KOFM (Newcastle)
| Broadcast area | Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast |
|---|---|
| Branding | KOFM |
| Slogan | The Greatest Hits from the 80s to Now |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| Power | 20,000 watts |
| Callsign meaning | derived from former callsign 2KO 2KO: KOtara. |
| Former callsigns | 2KO (1931-1992) |
| Affiliations | Triple M Network |
| Owner | Southern Cross Austereo (Radio Newcastle Pty. Ltd.) |
| Website | KOFM.com.au |
KOFM (call sign: 2KKO) is an Australian radio station, licensed to, and serving Newcastle and surrounds. It broadcasts at 102.9 megahertz on the FM band from its studios in Charlestown. It is owned by Southern Cross Austereo and Its sister station is NXFM.
The station commenced operations as 2KO, based in the Newcastle suburb of Kotara on August 1, 1931. Founded by Allen Fairhall (later Sir Allen Fairhall) 2KO was licensed to The Newcastle Broadcasting Company. The station operated on 1410 kHz with a transmission strength of 25 watts. The station launched from the backyard of a resident's home, with the licensee's dining room being the only studio the station had at the time. Programs ran from 7 to 10 p.m., later moving into daytime programming. Ten minutes of ad time was sold during the week, selling around 15 pounds ($30 today) of revenue for the station. Chief Engineer was K. N. Greenhalgh AMIRE. Studio & Production Manager was 2KO Chief Announcer Harold Pickhover. Advertising & Merchandising Manager was Keith F. Winser F.O.A.
Two years later in 1933, the station moved its AM transmitter to Sandgate, and was operated from several locations including 72 Hunter Street, Newcastle until January 1937, when new studios and offices in the heart of Newcastle in the CML Building at 110 Hunter Street. In its time on the AM band, the station had its power increased twice, first to 2,000 watts, and then to 5,000 watts, using a directional aerial system.
In the days before television, peak listening time was around 8pm, but with television arriving in the country in the late 1950s, the station had to change formats to survive the new medium. This was even more the case when 2KO's owners at the time, United Broadcasting Company (Australia) (who also owned Sydney's 2UE), itself owned by the local Lamb family, was part of the consortium that brought television to Newcastle, launching NBN Television on channel 3 in 1962.
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