interest to learn an intrument. I hate the spot light! I'll setup my
Dj gear at a wedding and prefer the corner to the stage! Yet I can sit
in a room with a mike and talk into it with full knolodge there is 10,
000 people there on the other end. I stand up to MC a wedding and get
really ill! True!
About 1993? One year after the ABA came along. One of the old crew
from the TAFE days knocked on my door. Hey Pete do you want to try the
radio thing again? I was about to ring the ambulance (he was not well
in my eyes)! He said no just look at the paper work. He was right! We
could get an LPON for 38 bucks. We could do something for just small
area like Nerang in the back of the Gold Coast. I will not bore you
silly but thanks to ABA we got shut down on that idea. The idea was to
make use of all our dj vynils and leave them on loop. We made a small
studio to record the tapes! Today this would be ok on an LPON. Not
then!!
You could get a Temporary Test License as a community group IF the FAP
was done for your area. This was upto 90 days. It was also licensed as
this new thing called Narrowcast (as it was for a short period). Well
OK? let's do that! Fuck em. Whilst beinga aware of the headaches in
running a big operation we applied for Test LIcense as a Community
Group. Luck or maybe not I get another knock on the door from another
old mate from TAFE. They needed help with starting a Christian
Station. They also knew a few finner points we didn't with the rules
of a test licesne of today. We were assuming that it was similar to
the old days. It wasn't! You could run adds now to pay for the TEST!
Hang on I'm really listening now!
I know this is long. But it's how. 95.7 Hot FM started on in March
1994. My life was never the same! We had just had Gold FM come on
because Kroq fell to the Sea FM camp! (Stan Wilmont). The coast needed
a fresh sound and we cranked up with all our DJ mixes etc you'd play
at a party! I had no idea about Hitz until the last week of our first
Test. We had people throwing money at us for deals. Cars driving the
streets pumping MY STATION yup (gives you a bit of a head I know!)
That evolved with many changes to the rules. Thus Hott FM was born. I
was still at the controls until Sep 1997. I got kicked out at a
takover board meeting! I packed the whole studio up and stored
everything! Got accused of stealing my own geear! Yup work thsat out!
Came back as Station X in 1998/9 for a one month TCBL it was plagued
with technical troubles! They changed the rules and we lost our
remainder of the timeshare worked out. Due to being a new group (only
on paper) to ABA's view. I got really angry with them down there and
they actually came to the party suprisingly! Was got used as "test
bunnys" for the Commmercial Freq on 102.9 where Hot Tomato is today!
We got a 1.5 year straight run!
Yep we creamed the old wankers that fucked me over! We needed only
1.5% more to be in official third place! With 600 watts mono FM from
my own Comms site on Tambo!
With all gear setup and buitl by me we were fully operation with the
bills paid at 2000 bucks a month! We got told Station X wasn't in the
view of ABA able to support an ongoing service! What a laugh! We were
running wiht the most responsible outgoings you could have. The other
guys were quoting 2000 in weekly rent for the studio.
Full power for us was only 6 months away from full time license. It
took the (lucky ones?) 5 years to even get close!
Have I earnt my stripes in the world of get off your arse and do
something about it? I'd say yes! Would I do the community TCBL thing
again? No chance in hell!
Do I like the place Station X is in as a Netcaster? Yep! Can it get up
a little steam and be some version of it's former self? Maybe! Would I
like to take it for a little spin around the radio block ---- mmmmmm
yes! But stick the community shit!
Do I hate people that procrastinate? Yes! Everyone bitches about this
an that! Well I did something!
Am I still hooked! Yes!
Airnews
I got hooked on radio back in the late 50's listening to Fab 208
(Luxembourg) in the north of England. You see in those days all we had
was the BBC. Yes, they had a few stations, but not much of it was any
good. Then Luxembourg kicked off...French broadcasting during the day,
but from 5pm (I think) it went Pop.
Top 40 listening through till maybe midnight, as an 8 year old I was
only allowed to listen till about 8:30.
In 1964 the family pulled up stumps and moved to the antipodes,
specifically Melbourne. We had bought a whiz bang Tranny in Aden
(amazing how terms change over the years) and all of a sudden I was
listening to these great radio stations like 3KZ, 3DB and my favourite,
the Greater 3UZ (still known by those of us in and around the industry
today as simply the Greater).
Then we moved to a country town, Shepparton, and I was amazed that a
small(ish) town like that could have its own Radio station (3SR).
From age 14-16 I was probably the biggest pain in the arse that 3SR had
ever come across, but I was hooked on radio and would often ride 20
miles on my bike to an OB.
I won a "junior DJ" competition when I was 15, and thought that I was on
my way. Left school end of year 10, moved to Melbourne and commenced in
a radio school (3SA). There were some issues there that we can address
on another day in another forum, but a 16 year old in a big city on his
own can have many people try and mis-influence you for whatever reason.
