3CR (Melbourne)

:"3CR" "can also stand for 3 Colours Red, a hard rock band, as well as BBC Three Counties Radio, a local radio station in England.

3CR is a community radio station, broadcasting on the AM band in Melbourne, Australia. The Community Radio Federation had their broadcasting licence approved on October 10, 1975, by the Minister for the Media, Dr Moss Cass and began test broadcasting on May 1, 1976 with full operation beginning on July 3, 1976 from studios in High Street, Armadale. It was Melbourne's first such community radio licence.

It hosts programmes run by a variety of left-wing political and community groups, as well as some music programming. 3CR's premises are located in Smith Street, Fitzroy. 3CR broadcasts on 855 kHz at 2 kW into a directional aerial, from a site at Hoppers Crossing about 15 km west of Melbourne.

Historically 3CR covered a broader range of programs, particularly in its first months of operation from Armadale. Initially, a nightly announcement inviting applications for a right of reply was read on air, but with the progressive entrenchment of elements within the militant left, these early attempts at broadening 3CR's support base were abandoned. In the station's establishment phase the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Tsukunft Youth Bund, the Wireless Institute Of Australia and many specialist music groups were involved. Many were eventually induced to depart after getting their own licenses, but others have been disenfranchised by the broadcaster's political stance. A splinter group also aided the establishment of 3RPH-FM, radio for the print handicapped. 3CR has been left with the programs the furthest on the fringe.

3CR's programming overlaps with that of 3KND, an Aboriginal station that seceded from 3CR in 2003.

External links

* [http://www.3cr.org.au/ Official website]