Magic 1278
Magic 1278 is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio.
History
1935–1991: 3XY
1935–1967 – Diverse programming
3XY began broadcasting on 8 September 1935, the original licence being held by the inaugural United Australia Party. . His first broadcast in a radio, television and theatrical career that spanned nearly 60 years was in the 3XY program Scouting Around, hosted by Tom Jones. In the mid-1950s, Newton presented the 3XY midnight-to-dawn program. He returned to the station in the early 1970s.Because of the lack of listeners, 3XY did not get as much advertising revenue as some of its rivals, but this was, in part, compensated for by the broadcasting of many sponsored religious programs, particularly on Sunday afternoons, as well as sponsored non-English programs, mainly Italian. At the time, 3XY had to comply with an Australian Broadcasting Control Board regulation that required anything broadcast in any foreign language to also be translated into English.
File:Wallace Sharland, August 1937.png|right|300px|thumb|Former Geelong footballer Wallace Sharland was also a pioneer radio football commentator at the ABC and later at 3XY. This photo was taken at the microphone during a broadcast. By his hand gestures, it appears to be an exciting moment of the game. On the other hand, could he just be posing for the camera?
Note the fence behind Sharland, which shows that broadcasters then had to broadcast from the outer of the ground, with no apparent privileges.
From the commencement of the 1936 Australian rules football season it became the very first station to broadcast descriptions of Victorian Football Association games. 3XY later broadcast games of the Victorian Football League. They also broadcast descriptions of Melbourne thoroughbred horse races each Saturday, as well as transmitting some interstate races. On some weeknights, harness races, then known as the trots, were broadcast.
Prior to 1967, the station had many prominent announcers, as well as a number of broadcasters who would go on to achieve fame at other stations. These included Frank Avis, Laurie Bennett, Graham Berry, Carl Bleazby, John Boland, John Burls, Ray Chapman, Peter Charleston, Bern Davis, Col Denovan, Jack Dyer, Keith Eden, Doug Elliot, Peter Evans, Vi Greenhalf, Mary Hardy, Ken Hibbins, Geoff Hiscock, Ken Howard, Tom Jones, Craig Kelly, Maurie Kirby, Wayne Kirby, Paul Konik, Alwyn Kurts, Ray Lawrence, Barry Looms, Bernice Lum, Alex McNish, Bruce Mansfield, John Magee, Ian Major, Tom Miller, Alf Minister, Bert Newton, Bill Passick, Sir Eric Pearce, Stan Rofe, Bob Rogers, Will Sampson, Dennis Scanlon, Barry Seeber, Wallace Sharland, David Shoreland, Paul Sime, Clyde Simpson, Eric Snell, Roy Stenye, Cyril Stokes, John Storr, Jeff Sunderland, Madge Thomas, Frank Thring Jr., Hal Todd, Iven Walker, Mike Walsh, Jeff Warden, Dorothy Wilby, Madge Wister, Johnny Young, etc.
Between 1954 and 1962, 3XY was Victoria's only 24-hour broadcaster.
An excellent history of the first 10 years or so of 3XY can be accessed in the following book: Fitzpatrick, Peter, The Two Frank Thrings'', 2012, Monash University Publishing, Clayton, Victoria.''
1967–1989 – Melbourne's top pop music station
From 1 July 1967, under the direction of General Manager Bob Baeck the station became Melbourne's dominant music radio station and remained so until the mid 1980s, with a Top 40 music radio format, which often topped the ratings. Its sister station during this era was Sydney's 2SM. Of the many promotions conducted by the station, the most important during the 1970s/80s was Rocktober held annually during the month of October.3XY dropped all of its religious programming in the late 1960s under the direction of Program Manager Dick Heming.
In the early 1970s, there was a head-on battle for the lucrative Top 40 market between 3XY, by then managed by Rod Muir, and Rhett Walker's 3AK. The fact that 3XY won the battle is reflected in 3AK's rapid change away from its Top 40 format. However, 3XY's fortunes declined in the late 1980s after the advent of FM radio in Australia, a few years earlier.
3XY DJs during this era included: Barry Bissell, Jack Daniels, Greg Evans, Peter Grace, Peter Harrison, Jane Holmes, John Hood, Craig Huggins, Kevin Hillier, Mark Irvine, Peter James, Chris Maxwell, Peter O'Callaghan, John O'Donnell, John Peters, Stan Rofe, Lee Simon, Peter Grubby Stubbs, Richard Stubbs, Gary Suprain, Paul Turner, Karl van Est.