I survived, and the radio course did the one thing it needed to to get
me into radio...It removed my thick Yorkshire accent.
In fact all I ever managed to do from that course was start covering
Football on 3SR, and became a bit disillusioned with the whole thing
(remember I'm still only 17). So when a job came up working at GMV-6 in
Shepparton I leapt at it, and became an audio
operator/cameraman\/occasional spot announcer/news film assistant/props
bay dogsbody.
Smart-ass always knew what he was doing of course and applied for a role
at BTV-6 Ballarat and based on the "promise" of a gig, resigned from GMV
and moved to Ballarat only to find there was no job at the end of the
rainbow. That was 1972.
Went back to family in Shapparton ran a coffee bar, and then a bar at
the Golf club and finally gave up on the whole thing and in 1973 decided
to up stumps again and move to Sydney.
It took 2 years in Sydney to get back into the media, going to work at
ATN-7 in Videotape, then a promotion to TCN-9, and began working with
Video Access centres in my spare time.
This led to being involved in the Liverpool Community Radio test
broadcast in 1975.
Meanwhile TV career continued and I was offered a pretty decent role
back in Melbourne with AAV, and finally a short stint with ATV-0.
Out of the industry completely in 1978 and wound up behind the wheel of
a cab for some time.
This led to working on the two-way radio and getting ass kicked for
running Artie's talk back show with the drivers. Eventually moved into
Cab driver training, and one day a young man that I had assisted to
establish himself in the Cab industry stuck his head around the door
"Give Les Heil at 3KZ a call, they're looking for someone to handle
traffic there".
I got the gig, and spent 8 of the happiest years of my life at
3KZ/KZFM/Gold 104 doing everything from traffic reports/DJ/news
reader/production/Football, such a fantastic family they were (and we
recently had a reunion, and they are still some of the greatest people I
have ever met).
In 1993, as KZ (Gold) slipped into near bankruptcy I was let go and was
offered the role of producing the football on a new station associated
with 3MP. This station was Magic 693 and I packaged the program with
firstly Ian Major and Alan Jeans, and then with Kevin Bartlett and his
team.
When Magic was bought by 3AW, I went with the station to South Melbourne
on a part time basis, but then was offered a role of running a newsroom
at an IVR service which shall remain nameless. Not because I am ashamed
of being involved with them, no, rather because of the way the company
treated me I will give them no publicity and will actively do whatever I
can to discourage businesses from being involved with them.
Anyway I ran their newsroom for 10 years and during that time my skills
in news presentation eveolved and I became adept at handling audio
production on Computer (thank god for Cool Edit pro).
During the time at the IVR company I also spent 4 years in production/on
air at Sport 927 (3UZ).
Towards the end of my time at the IVR company I had spent some time
talking with a few people in and around Community radio, and it was
their opinion that the sector was not being well-served by news.
So I decided to set up a small newsroom and try it out and see how it
went. That was during the last days of 2004.
This newsroom became Australian Independent Radio News and now services
over 40 Community and Commercial Radio stations across Australia,
delivering national news daily and also putting out a state news service
(for each and every State and Territory) to a number of other stations.
That's me, potted.
Artie
www.airnews.com.au
Station X
radio station. I've done stuff on a contractor basis. But never a full
time gig.
atec77
thought they mattered but with the application a bops know how they were
often proved wrong , if you want to know more look up a distant cousin
(Simon Travaglia,) and his pages .
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Station X
Are you refering to an Engineer with a BOCP being more important than
the Jocks? There will person I know that will pipe up against that!
But let me tell you some facts first!
I don't know the exact date. But the BOCP sort of feel off the chart
as a recognised ticket back a few years now. Sad really because now
you have people in engineering that have never touched the RF side.
They come from IT.
But it was a FACT that in the days up to late 70's as I'm aware. A
Broadcasting company had to have a Qualified Engineer on staff. If
they sacked him (for whatever reason) they would be technically not
allowed to broadcast! True! No engineer on staff definetly = not TXer
allowed to be on!
So to me that answers the question!
atec77
> I'm confuesd Atec - english please?
>
> Are you refering to an Engineer with a BOCP being more important than
> the Jocks?
There will person I know that will pipe up against that!
> But let me tell you some facts first!
>
> I don't know the exact date. But the BOCP sort of feel off the chart
> as a recognised ticket back a few years now. Sad really because now
> you have people in engineering that have never touched the RF side.
> They come from IT.
and are feckless of course
>
> But it was a FACT that in the days up to late 70's as I'm aware. A
> Broadcasting company had to have a Qualified Engineer on staff. If
> they sacked him (for whatever reason) they would be technically not
> allowed to broadcast! True! No engineer on staff definetly = not TXer
> allowed to be on!
Exactly , but most of the fun was altering things so the jock sounded
shite , done many times and great fun :)
>
> So to me that answers the question!
now google bastard operator from hell
a cousin several times removed but a bloke after my own heart
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Station X
What are you on about?
atec77
> I see you need to take your pills Attec.
