*** Welcome to piglix ***

EON FM

Triple M Melbourne
3mmm logo.png
City Mount Dandenong
Broadcast area Melbourne, Victoria
Branding Triple M
Slogan Melbourne's Best Rock
Frequency 105.1 MHz FM
First air date 11 July 1980 (1980-07-11) (as 3EON)
27 November 1988 (1988-11-27) (as 3MMM)
Format Active rock, sport, comedy
Language(s) English
ERP 56 kW
Transmitter coordinates 37°50′20″S 145°20′43″E / 37.8389°S 145.3453°E / -37.8389; 145.3453Coordinates: 37°50′20″S 145°20′43″E / 37.8389°S 145.3453°E / -37.8389; 145.3453
Former callsigns 3EON (1980-1988)
Former frequencies 92.3 MHz FM (1980-1988)
Affiliations Triple M Network
Owner Southern Cross Austereo
Sister stations Fox FM
Website www.triplem.com.au/melbourne

3MMM (identified on air and in print as Triple M) is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Victoria. Its target demographic is the 18-54 age group. Triple M Melbourne is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Triple M Network and broadcasts on the 105.1 MHz frequency.

The station was Australia's first commercial FM station, originally known as EON FM, broadcasting on 92.3 MHz.

In late 1979, a consortium, members of which included recording entrepreneur Bill Armstrong, band manager Glenn Wheatley and stockbroker Bill Conn, successfully bid on one of two Melbourne FM licenses and set about creating a commercial FM radio station. Armstrong headed the consortium, having seen the commercial opportunities of FM radio in the US and the UK.

Despite what their license application read, they had no blueprint at all with regard to marketing, programming, administration or promotion. The next six months was then spent building a radio station from scratch. A makeshift studio was set up in Bank Street, South Melbourne, draped with hessian to deaden the noise. Late-night dummy runs were performed a week before the on-air date to test the equipment.

On 11 July 1980, Australia’s first commercial FM radio station, EON FM, began broadcasting on 92.3 MHz, beating Fox FM to the title by two weeks. Behind the microphone at the momentous occasion was DJ Peter Grace, a former DJ for 3XY, a popular radio station at the time (now defunct); he later said he was given that late night spot by default. "It's one past midnight and this is 92.3, E-O-N FM, I'm Peter Grace and this is the beginning of a long, long time..." The first song was "New Kid in Town" by The Eagles.

Armstrong was the first managing director; Clyde Simpson, the first general manager; Lee Simon, also ex-3XY, the first program director; Billy Pinnell, first music programmer – all names to circulate the Australian music industry for years. Other announcers included Mike Nicholls, Karl Van Est, Joe Miller, John Peters, Andy McLean, Jan Cannon, Paul Cashmere, Kenny The Paper-Boy, Kent Forbes, John Hood, Gavin Wood, Trish Mulholand and Mark Irvine. Newsreader Jennifer Keyte also began her career as a cadet at EON-FM.


...
Wikipedia

...