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| Broadcast area | Newcastle RA1[1] |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1143kHzAM |
| Branding | 2HD |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | News talk,classic hits |
| Affiliations | Super Radio Network (AM Network) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| New FM | |
| History | |
First air date | 27 January 1925 (1925-1-27)[2] |
Call sign meaning | 2 – New South Wales HughDouglas |
| Technical information | |
| Power | 2kW |
| Translator(s) | 97.5 FMPort Stephens & 90.5 FM Lake Macquarie |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
2HD is an Australian radio station in New South Wales. Owned and operated as part of theSuper Radio Network of stations, it currently broadcasts anews talk andclassic hits format toNewcastle, New South Wales and theHunter Valley. First broadcast on 27 January 1925, it was established by founder Harry Douglas – from which the station derives its name – and is based in studios inSandgate alongside sister stationNew FM.
2HD is Australia's second-oldest existing radio station, first going to air just hours afterSydney's2UE.
2HD began broadcasting on 27 January 1925, a day after2UE inSydney began operations. The station's call sign was the initials of the founder, Hugh Alexander McKay Douglas (known as Harry), not "Hunter District" as is commonly believed. Douglas was a man ahead of his time. He had been a keen amateur radio enthusiast for some years prior to 1925, and an alderman on the Newcastle City Council from 1919 to 1922. He was also the first person to own a sulky and car tyre retreading business in Newcastle, as well as having the first petrol station in Newcastle with abowser.
The radio station was originally situated in the Newcastle suburb ofHamilton, but soon after moved to the corner of Darby and King Streets (Douglas's tyre business address). Douglas sold the station to William Johnston in 1928, who sold the station to the "Airsales Broadcasting Company" in 1930. Airsales owned the company for 10 years, and was responsible for the move to its landmark studio building inSandgate, which was the home of 2HD for nearly 50 years. Although the building is now very different, the middle section is still the 1931 building.
Under controversial circumstances duringWorld War II, 2HD was closed in 1941, under theNational Security Regulations. At the time, the station was owned by theJehovah's Witnesses[3] and around 25 staff were employed. Stories circulated that the owners were sending covert messages to enemy agents, based on the names and times of the music being played.[3] 2HD remained silent until near the end of the war, when theAustralian Labor Party and theLabor Council of New South Wales bought the station, resuming transmissions on 15 January 1945.[4]
One of 2HD's notable personalities in the 1930s was "Uncle" Rex Sinclair, who continued to perform on local radio and stage until shortly before his death in 2001.
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 ofJim Storey, with his wifeTwink acting as program director and on-air personality.[5] Other announcers during this time included Harry Randall,Stuart Dibbley andTom Delaney.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, 2HD was one of the founding shareholders of local television stationNBN Television.
2HD broadcast in the popularThe Good Guys of Life format, also used by other stations, including2SMSydney. 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 andCliff Musgrave. Towards the end of this period, announcerGeoff Gregory joined the station, but was better known as a program director, and host of the Sunday night programCountry Sounds.
After theGood Guys era ended, 2HD transmitted other formats includingEasy Alternative andcountry. 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, andPremierNeville Wran opened the building in 1977.
In the late 1970s and 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, but it accomplished its first number-one ratings success in 1987, after adopting a strong news and talk format. Factors in the success were the recruitment of2KO's Pat Barton to present the breakfast program, along withWarwick Teece, whose Openline program was a huge success. General Manager David Baldwin was a key part of the station's revival, guiding the team to the top of the ratings. The coverage of the1989 Newcastle earthquake by the news team, led by Tony Briscoe, won the station a National Radio Award. The 1990s 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 eight consecutive years of survey wins, 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 had added theJohn Laws Morning Show to its line-up, which remained until Laws' departure from2UE in 2007. He was replaced bySteve Price and, later,Steve Liebmann, until Laws moved to network station2SM in 2011, and was syndicated to rest of the Super Radio Network.
Until 2006, the station broadcast coverage ofNewcastle KnightsNational Rugby League (NRL) games, then syndicated from theMacquarie Radio Network. However, a dispute between BOG, the Macquarie Radio Network and the NRL saw both theContinuous Call Team and the coverage of Knights games go to rival102.9 KOFM.
In 2018,A-League,Super Rugby,NRL andAFL returned to 2HD, with various games called live through the network partnership withCrocmedia.
On 14 May 2021, 2HD recorded its lowest ratings result in its history, recording a percentage of 6.6.
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