>
simple
in the old days
no engineer no station
have a read of this and guess at some of the things we used to do to
egomaniac jocks
http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/index.php
2nd cousin and a good bloke :)
being a with ideas after my own heart
Retribution is my name (radio engineer)
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Station X
There was laws that said they had to have an engineer on staff at all
times! No engineer = switch it off until you get one!
atec77
now did you have a read about Cuz ?
top bloke :)
remind me one day to tell you about the shave foam filled mic and the dj
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Station X
I had a guy working for me that was on the large side. He'd be on the
air doing afast paced show. So leaving the studio was not a good idea.
I diliberately used to get a roast dinner from the carvey around the
corner and sit in recption and eat it. Hehe Recption was where the
intake was for the studio Air Con!!
It took about 5sec to see the studio door fly open and hear the cursin
start!
Seagull
> Artie's turn...potted history rather than detail....
Crikey Artie
Your'e The One!!!
Not many radio people in Oz could boast so much (without bragging)
about what they've done for Oz radio in the last 50 years. But you
did everything you had to. And you're still in the business having a
positive go.
I sulute you Artie!!!
God bless you.
Airnews
Artie
Station X
atec77
talking to a very lithe young woman (Bridget as I recall ) with
lecherous intent , the short chubby man with the voice of the news
strolled over and asked holding his cuppa in the left hand and plate of
cake in the right "Excuse me young man , may I borrow the company tea
spoon?"
Had to be there I guess but it in a few words summed the operating
budget up
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Station X
young lady all gooy in places below? I've seen this happen even today
with 40-50 year old females. Even at that age they still fall over
when their favourite voiced personality is right in front of them!
They don't seem to grow out of it!
My story was simply one of "payback" by smell! Funny!! He was a
smartarse! Any time there was a function on he would gobb all the food!
Airnews
left. Never been to one since.
atec77
> Oh god, years ago saw someone do that at a Theatre Restaurant Buffet. We
> left. Never been to one since.
in those days I used to carry a few tools in my pocket because being a
Heath-Robinson affair , the Nzbc was under-funded and much of the
funding available was normally pissed against the wall by which ever
member of the homosexual Mafia was running things at the time hence we
had one screwdriver of one type and a cresent and onr pair of pliars
shared amongst the techs .
Many the time we had parts repair request refused due to the limp
wristed manager wanting to use the monies we needed for some bullshite
hiring of a voice or some such shite to the detriment of the signal
Late one night on a country site while performing some maintenance I
realised the Pa driver (read fecking big tube of large output all hot
and glowy )
Was going tropical and sorta violet which on checking the logs showed
a request had gone in months before and been ignored , the day bloke
when it went down used to break the rules wait a minute when it fell
over , lift it out whilst hot replug and say a prayer while kicking
juice into it .. but then he was a silly old bugger anyway and only
months of retirement and dotage
So a short while later it went violet and fell over going off air with
a loud crack and small flash or purple , within a minute the phone rang
and the manager was lisping on the other end and having chest pains
which only got worse when I refused to due the illegal and informed him
I would try to fix it in 30 minutes when cooled (and did) then dropping
the phone and lifting it again to stop incoming calls in the full
knowledge he lived at least 45 minutes away so was emasculated effectively
We were both dragged into the Gm's office next morning three hours after
I got to bed with the words explain "What HAPPENED? "
in a deep well modulated quitely spoken tone that chilled me to the core
I explained my view with a copy of the logs and the blame then put
where it belonged a shift occurred outside my knowledge circle and I
was as usual still working dreadful shifts on really good money with the
new manager taking over a week later , as I have said previously you
cant do without a decent broadcast tech :)
the rest of the ponces jocks and managers go freeze in space for their
true worth
After all a good tech can make do with silver foil and gaffer tape
totally without limp wristed help
>
> On 27/02/2011 4:11 PM, Station X wrote:
>> I'm a little lost on the story Atec? Was the idea to get the nice
>> young lady all gooy in places below? I've seen this happen even today
>> with 40-50 year old females. Even at that age they still fall over
>> when their favourite voiced personality is right in front of them!
>> They don't seem to grow out of it!
>>
>> My story was simply one of "payback" by smell! Funny!! He was a
>> smartarse! Any time there was a function on he would gobb all the food!
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atec77
> left. Never been to one since.
I very rarely "eat out" if I cant see it being cooked
>
> On 27/02/2011 4:11 PM, Station X wrote:
>> I'm a little lost on the story Atec? Was the idea to get the nice
>> young lady all gooy in places below? I've seen this happen even today
>> with 40-50 year old females. Even at that age they still fall over
>> when their favourite voiced personality is right in front of them!
>> They don't seem to grow out of it!
>>
>> My story was simply one of "payback" by smell! Funny!! He was a
>> smartarse! Any time there was a function on he would gobb all the food!
--
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