- Magic 1278
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3EE Broadcast area Melbourne Branding Magic 1278 Slogan The Best Songs Of All Time Frequency 1278 (kHz) First air date September 8, 1935
(as 3XY)
July 2, 1992
(as 3EE)Format Easy Listening Former callsigns 1935-1991: 3XY Former frequencies 1992-2006: 693 (kHz)
1978-1991: 1422 (kHz)
1935-1978: 1420 (kHz)Affiliations Fairfax Radio Network Owner Fairfax Media Webcast Windows Media Website http://magic1278.com.au/ Magic 1278 (call sign: 3EE) is a radio station operating in Melbourne, Australia.
Contents
History
The station commenced broadcasting in 1992, but was derived from legendary radio station 3XY which began transmission in 1935. 3XY was Melbourne's dominant music radio station during the 1970s and early 1980s with a Top 40 music radio format, but its fortunes declined in the late 1980s with the advent of FM radio in Australia.
After losing the ratings and financial battle with FM rivals 3EON and 3FOX, the 3XY licence was bought by Sydney-based AWA Limited who also owned 2CH in Sydney. AWA shut down 3XY almost immediately upon their purchase of the licence from a Geelong-based consortium. The shutdown occurred at 1pm on 23 September 1991. 3XY's final on air program was a one hour pre-recorded special produced by music historian Glenn A. Baker, a tribute showcasing the music of 1976 when 3XY was number one in the radio ratings. Roxanne Bennett was the last 'live' announcer on 3XY, finishing her shift at 12noon that day.
AWA formally applied for a change of callsign from 3XY to 3EE and a change of frequency from 1422 kHz to 693 kHz. Both requests were granted by the Australian Broadcasting Authority.
Although it was a relaunch of the 3XY licence that had existed since 1935 and not the issuing of a new one, AWA chose to promote the forthcoming 3EE as a "completely new" station.
3EE began official transmission at 7.00am Friday 2 July 1992. Promoted as The Breeze, the station had a mix of talk based programming and easy listening music, but fared poorly in the ratings, which led one writer on Melbourne radio to famously comment That Breeze must have smelt a bit!. In fact, 3EE did not rate higher than 1.2% in the radio ratings.
AWA, faced with a loss making station, offsold 3EE to another Melbourne station, 3MP, based in Frankston, an outer southern suburb. 3MP and 3EE simulcast until the ABA ordered that they cease the practice and recommence two separate formats. 3EE then became known as Magic 693 with a 40s, 50s and 60s music format, while 3MP maintained its more mainstream 'easy listening' format on 1377.
Media operator Southern Cross Broadcasting who also owned Melbourne radio stations 3AK and 3AW, bought the 3MP and 3EE licences and in accordance with media ownership laws, chose to keep 3AW and 3EE (Magic 693) and sell off the lower rating 3AK and 3MP licences.
Meanwhile, there is still a station named 3XY broadcasting on the 1422 frequency - however, it's a narrowcast Greek language non-commercial station with no tie to the commercial station of 1935-1991.
The present-day station's licence was purchased at auction in 1994 by the Greek Media Group. Initially the licence was for a specified period of three years, and was then to be subject to a five yearly auction cycle. This rule was removed, and the current 3XY was effectively permitted to continue on a permanent basis.
From May 1 2006, Magic 693 became Magic 1278 after switching frequencies with 3AW.
Logos
3EE has used numerous logos throughout its history.
1992 2005 - 2006 2006 - 2008 2008 - Present See also
- List of Australian radio stations
External links
Fairfax Media National and metropolitan newspapers The Age · The Canberra Times · The Dominion Post (NZ) · The Press · The Sydney Morning Herald (The Sun-Herald)Regional newspapers The Advocate · Bendigo Advertiser · The Border Mail · Central Western Daily · The Examiner · The Courier · The Daily Advertiser · Daily Liberal · Illawarra Mercury · Maitland Mercury · The Marlborough Express · The Nelson Mail · The Newcastle Herald · Northern Daily Leader · The Queanbeyan Age · The Scone Advocate · The Southland Times · Sunday News · The Sunday Star-Times · Taranaki Daily News · The Timaru Herald · Waikato TimesFinancial Review Group Asset · The Australian Financial Review · Business Review Weekly · BOSS · CFO · MIS · Smart InvestorRadio Online Other Radio stations in the Melbourne & Geelong market AM and FM stations with an asterisk are also available on digital AM Stations ABC Radio National 621* • 3AW 693* • 774 ABC Melbourne* • 3CR Melbourne 855* • Radio Sport National 927* • ABC NewsRadio 1026* • SEN 1116* • Vision Australia Radio 1179 • SBS Radio 1224* • Magic 1278* • 3CW 1341 (Geelong) • MTR 1377* • 3XY Radio Hellas 1422 • 3KND 1503* • Rete Italia 1593 • Vision Radio Network 1611 • 3ME 1638FM Stations (Melbourne wide) Light FM 89.9* • Student Youth Network 90.7* • 91.5 FM* • 3ZZZ 92.3* • SBS Radio 93.1* • Nova 100 (100.3)* • Mix 101.1* • Fox FM 101.9* • 3RRR 102.7* • 3MBS 103.5* • Gold 104.3* • Triple M 105.1* • ABC Classic FM 105.9* • PBS 106.7FM* • Triple J 107.5*FM Stations (Local) Various 87.6-88 (various) • Southern FM 88.3 (South) • Plenty Valley FM 88.6 (Plenty Valley) • WYN FM 88.9 (Werribee) • 89.3 Hot Country (Geelong) • 93.9 Bay FM (Geelong) • 3WBC 94.1 (East) • Kinglake Ranges Radio 94.5 (Kinglake Ranges) • 94.7 The Pulse (Geelong) • Joy 94.9 (City) • 95.5 K-Rock (Geelong) • Golden Days Radio 95.7 (South East) • Lion FM 96.1 (Melbourne City) • Rhema FM 96.3 (Geelong) • 96.5 Inner FM (North East) • Mountain Districts Radio 97.1 (Dandenong Ranges) • Stereo 974 (97.4) (West) • Casey Radio 97.7 (South East) • 979fm (97.9) (Melton) • Eastern FM 98.1 (Outer East) • OKR 98.3 (Kilmore) • 3RPP 98.3 (Frankston) & 3RPP 98.7 (Mornington Peninsula) • Apple FM 98.5 (Bacchus Marsh) • North West FM 98.9 (North West) • Yarra Valley FM 99.1 (Yarra Valley) • 3NRG 99.3 (Sunbury) • Vision Australia Radio 99.5 (Geelong) • Flow FM 106.3 (Yarra Valley)Digital Only Stations ABC DiG: · ABC Dig Music · ABC Country · ABC Jazz · ABC Grandstand · ARN: · The Edge · Gold Plus · Classic Hits Live · Austereo: Radar · Barry · The Main Stage · DMG: Koffee · NovaNation · Fairfax: The Buckle · Pacific Star: Aussie · MyMP · SBS Radio: SBS Chill · SBS PopAsia · Community: IrisPrevious and aspirant stations Kiss 90 FM • 89.9 Hitz FM • Pulse 95 (94.9 FM) • City FMAustralia Radio Markets: Adelaide • Brisbane • Canberra • Darwin • Hobart • Melbourne • Newcastle • Perth • Sydney
Categories:- Radio stations in Melbourne
- Radio stations established in 1935
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