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K-Rock (Australia)
Encyclopedia
95.5 K-Rock is a commercial FM
radio station
based in Geelong, Australia
. K-Rock operates a mainstream Top 40 rock-inclined playlist.
In 2011 the on-air line-up consists of "The B Team" (breakfast) (Leroy Brown / Paul "chicken" Dyer / Kelli Paun), Kelli (9am-2pm), The Departure Lounge (2pm - 6pm). Overnight shows include "World Party" Saturday nights and "Homebrew" Sunday nights.
K-Rock's football coverage mainly consists of Australian Football League
matches involving the Geelong Football Club
. Commentators include Anthony Mithen
, Andrew Bews
and Tom King.
K-Rock shares transmitter facilities with sister station Bay FM (along with 94.7 The Pulse and 96.3 Rhema FM) - broadcasting from a high-powered transmitter on top of Murradoc Hill on the Bellarine Peninsula. The licence area covers the Greater Geelong area, Werribee and Western Melbourne, The Golden Plains, and the Surfcoast. K-Rock also streams online via their website.
3GL gave Happy Hammond
his start in broadcasting in 1948 as a breakfast announcer. While at 3GL, Happy also made his first TV appearance in 1948, long before the Tarax show
, as part of an exhibition using closed-circuit TV equipment for trial purposes.
3GL has been the home of many well known names who formerly worked in Melbourne including Gene Fisk, Don Lunn and Denis Scanlan. Other well known and loved Announcers included Gary Newton, Tim Hind, Rod Poynter and Don Crawford. The station was well known for its "3GL on the West Coast" slogan and associated jingles, many sung by Mike Brady
of "Up There Cazaly
" fame.
For many years, 3GL was based in James Street Geelong but relocated after being granted the right to convert to the FM band in 1990.
3GL was offered an FM conversion upon the entry to the Geelong market of competitor BAY FM. 3GL converted to FM to allow equal competition in the Geelong regional market, with the management of the former Geelong AM service agreeing to the transfer of service to the FM band in 1990. The station dropped the 3GL call sign in favour of 3CAT, an ID that was proposed by the radio station's head of football commentary Ted Whitten (who at the time was in the early stages of affliction of cancer). 3CAT as a call-sign never made it to air, being changed to K-Rock on the eve of its commencement on the FM band at 95.5 MHz.
Steve Woods {9am to 1pm} achieved the highest ever ratings for the Geelong market.
Other K-Rockers have been Peter Mobbs, John Hood, Rick The Roadie (Simon Dale), Daryl Reader, Dan Veling and Greg Parkinson.
K Rock was also Australia's first FM station to cover AFL football. With a lineup that included Ted Whitten, Sam Kevovich, Billy Brownless and Dwayne Russell, K Rock focused on all Geelong Football Club matches, and was proudly one eyed.
In 1996, K-Rock FM and Bay FM achieved a record 11 RAWARD nominations in the programming area, winning 5 awards – an achievement only equalled that year by Melbourne's Fox FM.
Originally owned by the Hoyts
organisation, which operated the successful Triple M
brand in Australia, K-Rock was sold to Sydney-based Grant Broadcasting in the mid-1990s.
Shortly after this the station purchased the rival Geelong station, 93.9 Bay FM
, moving it from its Ryrie Street studios to co-locate in the K-Rock studios in Moorabool Street Geelong. Both K-Rock and Bay FM now operate from the same studios in Geelong's CBD.
In 2007, K-ROCK celebrated 75 years of broadcasting 3GL and K-ROCK Footy, culminating in a week of broadcasting at various events as the city celebrated the first AFL Premiership victory by the Geelong Football Club in 44 years.
In 2010, K-ROCK underwent a major format change which re-focused the music toward a younger audience and minimised the station's traditional rock base.
"In 2010" Chicken walked out on the Breakfast show over work conditions.
.
Former K-Rock news team members:
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
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...
based in Geelong, 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...
. K-Rock operates a mainstream Top 40 rock-inclined playlist.
In 2011 the on-air line-up consists of "The B Team" (breakfast) (Leroy Brown / Paul "chicken" Dyer / Kelli Paun), Kelli (9am-2pm), The Departure Lounge (2pm - 6pm). Overnight shows include "World Party" Saturday nights and "Homebrew" Sunday nights.
K-Rock's football coverage mainly consists of Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches involving the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
. Commentators include Anthony Mithen
Anthony Mithen
Anthony Mithen is a Melbourne based sports commentator, radio presenter, racehorse owner and breeder.He began his sports journalism career as a cadet at the Geelong Advertiser in 1990, before moving onto The Age newspaper in 1994...
, Andrew Bews
Andrew Bews
Andrew Bews is a former Australian rules footballer who played 282 VFL/AFL games during the 1980s and 90s.Debuting in 1981 after being recruited from North Geelong, Bews played over 200 games for Geelong. A tagger, he earned All Australian selection in 1987.Bews moved to Brisbane in 1994 to play...
and Tom King.
K-Rock shares transmitter facilities with sister station Bay FM (along with 94.7 The Pulse and 96.3 Rhema FM) - broadcasting from a high-powered transmitter on top of Murradoc Hill on the Bellarine Peninsula. The licence area covers the Greater Geelong area, Werribee and Western Melbourne, The Golden Plains, and the Surfcoast. K-Rock also streams online via their website.
