ABC Radio Melbourne

ABC Radio Melbourne is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's principal local radio station for Melbourne and much of Victoria. The station is identified on the AM band as 774 ABC Melbourne and uses the historic callsign 3LO, formally VL3LO. Its programming combines locally produced breakfast, morning, conversation, afternoon and drive shows with national ABC services such as AM, The World Today, PM, Nightlife and Grandstand. The result is a hybrid local-and-national service: Melbourne-focused programming is complemented by material shared with other ABC Local Radio outlets across Victoria and by national programs distributed through the wider ABC network. The station began transmitting on 13 October 1924, making it Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR. Its opening broadcast was an outside transmission of Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème from His Majesty's Theatre, featuring Dame Nellie Melba. It was established by the Broadcasting Company of Australia, whose ownership included theatrical entrepreneurs J. & N. Tait, department store operator Buckley & Nunn, and newspaper publisher the Herald and Weekly Times. The 3LO designation was associated with the earlier British station 2LO, although radio historians have also recorded an alternative explanation involving a second landline used to connect the studio and transmitter. The service initially transmitted on longwave at 174 kHz from a 5,000-watt facility in what is now Maidstone. In July 1925 it moved to 810 kHz on the mediumwave band. From 1927 to 1939, material from 3LO was also used by the shortwave service known as the Voice of Australia, extending the station's output beyond its immediate metropolitan audience. In 1928, responsibility for the technical operation of Australia's A-class stations moved to the Postmaster-General's Department, while the Australian Broadcasting Company received authority to supply programming. The company was nationalised in 1932 and became the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the predecessor of today's Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Transmission moved from Maidstone to Delahey in 1938. The 50,000-watt 774 kHz transmitter remains a defining part of the station's technical footprint, covering most of Victoria. A lower-power FM relay at Marengo serves the Apollo Bay area. The station's studio history also reflects the development of Australian broadcasting. Its early Melbourne facilities were shared with 3AR in Melbourne Place, followed by Broadcast House in Lonsdale Street from 1945. ABC operations later moved to the Southbank Centre, where ABC Radio Melbourne is housed alongside other ABC radio, television and news services. ABC Radio Melbourne has long combined public-service broadcasting with local participation. Early examples included Kindergarten of the Air, which aimed to support children's social awareness and school readiness, including for children in regional areas. In 2006, during the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the ABC created an outside-broadcast facility at Federation Square known as the G-Spot, allowing members of the public to observe and participate in broadcasts. The station also expanded into online streaming during that period, subject to rights and legal restrictions. Today, ABC Radio Melbourne's role extends beyond ordinary programming. It broadcasts local news, talkback, current affairs, weather, traffic, sport, arts and community discussion, while also acting as an official emergency services broadcaster. This responsibility was especially significant during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and the subsequent recovery. The station also periodically broadcasts from major public events, including the Gardening Australia Expo, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, C31 Melbourne Antenna Awards, Royal Melbourne Show and Royal Geelong Show. Its positioning is therefore that of a trusted, publicly funded, locally accountable information and conversation service rather than a commercial…

ABC Radio Melbourne traces its history to the expansion of licensed broadcasting in Australia during the 1920s. The station was created by the Broadcasting Company of Australia, a consortium involving J. & N. Tait, Buckley & Nunn and the Herald and Weekly Times. It began as 3LO on 13 October 1924, becoming Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR. Its first program was an outside broadcast of Puccini's La Bohème from His Majesty's Theatre, with Dame Nellie Melba among the featured performers. The station initially used a 174 kHz longwave transmission from a 5,000-watt site at what is now Maidstone. It moved to 810 kHz mediumwave in July 1925. The 3LO identity was associated with the British 2LO service, although a separate explanation links the name to a second telephone line used for the studio-to-transmitter connection. From 1927 until 1939, the station supplied material to the Voice of Australia shortwave service, giving selected 3LO output an international reach. A major institutional change occurred in 1928. The Postmaster-General's Department assumed technical responsibility for Australia's A-class stations, while the Australian Broadcasting Company continued to provide programs under licence. In 1932, the company was nationalised and replaced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission. That organisation later became the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, under which the station operates today. Transmission was moved from Maidstone to Delahey in 1938. The Delahey facility remains associated with the station's 774 kHz service and operates at 50,000 watts, providing coverage across most of Victoria. An additional FM relay at Marengo serves the Apollo Bay area. The station's physical studios developed alongside Melbourne's broadcasting infrastructure. Early operations were located in Melbourne Place near Russell Street, followed by Broadcast House in Lonsdale Street from 1945. In 1995, the studios moved to the ABC Southbank Centre, a multi-level complex that also houses other ABC radio, television, news and current-affairs operations. The station's early public-service remit included programs such as Kindergarten of the Air, which sought to assist children's preparation for school and to broaden social awareness among children in regional areas. Over time, the schedule developed into a mixture of local news, talk, current affairs, sport, arts and community programming, supplemented by national ABC output. Other ABC Local Radio stations in Victoria commonly relay 774 ABC Melbourne programs when they are not airing material specific to their own areas. In 2006, the station increased its public presence during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games by operating the G-Spot outside-broadcast studio at Federation Square. The facility allowed visitors to watch and participate in broadcasts. The same period saw the introduction of streaming for the station's broadcasts, although sports rights and other legal limitations affected what could be carried online. ABC Radio Melbourne is also part of Australia's emergency communications system. It served as an official emergency services broadcaster during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 and during the recovery period. In ordinary operations it continues to broadcast from major Melbourne and regional events, including exhibitions, comedy, community awards and agricultural shows. Its current identity combines the heritage of 3LO with the ABC Local Radio model: a Melbourne-focused public broadcaster that supplies local information and conversation while connecting listeners to the wider national ABC network.

