2UE

Infobox_Radio_station | name = 2UE


area = Sydney, Australia
branding =
slogan = "News Talk"
airdate = 26 January 1925
frequency = 954 kHz AM
format = Talk radio
power =
owner = Fairfax Media
website = [http://www.2ue.com.au 2UE website]

2UE is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by Fairfax Media. It is Sydney's and Australia's oldest commercial radio station, first broadcasting on 26 January 1925 on 950 kHz AM. In 1978 2UE moved to 954 kHz.

2UE has a News/Talk format, involving current affairs oriented programs with talkback across the day, Sport in the early evening and more relaxed programming at nights and on weekends.

It has been a constant rival of another Sydney station 2GB, which offers a similar format. 2UE suffered major blows when long time breakfast program host Alan Jones moved across to the 2GB breakfast program and when broadcaster John Laws retired from radio, leaving his 2UE morning program at the end of 2007.

History

Radio 2UE was established by Cecil Vincent Stevenson, who was first granted approval to conduct broadcast transmission tests from his home at Maroubra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 1922. Stevenson received one of the two new commercial radio licences, that were granted by the Australian Government, in 1924. Stevenson chose the call letters 2EU ('Electrical Utilities') but later changed them to 2UE for ease of pronunciation. 2UE - Australia's first commercial radio station began broadcasting on Australia Day 1925.

2UE met the challenge of television, responding with strong programming and a host of interesting personalities. The programming format included the introduction of the Top 40, as well as Gary O’Callaghan, who reigned as Sydney’s number one breakfast announcer for 28 years.

John Laws made his debut in metropolitan radio at 2UE in 1956, where he became Australia’s foremost radio broadcaster. He presented the John Laws Morning Program each weekday morning on 2UE from behind a golden microphone until November 2007. The program was syndicated across Australia, airing in more than 1000 towns and heard by over one million loyal listeners. Laws attracted guests ranging from Prime Ministers to the biggest names in show business. [ [http://www.mytalk.com.au/Stations/Talk/2UE/Pages/2UEStationHistory.aspx 2UE Station History - 2UE Radio, Sydney - Talk back radio live on the web, radio news live on the web, audio and video talk back on the web ] ]

Current 2UE Schedule (Weekdays)

Previous Presenters

Some previous presenters on 2UE have been: Gary O'Callaghan (top rating breakfast announcer 1956-1983 and Saturday/Sunday early morning host 1986-2003, now lives at Wauchope, NSW), Ward "Pally" Austin in the early 1960s (died in 1998), Mike Jeffreys (now doing breakfast on 2CC Canberra), Alan Jones (now doing breakfast on 2GB Sydney), Ray Hadley (now doing mornings on 2GB Sydney), Ian Parry-Okeden (involved with Media Monitors Australia for the past 25 years), Andrew Moore (now does sport on 2GB Sydney), Brian Bury (now host of the 'Prestige Living' television program on Southern Cross Ten Gold Coast), Malcolm T. Elliott drive time 1983 and weekend presenter 1996-2004 (now freelance presenter, author and consultant living in the Northern Rivers of NSW), Prue McSween (a PR Consultant), Arch Tambackus (1987-1989 died heart attack 1997), Stan Zemanek (formerly number one at nights from 1989-2004, announced he would be retiring from the night shift, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. He died on 12 July 2007. , Deb Elsworth (now known as stage performer Ella James), Dr James Wright (runs a medical foundation), Bob Rogers (now doing mornings on 2CH Sydney), Owen Delaney (died January 19 2003), Peter Bosly (retired in 2005), Brian Carlton (now The Spoonman on Triple M Sydney), John Laws (retired 2007), Peter FitzSimons (resigned at the end of 2007), Andrew Harwood (worked at 2UE in the 1980s and 1990s, died early 2008 from complications cause by chronc asthma), Glenn Wheeler and Jon Harker (who did weeknights during Stan Zemanek's tenure doing Melbourne radio, and has done advertisements for laundry detergent "Napisan").

External links

* [http://www.2ue.com.au/ 2UE website]
* [http://www.1radio.com.au/ Listen to 2UE online]

References

List of Australian radio stations