3GL
From 1930 to 1990, K-Rock was known as 3GL on the AM band, broadcasting first on 1400 kHz, then 1350 kHz and later 1341 kHz. Although based in Geelong, it was notable for being receivable over most of the Melbourne metropolitan area.3GL gave 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...
his start in broadcasting in 1948 as a breakfast announcer. While at 3GL, Happy also made his first TV appearance in 1948, long before the Tarax show
Tarax Show
The Tarax Show was an early Australian children's TV program on GTV-9 in Melbourne running from 1957 to 1969.Denzil Howson, who was Assistant Programme Manager at GTV9, was asked by Normal Spencer to develop a daily children's programme. A pilot of the show was kinescope recorded onto film...
, as part of an exhibition using closed-circuit TV equipment for trial purposes.
3GL has been the home of many well known names who formerly worked in Melbourne including Gene Fisk, Don Lunn and Denis Scanlan. Other well known and loved Announcers included Gary Newton, Tim Hind, Rod Poynter and Don Crawford. The station was well known for its "3GL on the West Coast" slogan and associated jingles, many sung by Mike Brady
Mike Brady (musician)
Mike Brady is an Australian musician most commonly associated with the Australian rules football anthems "Up There Cazaly", referring to 1920s and 30s St Kilda player Roy Cazaly and "One Day in September". "Up There Cazaly" topped the Australian singles charts in September 1979 and briefly held...
of "Up There Cazaly
Up There Cazaly
"Up There Cazaly" is an Australian sporting catchphrase inspired by former St Kilda and South Melbourne great Roy Cazaly...
" fame.
For many years, 3GL was based in James Street Geelong but relocated after being granted the right to convert to the FM band in 1990.
3GL was offered an FM conversion upon the entry to the Geelong market of competitor BAY FM. 3GL converted to FM to allow equal competition in the Geelong regional market, with the management of the former Geelong AM service agreeing to the transfer of service to the FM band in 1990. The station dropped the 3GL call sign in favour of 3CAT, an ID that was proposed by the radio station's head of football commentary Ted Whitten (who at the time was in the early stages of affliction of cancer). 3CAT as a call-sign never made it to air, being changed to K-Rock on the eve of its commencement on the FM band at 95.5 MHz.
Ex K-Rockers
K Rock's most successful lineup was in the mid-1990s featuring "Dave & Roxie on the Big Mattress" (Dave Gorr, Roxanne Bennett and Brendan Roberts' character voices), Steve Woods (also Program Director), Todd Austin, Frank Fursey & Wazza (Warren Penny). At its peak this lineup delivered record ratings in Geelong, Werribee and Western Melbourne with a blend of Classic Rock, Modern Rock and local personality.Steve Woods {9am to 1pm} achieved the highest ever ratings for the Geelong market.
Other K-Rockers have been Peter Mobbs, John Hood, Rick The Roadie (Simon Dale), Daryl Reader, Dan Veling and Greg Parkinson.
K Rock was also Australia's first FM station to cover AFL football. With a lineup that included Ted Whitten, Sam Kevovich, Billy Brownless and Dwayne Russell, K Rock focused on all Geelong Football Club matches, and was proudly one eyed.
In 1996, K-Rock FM and Bay FM achieved a record 11 RAWARD nominations in the programming area, winning 5 awards – an achievement only equalled that year by Melbourne's Fox FM.
Originally owned by the Hoyts
Hoyts
The Hoyts Group is an Australian company consisting of Hoyts Exhibition, Hoyts Distribution and Val Morgan.Hoyts Exhibition manages 450 screens across 40 Australian and 10 New Zealand cinema complexes; making it Australia's second largest cinema chain. Val Morgan, the cinema advertising arm of the...
organisation, which operated the successful Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
brand in Australia, K-Rock was sold to Sydney-based Grant Broadcasting in the mid-1990s.
Shortly after this the station purchased the rival Geelong station, 93.9 Bay FM
93.9 Bay FM
93.9 Bay FM is a commercial FM radio station based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It commenced broadcasting from an old industrial estate in Corio, Geelong in 1989....
, moving it from its Ryrie Street studios to co-locate in the K-Rock studios in Moorabool Street Geelong. Both K-Rock and Bay FM now operate from the same studios in Geelong's CBD.
In 2007, K-ROCK celebrated 75 years of broadcasting 3GL and K-ROCK Footy, culminating in a week of broadcasting at various events as the city celebrated the first AFL Premiership victory by the Geelong Football Club in 44 years.
In 2010, K-ROCK underwent a major format change which re-focused the music toward a younger audience and minimised the station's traditional rock base.
"In 2010" Chicken walked out on the Breakfast show over work conditions.
K-Rock Newsroom
The K-Rock Newsroom is shared with sister station 93.9 Bay FM93.9 Bay FM
93.9 Bay FM is a commercial FM radio station based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It commenced broadcasting from an old industrial estate in Corio, Geelong in 1989....
.
- Rob McLennan (News Director)
- Victoria Webb-Taylor (Breakfast)
- Tom King (Sport/Fill In)
- Rebecca McDonald (Afternoon/Drive)
Former K-Rock news team members:
- Mark BerettaMark BerettaMark Beretta is an Australian media personality. He is known by the common nickname of Beretts.-Early life and career:Beretta was born in Geelong, Victoria on 16 June 1966. He was educated at St. Joseph's College...
- Nicole Gunn
- Michelle Alexandroviks
- Ian Nicholls
- Chris Carrig
- Dwayne Russell