Today is 2HD Newcastle’s 80th birthday. It was 2UE’s 80th yesterday on Australia Day.
Australia’s second oldest existing radio station began broadcasting on 27 January 1925 – just one day after Sydney’s 2UE, which is also celebrating its 80th anniversary.
Despite beliefs that 2HD is named after ‘Hunter District’, the call sign comes the man who began the station, Harry Douglas – a keen amateur radio enthusiast.
The station first started in Hamilton, before moving to the corner of Darby and King Streets, Newcastle. Harry Douglas sold 2HD in 1928 to William Johnston who, in turn, sold the station to the Airsales Broadcasting Company in 1930.
Airsales owned 2HD for more than 10 years and was responsible for the move to Sandgate – and the landmark studio building – which was home for almost 50 years. Although 2HD looks very different these days, inside and out, the structure of the most middle section of the studio complex is still the original 1931 building.
2HD was closed controversially during World War Two, amid claims covert messages were being sent by the station owners of the period, based on the timing of music played etc. Broadcasting did not resume until 15 January 1945.
Magician, Uncle Rex Sinclair, is one 2HD personality of the 1930s who continued to perform on radio and stage in Newcastle until shortly before his death in 2001.
The Labor Party and NSW Labour Council owned 2HD from 1945-’99. The first 29 years of this ownership were under the management of Jim Storey, with wife, Twink, Program Director and on air personality. Other long serving on air staff of the time include Stuart Dibbley and Tom Delaney.
The late ’60s and early ’70s were the ‘Good Guy’ era. The concept also proved very popular on other stations including Sydney’s 2SM.
The Good Guys included Art Ryan, Mal Lamonte, John Hill, Allan McGirvan, Ted Bull, Mike Jeffries, Malcolm Elliott, Keith Harris, Graeme Gilbert and Cliff Musgrave. Geoff Gregory also joined the station late in this period, but is better remembered as a long term PD and host of Sunday night ‘Country Sounds’ for many years.
The end of the Good Guy era brought a series of formats for 2HD including the ‘Easy Alternative’ and country.
In 1977, the original landmark studios on Maitland Road, Sandgate made way for the current building, often called the submarine, and was opened by (then)Premier, Neville Wran. Internal re-modelling took place in 1995 to accommodate 2HD’s acquisition of NEW-FM.
The most recent 30 years of 2HD’s long history have been the most successful. The station adopted a strong newstalk focus which, in 1987, resulted in the first number one ratings after 62 years of broadcasting!
Two names, key to this success, were Pat Barton on breakfast (after more than 20 years on 2KO) and Warwick Teece, whose ‘Openline’ program achieved phenomenal success.
Geoff Jay and Brad Carr also played a major part in the 2HD line up during the ’80s and ’90s. In 1997, the John Laws Show became available to 2HD, easily winning its morning timeslot ever since.
The current line up includes Cameron Williams, Leighton Archer, Gavin Morris and Graeme Gilbert.
2UE is also celebrating its 80th year on air. 2UE Sydney was originally 2EU, standing for Electrical Utilities. It was thought that 2EU sounded too much like ‘who are you?’, so the letters were reversed.
The AFTRS publication Making Radio in its radio history chapter says:
2UE Sydney which started on 26 January 1925. One day later 2HD Newcastle opened. Next in order were 2UW Sydney, now MIX FM, 5DN Adelaide, 3UZ Melbourne, 4GR Toowoomba, 2KY Sydney. 2GB Sydney opened in 1926. Revenue for each of the radio stations averaged £70 per week in their first year of operation.