2CA

Infobox Radio station
name = 1053 2CA


frequency = 1053 kHz AM
airdate = November 14th, 1931
area = Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
slogan = "Canberra's Best Songs"
format = Easy Listening/Classic Hits
owner = Radio Canberra Pty Ltd
50% Capital Radio Network
50% Grant Broadcasters

2CA is a commercial radio station on the AM band in Canberra, Australia, that originally began broadcasting on 1050 kHz changing to 1053 kHz in 1978. 2CA has had many owners since its inception and is currently jointly owned by regional radio operators the Capital Radio Network and Grant Broadcasters. The station's current format is Easy Listening/Classic Hits and targets an audience aged 40+. 2CA is one of the few commercial music AM stations left in Australia broadcasting in AM Stereo.

History

Established by Albert John (Jack) Ryan, an AIF veteran and former signaller during the first World War, Canberra's first commercial radio station - 2CA - began broadcasting with just a small 50 watt transmitter from the back of Jack's electrical repair shop in the Canberra suburb of Kingston on the 14th of November, 1931. By 1933 the station had increased it's transmitter to 500 watts and moved to a small purpose built studio on a low hill close to the Queanbeyan - Canberra road. The hill quickly became known as "Radio Hill". By the late 1930s the 2CA studios were moved from Radio Hill to a new building in Mort Street, Civic, next to the Civic theatre. The transmitter power was increased again from 500 watts to 2,000 watts and moved to outlying Belconnen. [ http://www.act.nationaltrust.org.au/documents/RadioHill1.pdf - Peter Dowling] Over the years the 2CA studios would be housed in numerous buildings in Civic.

In 1975, Canberra’s second commercial radio station, 2CC, began on the air and instantly topped the Canberra ratings survey, continuing it’s dominance over 2CA throughout the latter half of the 70s and most of the 80s. In 1988, FM 104 (now 104.7) & Kix 106 (now Mix 106.3) went to air as Australia's first supplementary FM licences (also the first commercial FM licences in Australia since 1980). FM 104 was a supplementary licence of 2CA, and Kix 106 a supplementary licence of 2CC.

In the mid-1990s, due to the AM music stations dwindling audience and the increasing popularity of the music based FM stations, Austereo, owner of 2CA & 104.7 and ARN, owner of 2CC & Mix 106.3, merged together to form a joint venture ownership of both FM stations - Canberra FM Pty Ltd, selling off 2CA and 2CC to the Capital Radio Network. Both 2CA and 2CC were then moved to their current shared studio building in the Canberra industrial suburb of Mitchell.

In 2004 Grant Broadcasters purchased part ownership of Radio Canberra Pty Ltd (2CA & 2CC) to form a joint venture with the Capital Radio Network.

Ratings

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With a substantial drop in the last batch of survey results, 2CA remains the lowest rating commercial radio station in Canberra.

External links

* [http://www.2ca.com.au 2CA website]

References