Radio in Sydney became a popular tool for politics, news, religion, and sport and has managed to survive despite the introduction of television and the internet.[1] The first long range (520 km) coastal radio station was established in 1911. In 1921, amateur radio broadcasters commenced transition. The first radio licence in Australia was granted to Charles Maclurcan for station 2CM.[2] Commencing in 1923, 2SB is the second official station to be licensed. Sydney's first official station 2FC commenced service in 1924. In 1935, the studios of the ABC install a disc recorder, enabling the recording of programs to occur for the first time.[3] Talk radio was introduced on 2SM in 1967. In 1974, 2MBS commences broadcasting as the first full-time FM station in Australia, playing classical music 24 hours a day. Finally, in 1975, multicultural radio is launched with the formation of 2EA.[4]

Notes

Stations

AM and FM stations with an asterisk are also available on digital (DAB+) radio

AM

SBS Radio targets the Sydneysiders who speak a language other than English at home with programs in 74 languages.[5]
Callsign Location Frequency (kHz) Branding Format Type Launch
2RN Sydney 576 ABC Radio National Talk National 5 December 1923
2PB Sydney 630 ABC News Radio News/Talk National 15 August 1994
2BL Sydney 702 ABC Radio Sydney Talk National 23 November 1923
2GB Sydney 873 2GB News/Talk Commercial 23 August 1926
2UE Sydney 954 2UE Music Commercial 26 January 1925
2KY Sydney 1017 Sky Sports Radio Sports Commercial 31 October 1925
2EA Sydney 1107 SBS Radio Multicultural National 9 June 1975
2CH Sydney 1170 SEN Sports Commercial 22 October 2020
2SM Sydney 1269 2SM News/Talk Commercial 24 December 1931
2RPH Sydney 1224 2RPH Print Radio Radio Reading Service Community 18 April 1983
Sydney 1539 SEN Track Sport Commercial October 2020
Sydney 1611 Vision Radio Network Christian Narrowcast 1 February 1999
Sydney 1620 2moro Radio Arabic Narrowcast February 2006
Sydney 1638 2ME Radio Arabic Arabic/Classic Hits/Pop Contemporary Narrowcast 25 October 1996
Sydney 1665 2MM Greek Radio Greek Narrowcast 1996
Sydney 1683 Greek Radio Greek Narrowcast 16th of March 1983

FM

Nova 96.9 was the most listened to station in Sydney in 2016 with 944,000 listeners (Nova studios in Pyrmont).[6]
Callsign Location Frequency (MHz) Branding Format Type Launch
2ABCFM Sydney 92.9 ABC Classic FM* Classical National 24 January 1976
2SBSFM Sydney 97.7 SBS Radio* Multicultural National 9 June 1975
2JJJ Sydney 105.7 Triple J* Youth National 19 January 1975
2MAC Campbelltown 91.3 C91.3 Hot Adult Contemporary Commercial 2001
2PTV Sydney 95.3 Smooth FM 95.3* Adult Contemporary Commercial 1 August 2005
2ONE Katoomba 96.1 CADA* Rhythmic Contemporary Hip Hop Commercial 7 September 1935 (as 2KA)
23 October 1992 (as One FM)

January 2002 as The Edge 96.ONE 30 March 2022 as CADA

2SYD Sydney 96.9 Nova 96.9* Pop Contemporary Hit Radio Commercial 1 April 2001
2UUS Sydney 101.7 WSFM 101.7* Classic Hits Commercial 23 November 1978
2DAY Sydney 104.1 2Day FM* Pop Contemporary Hit Radio Commercial 2 August 1980
2MMM Sydney 104.9 Triple M 104.9* Rock Commercial 2 August 1980
2WFM Sydney 106.5 KIIS 1065* Pop Contemporary Hit Radio Commercial 13 February 1925 (as 2UW)
30 April 1994 (as Mix 106.5)
19 January 2014 (as KIIS 106.5)
2RDJ Burwood, New South Wales 88.1 2RDJ Community Radio Community 5 November 1983
2RRR Ryde 88.5 2RRR Community Radio Community 1984
2MWM Manly North 88.7 Radio Northern Beaches Community Radio Community March 1984
2RSR Sydney 88.9 Radio Skid Row Community Radio Community 10 August 1983
2GLF Liverpool 89.3 89.3 2GLF Community Radio Community 1985
2RES Waverley 89.7 Eastside Radio Community Radio Community 1983
2VTR Windsor 89.9 Hawkesbury Radio Community Radio Community 1978
2NBC Narwee 90.1 2NBC Radio Community Radio Community May 1983
2CCR Parramatta 90.5 Alive 90.5 Community Radio Community 18 December 1992
2MFM Sydney 92.1 Muslim Community Radio* Muslim Community Radio Community 1995
2LND Sydney 93.7 Koori Radio* Indigenous programming Community December 2002
2FBI Sydney 94.5 FBi Radio* Australian Music Community 29 August 2003
2OOO Sydney 98.5 2000 FM Multilingual Community 1994
2NSB Chatswood 99.3 Northside Radio Community Radio Community May 1983
2SSR Sutherland 99.7 2SSR Community Radio Community 26 September 1992
2SWR Blacktown 99.9 SWR FM Community Radio Community 27 September 2003
2HHH Hornsby 100.1 Triple H 100.1 Community Radio Community 2000
2MCR Campbelltown 100.3 2MCR Community Radio Community 22 August 1989
2RPH Sydney East 100.5 RPH Print Radio Radio Reading Service Community 18 April 1983
2WOW Penrith 100.7 Wow FM Community Radio Community June 2001
2BAC 2BACR 100.9 BFM 100.9 Community Radio Community 1983
2MBS Sydney 102.5 Fine Music Sydney* Classical/Jazz/Blues Community 15 December 1974
2CBA Sydney 103.2 Hope 103.2 Contemporary Christian Community 5 March 1979
2SER Sydney 107.3 2SER* Community Radio Community 1 October 1979
Sydney 87.6 Mood FM Narrowcast
Brookvale 87.6 Raw FM Dance Narrowcast December 1999
Penrith 88.0 My88 80's Music Narrowcast 1 January 2021
Penrith / Camden 88.7 Vintage FM Oldies Narrowcast 1 January 2009
Hawkesbury / Nepean / Blue Mountains 87.6 / 87.8 River FM 87.6 Country Narrowcast 1993
Sydney 87.8 Radio Austral Spanish Narrowcast 27 June 1992
Bondi 88.0 Bondi FM Narrowcast