• 2009

  Black Saturday emergency broadcasting

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The station operated as an official emergency services broadcaster during the Black Saturday bushfires and recovery.

• 2006

  Federation Square outside broadcast

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The G-Spot studio was established at Federation Square for Commonwealth Games coverage and public interaction.

• 1995

  Studios move to the Southbank Centre

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The station's studios were transferred to the ABC Southbank Centre.

• 1945

  Broadcast House becomes a principal studio location

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The Melbourne studios moved from Melbourne Place to Broadcast House in Lonsdale Street.

• 1938

  Transmitter moves to Delahey

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  Transmission operations moved from Maidstone to Delahey, where the main 774 kHz transmitter remains located.

• 1932

  Nationalisation creates the Australian Broadcasting Commission

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The Australian Broadcasting Company was nationalised and became the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the predecessor of the ABC.

• 1927

  Material enters the Voice of Australia service

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  3LO programming began contributing to the shortwave Voice of Australia service, continuing through 1939.

• 1925

  Move to mediumwave

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The station moved from 174 kHz longwave to 810 kHz mediumwave in July.

• 1924

  3LO begins broadcasting

  [1]ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org

  The station commenced transmission on 13 October as Melbourne's second licensed radio station, opening with an outside broadcast of La Bohème.

A public-service local radio station centred on Melbourne, combining trusted local information and audience participation with national ABC news, current affairs, sport and overnight programming.

• AM radio broadcasting · 1924

  774 ABC Melbourne AM service

  The station's core terrestrial service broadcasts on 774 kHz from a 50,000-watt transmitter at Delahey. It carries Melbourne-focused news, talkback, current affairs, sports and community programming, together with national ABC programs. The signal covers most of Victoria and is the principal channel associated with the 3LO identity.

• FM relay

  Marengo relay

  A lower-power FM relay using the 3LO identity serves the Apollo Bay area from Marengo. It extends access to ABC Radio Melbourne programming in a regional coastal area that is not served in the same way by the main metropolitan AM transmission.

• Digital audio · 2006

  Online streaming

  ABC Radio Melbourne is available through online streaming in addition to its terrestrial broadcasts. Availability of particular content can be limited by sports rights and other legal restrictions.

• Radio programming

  Local and national radio programming

  The programming portfolio includes local breakfast, morning, conversation, afternoon and drive formats, alongside national news and current-affairs programs such as AM, The World Today and PM, and national services including Nightlife and Grandstand. Other regular offerings have included The Friday Revue, Saturday Breakfast, Saturday Mornings, Sundays and Australia All Over.

• 2006G-Spot Federation Square outside broadcast

  Melbourne

  During the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, ABC Radio Melbourne operated an outside-broadcast studio at Federation Square. The installation was designed to make broadcasting visible and participatory by allowing members of the public to watch and join broadcasts.

  Outcome. Expanded public engagement with the station and supported the introduction of streaming broadcasts, subject to rights restrictions.

  Source

• 2006

  Introduction of online streamingOther

  Background

  Digital distribution was becoming an additional way for audiences to access local radio, particularly during the Commonwealth Games period.

  Action taken

  The station added streaming alongside its regular radio transmission.

  Aftermath

  Listeners gained an online access route, although sports rights and other legal considerations continued to restrict some streamed content.

  Source

• 1995

  Move into the ABC Southbank CentreStrategy

  Background

  The ABC consolidated its Melbourne broadcasting operations in a modern Southbank complex.

  Action taken

  ABC Radio Melbourne transferred its studios to the Southbank Centre.

  Aftermath

  The station became part of a shared site housing multiple ABC radio, television, news and current-affairs services.

  Source

• 1938

  Relocation of the main transmitter to DelaheyStrategy

  Background

  The station required a new transmission site as Melbourne's broadcasting infrastructure developed.

  Action taken

  Transmission was transferred from Maidstone to Delahey.

  Aftermath

  Delahey became the continuing location of the station's principal high-power transmitter.

  Source

• 1925

  Change from longwave to mediumwave transmissionOther

  Background

  The station's original 174 kHz longwave service had operated from Maidstone since its launch.

  Action taken

  The station moved to 810 kHz on the mediumwave band in July 1925.

  Aftermath

  The move established the mediumwave transmission model that later evolved into the station's 774 kHz service.

  Source

1. 1ABC Radio Melbourneen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Australian Communications and Media Authority 3LO assignment informationacma.gov.au
3. 3ABC Radio Melbourne official websiteabc.net.au