As well as its Top 40 format, in the early 1970s, 3XY also experimented with a personality format with Bert Newton conducting the breakfast program, and Graham Kennedy presenting a morning session from a studio especially constructed at a cost of $10,000 in the bedroom of his house in Frankston, thus saving him from even having to leave home to present the show. He often broadcast whilst in pyjamas. During the late 1970s Derryn Hinch presented a current affairs morning program.
The Liberal Party continued to have a marked influence at 3XY. In the late 1970s and 80s, the manager of the station was Stanley Guilfoyle, husband of Liberal Senator Margaret Guilfoyle. Magnus Cormack, a former Liberal senator, served as chairman of the company after his retirement from politics in 1978. The company's articles of association provided that, upon the sale of the company, any proceeds should be "given or transferred to some institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the company". In 1986, the radio licence was sold to businessman Paul Dainty for $15 million. The proceeds were used to establish the Cormack Foundation, which became a major donor to the Victorian Liberals.
1989–1991 – The temporary end of the 3XY callsign
After losing the ratings and financial battle with FM rivals Eon FM and Fox FM, the 3XY licence was bought in late 1989 by the parent company of Bay FM, a Geelong based station which was then just about to come on air. When Bay FM commenced broadcasting in December 1989, 3XY briefly simulcast the BAY-FM overnight programs, retaining its rock music format during the day. However, once new studios in Corio Bay were completed, Bay FM and 3XY began full-time simulcasting, 3XY breaking only for coverage of Australian Football League games, which they were contracted to cover. After a period of 12 months, the then-Australian Broadcasting Authority demanded that the two stations begin separate programming. While the two stations remained in their Corio studios, Bay FM relaunched with an easy listening format, with 3XY retaining its soft rock format. In 1991, 3XY was sold to AWA, owners of 2CH Sydney and other stations, who almost immediately shut the station down and re-opened it seven months later as 3EE.3XY's transmitter was turned off at 1.00 pm on 23 September 1991. The final on-air program as 3XY was a one-hour pre-recorded special, commissioned by AWA and produced and presented by music historian Glenn A Baker. It was 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 12 noon that day with Spectrum's song I'll Be Gone the final song played before the one hour pre-recorded special was aired. The last song to be ever aired on 3XY, was AC/DC's It's a Long Way to the Top , at the end of the pre-recorded special.
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 licence, AWA chose to promote the forthcoming 3EE as a "completely new" station.
A new licence for the 1422 kHz frequency 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 station was effectively permitted to continue on a permanent basis. The new station adopted the 3XY call-sign. It is a narrowcast Greek language commercial station, with no connection to the station of 1935–91.
1992–1993: 3EE
The "new" station 3EE began official transmission at 7.00am Friday 2 July 1992. Promoted as The Breeze, the station had a mix of easy listening music, personality talk and Saturday AFL football. Some programs garnered a loyal following but overall the station failed to gain a commercially viable audience in its target demographic of people aged 40+. AWA had a three-year strategy to grow the 3EE audience, but in 1993 the company decided to exit the commercial broadcasting sector and concentrate on its core business of electronics design and manufacture. AWA sold 3EE to Wesgo, owner of another Melbourne station, 3MP, based in Frankston, an outer south-eastern suburb. A few months later in 1994, AWA sold 3EE's sister station in Sydney 2CH, bringing to an end AWA's 70 years in radio broadcasting.1993–2017: Magic 693/1278
Magic 693
3MP and 3EE simulcast their programs until the ABA ordered that they cease the practice and recommence two separate formats. As from December 1993, 3EE used the marketing name of Magic 693, whilst retaining its official call-sign 3EE. It had a 1940s, 1950s and 1960s music format, while 3MP maintained its more mainstream easy listening format on 1377.Southern Cross Broadcasting, which also owned Melbourne radio stations 3AK and 3AW, bought the 3MP and 3EE licences, and in accordance with media ownership laws which restrict any organisation from owning more than two radio stations in one region, they chose to keep 3AW and 3EE, while selling off the lower rating 3AK and 3MP licences.