3UZ is the official callsign of a medium-wave radio station

Radio station

Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...

 in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 which broadcasts under the name Radio Sport National.

History

3UZ was founded by electrical engineer Oliver John Nilsen

Oliver John Nilsen

Oliver John Nilsen CBE JP was a businessman and Lord Mayor of Melbourne.-Background:Born in Collingwood, Nilsen was educated at Rathdowne Street State School, Carlton and the Working Men's College. On 4 September 1907 Nilsen married Ethel Margaret Williams at the Fitzroy Presbyterian Church. In...

 CBE, who was later to become a Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Known as "O.J.", Nilsen had created an electrical business, Oliver J. Nilsen & Co. (later Oliver J. Nilsen (Australia) Ltd) in 1916, manufacturing electric jugs, kettles, toasters, crystal sets and radios.

On 6 February 1925 Nilsen was granted a broadcasting licence and in March 3UZ commenced operations as "The Voice of Victoria" from 45 Bourke Street. Keith Cooke was engaged as chief announcer, and first night artists included Leslie Dobson, George Cowley, Dulcie Cherry, and Gertrude Hutton. After the launch, Listener-In magazine remarked that the station :

"...
has received many favourable comments from Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales, and many remote country districts in Victoria on its transmission."

3UZ had Victoria's first "B-class" licence, permitting it to broadcast
paid advertisements. At the time, other stations were dependent on subscriptions. In 1929, 3UZ along with 3DB

3DB

Mix 101.1 is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. Its target demographic is the under 25-54 yr old age group. Mix 101.1 is part of the Australian Radio Mix Network and broadcasts on the 101.1 MHz frequency...

 participated in experimental television broadcasts using the Radiovision system.

Originally on a frequency of 930 kHz, 3UZ later moved to 927 kHz in 1978 with the implementation of 9 kHz spacing on the AM band.

For the next sixty years the station achieved consistent top ratings as "The Greater 3UZ", with stars including Smoky Dawson

Smoky Dawson

Smoky Dawson, MBE , born Herbert Henry Dawson, was an Australian country music performer. He was widely touted as Australia's first singing cowboy.-Biography:...

, John McMahon, "Nikki" Whitta, Graham Kennedy

Graham Kennedy

Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...

, Happy Hammond

Happy Hammond

Harry "Happy" Hammond was an Australian comedian and children's show host.Happy was famous for his bright personality and wearing a tartan suit and hat, sometimes referred to as his "test pattern" outfit, that clashed awfully in real life but worked well on black and white TV...

, Allan Lappan, Don Lunn, Ken Sparkes, John Vertigan, Neil Thompson, Don Lane

Don Lane

Don Lane , born Morton Donald Isaacson, was an American-born talk show host and singer. Don Lane is best known for hosting The Don Lane Show, which was aired on The Nine Network in Australia from 1975 to 1983....

 and Bert Newton

Bert Newton

Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...

.

1985 sale to ENT

In 1985 the Nilsen family sold 3UZ for $9.2 million to Launceston

Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...

 (Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

) media company ENT Ltd., associated with the controversial figure Edmund Rouse.

Radio Sport 927

The station was sold in 1986 to a horse and greyhound racing group and in 1996 changed its on-air identification to Radio Sport 927

Sport 927

Radio Sport National is a Melbourne based radio network dedicated to covering horse and greyhound racing. While much of the station is dedicated to Gallops, Harness and greyhound racing, it does also cover other sports....

.

Programmes

A handful of programme titles from 3UZ's history:

• Bolero
• Clancy Of The Overflow
• Crosbie Morrison Session
• Dan Dare
• Grouches and Appreciations
• Harry Dearth's Playhouse
• Hymn For The Day
• Newsbeat
  News Beat reported motor vehicle accidents in Melbourne, with audio recorded at the scene, interviewing witnesses and tow-truck drivers and typically ending with "... and here is the police report". Eventually, Newsbeat reporter Neil Thompson attended a fatal accident which turned out be his own son's. In later years, the program broadened its focus to include any calls made on emergency services - ambulance, fire police. It was broadcast on Sunday mornings, with the tagline "this was Melbourne, overnight". In the 1980s, it was hosted by Paul Makin.
• Portia
• Radio Auditions
  Hosted by Johnny McMahon, Radio Auditions was an extraordinarily long-lived talent show in which participants were awarded up to three "gongs". By the late 1960s it had become a rather sad affair, with Shirley Radford heroically attempting to provide piano accompaniment to nervous persons whose ambitions exceeded their talent. Entertainer Barry Crocker
  Barry Crocker
  Barry Hugh Crocker OAM is a popular Australian singer, with a crooning vocal style.-Biography:...
  
   first appeared on the programme as did Jamie Redfern who went on to appear with Shirley Radford on HSV-7
  HSV-7
  HSV is a television station in Melbourne. It is part of the Seven Network, one of the three main commercial television networks in Australia, and its first and oldest station, having been launched in time for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne....
  
  s "Brian and The Juniors". Shirley Radford was best known for her showcasing talented musicians. Launching the career for none other than Roselyn Della Sabina.
• Tailwaggers’ Club
• The Early Risers’ Club
• Who’s Who In Rhythm

External links

• biography of Oliver John Nilsen
• Nilsen company website
• 80 years of the Greater 3UZ(archived page at web.archive.org, retrieved 1 December 2001)
• video of 3UZ tower demolition
• "Penelope"
• 1970 ad featuring DJ Don Lunn