2HD

2HD

City of license	Newcastle, New South Wales
Broadcast area	Newcastle RA1
Branding	2HD
Slogan	Newcastle's Home of News & Talk
Frequency	1143 kHz AM
Translator(s)	97.5 FM Port Stephens
First air date	27 January 1925 (1925-01-27)
Format	News talk, classic hits
Language(s)	English
Audience share	10.5% (7 August 2015, GfK)
Power	2 kW
Callsign meaning	2 - New South Wales Hugh Douglas
Affiliations	Super Radio Network (AM Network)
Owner	Broadcast Operations Group (2HD Broadcasters Pty Ltd)
Sister stations	105.3 New FM
Website	Official website

2HD is an Australian radio station in New South Wales. Owned and operated as part of the Super Radio Network of stations, it currently broadcasts a news talk and classic hits format to Newcastle, New South Wales and the surrounding Hunter region. First broadcast on 27 January 1925, it was established by founder Hugh Douglas - from which the station derives its name - and is based in studios in Sandgate alongside sister station New FM.

History

1925-1945

2HD began broadcasting on 27 January 1925, a day after Sydney's 2UE began operations. The station's call sign are the initials of the founder, Hugh (known as Harry) Douglas, not "Hunter District" as commonly believed. Douglas was a keen amateur radio enthusiast for some years prior to 1925, and an Alderman on the Newcastle City Council from 1919 to 1922. Harry's full name was Hugh Alexander McKay Douglas. He was also the first person to own a sulky and car tyre (retreading) business in Newcastle as well as having the first bowser petrol station in Newcastle. He was a man ahead of his time.

The station was originally in the suburb of Hamilton, New South Wales, but moved to the corner of Darby and King Streets (to his tyre business address)soon after. Douglas sold the station to William Johnston in 1928, who sold the station to the 'Airsales Broadcasting Company' two years later in 1930. Airsales owned the company for 10 years, and was responsible for the move to its landmark studio building in Sandgate, which was 2HD's home for nearly 50 years. Although the building itself is very different, the middle section of the building is still the 1931 building.

Under controversial circumstances during World War II, 2HD was closed in 1941, under the National Security Regulations. At the time, around 25 staff were employed by the station, and stories claimed that the station's owners were sending covert messages, based on the timing of the music being played etc. 2HD remained silent until near the end of the war when the Australian Labor Party and the Labor Council of New South Wales bought the station, and resumed transmissions on 15 January 1945. One of 2HD's notable personalities of the 1930s was Uncle Rex Sinclair, who continued to perform on local radio and stage until shortly before his death in 2001.

1945-1977

The Labor Party and the NSW Labour Council owned 2HD from 1945 until 1999. For the first 29 years of its ownership, the station was under the management of Jim Storey, with his wife Twink acting as program director and on-air personality. Other announcers during this time included Harry Randall, Stuart Dibbley and Tom Delaney.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 2HD was one of the founding shareholders of local television station NBN Television.

2HD broadcast in the popular The Good Guys of Life format, also used by other stations, including 2SM Sydney. Presenters during this time included Harry Randall, Tom Delaney, Art Ryan, Haff Enegg, Mal Lamonte, John Hill, Allan McGirvan, Mike Jeffries, Malcolm Elliott, Keith Haerris, Graeme Gilbert, Don Mayo, Rob Maynard and Cliff Musgrave. Towards the end of this period, announcer Geoff Gregory joined the station, but was better known as a program director, and host of the Sunday night program Country Sounds.

After the Good Guys era ended, 2HD transmitted other formats including Easy Alternative and country. In 1977, the original office building on Maitland Road Sandgate was closed. Several years prior to that, the building was gradually being demolished, starting with the destruction of the original transmitter building to make way for a dual carriageway along Maitland Road in 1964. The increased traffic and the location of the road near the old building was taking its toll. A new administration building, nicknamed "the submarine" was built, and NSW Premier Neville Wran opened the building in 1977.

1977-today

In the late 1970s-early 1980s, the station was the subject of a takeover bid from NBN, which resulted in a shake-up in ownership at the television station, and the bid was eventually rejected.

For decades after the end of the "Good Guys" era, the station's ratings were in the doldrums, however, the station accomplished its first number one ratings success in 1987, after adopting a strong news and talk format. Factors in this success were the recruitment of 2KO's Pat Barton to present their breakfast program, and Warwick Teece, whose Openline program was a huge success. Program Director Peter Butler was a key part of the station's success, guiding the team to the top of the ratings. The coverage of the Newcastle Earthquake in 1989 by the news team, led by Tony Briscoe, won the station a National Radio Award. The 90's saw 2HD confirm its place as the top rating station in Newcastle, led by the breakfast team of David Collins and Tanya Wilks who notched up over 8 years of consecutive survey wins, and supported by Geoff Jay and Richard King.

The station expanded, following the purchase of local FM station New FM in 1995, which resulted in internal remodelling of the building. In 1999, the NSW Labor Party and NSW Labour Council sold the station to Bill Caralis.

In 1997, the station added the John Laws Morning Show to its lineup, which it remained until his departure of 2UE in 2007. He was replaced by Steve Price (broadcaster), and later Steve Liebman, until Laws moved to network station 2SM in 2011 and was syndicated to rest of the Super Radio Network.

Until 2006, the station also broadcast coverage of Newcastle Knights games, then syndicated from Macquarie Radio Network. However, following a dispute between BOG, Macquarie Radio Network and the National Rugby League (NRL) saw both the Continuous Call Team and Knights games go to rival 102.9 KOFM.

Programming

Monday-Friday

• Talk Overnight with Gary Stewart (12am to 5am)
• Early Breakfast with Grant Goldman (5am to 5:30am from 2SM Sydney)
• Breakfast Show with Richard King (5:30am to 9am)
• John Laws Morning Show (9am to 12pm from 2SM Sydney)
• Brent Bultitude in the Afternoon (On Air from 12pm to 4pm - 3pm)
• Talkin' Sport (4pm to 7pm from 2SM Sydney)
• Talk Tonight with Graeme Gilbert (7pm to 12am from 2SM Sydney)

Saturday

• Talk Overnight (12am to 4am)
• Hi-Tide Fishing Show (Saturday mornings 4am to 6am)
• Poppy Savakis (7am to 12pm)
• Sports (12pm - 2pm)
• Dean Mackin (2pm to 5pm)
• Gamenight NRL (5pm to 6pm from 2SM Sydney)
• Carter Edwards Country (6pm to 12am)

Sunday

• Talk Overnight with David Gubbay (12am to 4am)
• Hi-Tide Fishing Show (Sunday mornings 4am to 7am)
• Rex Hunt (7am - 7:30am)
• Sports (7:30am - 8am)
• Pete Davis Sunday Morning (8am to 11am)
• Sports (11am to 12pm)
• Straight Talk With Poppy Savakis (12pm to 6pm from 2SM Sydney)
• Carter Edwards Country (6pm to 12am)

See also

• List of Australian radio stations
• Broadcast Operations Group

External links

• Official website