Digital radio

Digital radio in Australia uses the DAB+ standard and is available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Darwin.[7] The national government owned networks, the ABC and SBS, and the commercial radio stations in each market provide many of their services and a few digital-only services on the digital platform. Australia uses the AAC+ codec provided with upgraded DAB+ standard.[8][9]

Type Short Label Branding Format Bit-Rate Ensemble
Audio ABC NEWS ABC NEWS News 48 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio Double J Double J Other Music 80 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABC Jazz ABC Jazz Jazz Music 80 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABCCntry ABC Country Country Music 80 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABC KIDS ABC KIDS listen Varied 72 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABC SYD ABC SYDNEY News 64 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABCRNat ABCRadioNational Current Affairs 64 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABC Clas ABC Classic Serious Classical 80 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio ABCGstd ABC Grandstand Sport 40 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio triple j Triple J Pop Music 80 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio Unearth Triple J Unearthed Other Music 72 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio SBS 1 SBS Radio 1 National Music 40 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio SBS 2 SBS Radio 2 National Music 40 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio SBS 3 SBS Radio 3 National Music 48 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio Chill SBS Chill National Music 72 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio PopAsia SBS PopAsia National Music 72 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio PopDesi SBS PopDesi National Music 64 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio Arabic24 SBS Arabic24 News 48 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Data ABC EPG ABC-SBS EPG - 8 kbit/s SY ABC&sbs RADIO
Audio 2SM 2SM Talk & Sport News 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio Gorilla GorillaDanceHits Dance 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio ZOO ZOO MusicVariety Pop Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio Dance Dance Super Digi Pop Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio FUN FUN Classic Hits Classic Hits 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio Triple M Triple M Rock Music 56 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio MMM104.9 MMM104.9 TRIPLEM Rock Music 56 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio MMMCLASS MMM CLASSIC ROCK Rock Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio MMMGREAT MMM GREATEST Rock Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio MMMAUS MMM AUSSIE Rock Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2DayFM 2DayFM Pop Music 56 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2DayEasy 2Day Easy Pop Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2DayBudd 2Day Buddha Chill Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2DayOlds 2Day Oldskool Pop Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2DayUrba 2Day Urban Pop Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2UE 2UE Music 80 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio NTS News Talk Sport Sport 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio SkySprt1 SkySportsRadio1 Racing 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio SkySprt2 SkySportsRadio2 Racing 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio SkyTbred Sky Tbred Cent Racing 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio Fine Mus Fine Music Serious Classical 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio Koori Koori Radio Culture 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2RPH 2RPH Digital Information 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio 2TripleO 2TripleO 985 Culture 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 1
Audio WSFM1017 WSFM 1017 Classic Hits 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio WSFM 80s WSFM 80s Classic Hits 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio KIIS1065 KIIS 1065 Pop Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio The Edge The Edge Pop Music 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio KIIS 90s KIIS 90s Pop Music 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio CW Remix CW Remix Pop Music 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio ELFRadio ELF Radio Christmas Music 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio Kids Kinderling Kids Children's Programmes 32 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio smoothfm smooth fm 95.3 Easy Listening Music 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio Relax Smooth Relax Chill Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio Nova 969 Nova 969 Pop Music 112 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio Coles Coles Radio Pop Music 40 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio 2GB 2GB 873 News 128 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio 2CH 1170 2CH 1170 Oldies Music 128 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio MMMCNTRY MMM COUNTRY Country Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio Hope Hope 1032 Other Music 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio InspireD Inspire Digital Religion 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio 2SER 2SER 107.3 Education 64 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio 2MFM 2MFM Muslim DR Religion 48 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2
Audio FBi FBi Radio Other Music 56 kbit/s DAB+ Sydney 2

See also

References

  1. ^ Griffen-Foley, Bridget (2008). "Commercial radio". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  2. ^ Roger Meyer. "The Role of Coastal Radio Stations in the Early Days of Communications With Aircraft". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. ^ Australian Radio History, Bruce Carty, Sydney, 2011
  4. ^ Australasian radio: A Chronology of the first 60 years (2004)
  5. ^ Our Story : SBS Corporate SBS Corporation
  6. ^ Final Radio Ratings of 2016
  7. ^ Canberra digital radio trial update Archived 2 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine, 14 July 2010, Digital Radio Plus
  8. ^ Commercial Radio Australia: The Future Archived 25 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Digital Radio Plus". Retrieved 13 August 2016.

External links

Radio stations in Sydney
Categories