3DB
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3DB was a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia and for many years was considered one of the "old guard" of Melbourne radio.
3DB was awarded its broadcast licence in 1925 but did not make its debut on-air until 27 February 1927 in a fairly low key manner. The station was originally owned by Melbourne's Druleigh Business College, hence the callsign "DB". The original studios were located in Capital House, Swanston Street, Melbourne.
From 1929 until 1987 3DB was owned and operated by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, who also owned The Herald and The Sun News-Pictorial newspapers. (note for modern readers - back then the modern Herald Sun was two separate papers)
3DB's rise to dominant status in Melbourne radio can be attributed to general manager Dave Worrall who was the force behind a number of successful programming initiatives including 3DB providing mock coverage of Test Cricket matches from London. 3DB and Sydney's 2UW paid to receive instant progress updates on matches via telegraph and the information would be used to construct commentary, complete with sound effects.
During the 1940s and 1950s 3DB also became an outlet for several landmark radio programs including the police drama D24 which was the predecessor to similar police shows on TV, game show Pick A Box and variety shows including The Happy Gang.
In the pre-television Golden Era of radio 3DB consistently rated number one but the arrival of television and the consequent conversion from Old time radio to music radio were to bring a succession of troubles for DB.
3DB was one of the first Melbourne radio stations to initiate talkback programs in the late 1960s.
Up until 1983, coverage of horse racing was shared in Melbourne between 3DB and 3UZ. In 1983, 3UZ revamped its program lineup and cancelled all horse racing coverage, leaving 3DB as the sole outlet for racing on Melbourne radio. By 1987, the Victorian Racing industry bought out 3UZ and hence took back exclusive rights to horse racing coverage effective February 1988.
In 1987 the HWT sold 3DB to the Albert Family who changed the call letters to 3TT in April 1988 and the station ultimately converted to FM and became 101.1 TT-FM in 1990 - as of 2005 the station uses the moniker Mix 101.1
In December 1988, 3TT moved from the old 3DB premises in the basement of the Herald and Weekly Times building at 44-74 Flinders Street, to new state of the art studios in Queensbridge Street, South Melbourne. The station is now located in the inner suburb of Richmond, sharing facilities with sister station Gold 104 FM.
Mix 101.1 and Gold 104 are now part of the Australian Radio Network which also includes radio stations in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth.
In 2004 Mix 101.1 relaunched with a brand new logo and slogan to Mix 101.1 Melbourne Feel Good, to try and boost its competition with other radio stations. Also in January 2005 Mix 101.1 got a new look breakfast team of Jane Marwick and Paul Holmes.
Despite changes in ownership, callsign and program formats, the radio station still maintains its support of the annual Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal which is run in association with HSV-7 and The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd.
3DB's old AM frequency of 1026 AM is now occupied by the Melbourne afiliate of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC NewsRadio network.
Presenters as of 2005 at MIX 101.1
Mid Dawn with Brendan Atkin (12am-6am weekdays)
Marwick and Holmes For Breakfast (6am-9am weekdays)
Nick Michaels (9am-1pm weekdays)
Lars Peterson (1pm-3pm weekdays
Simon Diaz (3pm-7pm weekdays)
Dave Wright (7pm-9pm weekdays)
Melbourne After Dark with Rebecca Walker (9pm-12am weekdays)
Feel Good Friday! (7pm-10pm weekdays)
Saturday Night Express with Dave Wright (6pm-12am Saturdays)
External link
- Mix 101.1 site (http://www.mix1011.com.au/)
- See also: List of Australian radio stations