Radio station 2ST, based in the NSW city of Nowra, turns 40 years old today.
2ST turns 40
2ST was licenced to serve the South Coast and Highlands of New South Wales and began transmission 8 years before commercial FM radio started in Australia.
Initially on the 1000kHz, the frequency was moved to 999kHz when the Australian government made more room on the AM band for new stations.
2ST is one of Australia’s few radio stations that super-serves its market with local programming most of the time.
The station is owned by Grant Broadcasters whose Managing Director Janet Cameron is still actively involved in the radio station since becoming a director of the company in the 70s. Over that time her company has built a network of over 40 radio stations across Australia in every state.
In its 40 years many of Australia’s media names have worked at the station including myself from 1978-1981. One of the last interviews Bon Scott ever did was with me at 2ST, just weeks before he went back to England and died. I was on air at 2ST the day John Lennon was shot and will always remember how a town stopped and turned on the radio station to contribute constant calls about the famous Beatle. 2ST became the hub of mourning for Lennon that night for the region.
Many of the great artists came through Nowra and gave the local music fans some great gigs. Around 1979, or maybe early 1980, Richard Clapton had recently discovered a new band he was producing and brought them down as his support band. The band was INXS. They played in Bomaderry.
There was the time when Cold Chisel were meant to play in Nowra but Jimmy Barnes misread the schedule and drove to Newcastle that night instead. The band played on without their lead singer. Jimmy got the night off.
Congratulations to Janet Cameron, Grant Broadcasters and the current and past staff of 2ST. A real lot of people in Australian media have many fond memories of being involved with the station. Happy birthday 2ST.
