3MBS
Encyclopedia
3MBS was the first FM radio station
in Victoria, Australia, and began transmitting to Melbourne
and surrounding areas on the 1st of July 1975. Since then it has operated successfully as a non-profit community-based organisation broadcasting classical and jazz music. 3MBS also led the way for the introduction of community radio
in Australia back in 1968.
3MBS supports local music and art as part of its commitment to develop and foster Melbourne’s cultural identity. Some 200 dedicated volunteers, along with a small staff, give their time, energy and passion to the station, delivering fine music to listeners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
through the late '50s and '60s led to a reduction in the amount of classical music
played on the ABC and commercial radio stations in Australia
. Up until the early 1950s most radio stations employed orchestra
s to play music which included classical music. By the 1960s, only the ABC supported its own orchestra. But even the ABC had dramatically reduced the amount of classical music on air.
A music fan and radio engineer, Brian Cabena, was unhappy about being unable to listen to the music he liked on the radio - and he did something about it. After much unsuccessful lobbying of radio stations, he turned his attention to the government. He argued that if the existing stations were not willing to program for classical music fans, the government should licence new stations that would.
In 1968, Cabena wrote a letter to The Age
calling a meeting of anyone interested in pursuing the idea of a listener-run classical music radio station. 200 people turned up and the Music Broadcasting Society (MBS) of Victoria was born. The group spent years lobbying the government for what they called "listener controlled" radio.
The government rejected their approaches. The initial response from the government was that the AM
band was full and the existing stations catered for the majority of listener needs. But Brian Cabena was persistent and eventually convinced the government that the FM
band would work for metropolitan-wide broadcasting.
After a change of government in 1972, public, or what is now termed community broadcasting got off the ground. People from the Melbourne MBS station travelled to Sydney and started up a Sydney MBS, 2MBS, which had the same aims: for people who liked classical music to volunteer to operate a radio station that would principally broadcast classical music.
2MBS
went to air in late 1974 and Brian Cabena got 3MBS to air in July 1975. This extraordinary effort led to the development of a range of community radio stations catering for diverse interests across the country.
At 6.30pm in July 1975, 3MBS played Carl Orff
's Carmina Burana
as its first licensed broadcast
. It was not only the first community broadcaster to be heard in Victoria, but also the first radio station in the State to transmit on the newly established FM band.
3MBS originally broadcast on 93.7 MHz on the FM band before moving to its current position of 103.5 MHz in 1988 when a number of Melbourne FM radio stations were assigned new frequencies.
The station was able to operate through subscription (initially set at $10 per annum) contributed by all those who shared the need to have a station in Melbourne broadcasting classical music.
The advent of ABC-FM in 1976 caused a drop in the number of subscribers to 3MBS. However, as people realised that they could have the best of both worlds, by switching from one station to the other in order to hear music to which they wished to listen, the subscriber base moved upwards again, so that by the 1980s 3MBS was financially secure.
Apart from the broad spectrum of music presented, 3MBS has actively encouraged and supported the endeavours of local musicians, recording and later broadcasting their concerts and recitals. It also conducts a Musicians-in-Residence programme, a Daily Arts Diary and Accidental Arts programme.
Article sourced with permission from the 3MBS-FM website
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 Victoria, Australia, and began transmitting to 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...
and surrounding areas on the 1st of July 1975. Since then it has operated successfully as a non-profit community-based organisation broadcasting classical and jazz music. 3MBS also led the way for the introduction of community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
in Australia back in 1968.
3MBS supports local music and art as part of its commitment to develop and foster Melbourne’s cultural identity. Some 200 dedicated volunteers, along with a small staff, give their time, energy and passion to the station, delivering fine music to listeners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
History
The increasing popularity of rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
through the late '50s and '60s led to a reduction in the amount of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
played on the ABC and commercial radio stations in 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...
. Up until the early 1950s most radio stations employed orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s to play music which included classical music. By the 1960s, only the ABC supported its own orchestra. But even the ABC had dramatically reduced the amount of classical music on air.
A music fan and radio engineer, Brian Cabena, was unhappy about being unable to listen to the music he liked on the radio - and he did something about it. After much unsuccessful lobbying of radio stations, he turned his attention to the government. He argued that if the existing stations were not willing to program for classical music fans, the government should licence new stations that would.
In 1968, Cabena wrote a letter to The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
calling a meeting of anyone interested in pursuing the idea of a listener-run classical music radio station. 200 people turned up and the Music Broadcasting Society (MBS) of Victoria was born. The group spent years lobbying the government for what they called "listener controlled" radio.
The government rejected their approaches. The initial response from the government was that the AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
band was full and the existing stations catered for the majority of listener needs. But Brian Cabena was persistent and eventually convinced the government that the FM
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"...
band would work for metropolitan-wide broadcasting.
After a change of government in 1972, public, or what is now termed community broadcasting got off the ground. People from the Melbourne MBS station travelled to Sydney and started up a Sydney MBS, 2MBS, which had the same aims: for people who liked classical music to volunteer to operate a radio station that would principally broadcast classical music.
2MBS
2MBS
2MBS FM is a Sydney music radio station operated by the Music Broadcasting Society of New South Wales Co-Operative Limited.Launched in 15 December 1974, it is Australia's first fully licensed FM radio station....
went to air in late 1974 and Brian Cabena got 3MBS to air in July 1975. This extraordinary effort led to the development of a range of community radio stations catering for diverse interests across the country.
At 6.30pm in July 1975, 3MBS played Carl Orff
Carl Orff
Carl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
's Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
as its first licensed broadcast
Broadcast
Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...
. It was not only the first community broadcaster to be heard in Victoria, but also the first radio station in the State to transmit on the newly established FM band.
3MBS originally broadcast on 93.7 MHz on the FM band before moving to its current position of 103.5 MHz in 1988 when a number of Melbourne FM radio stations were assigned new frequencies.
The station was able to operate through subscription (initially set at $10 per annum) contributed by all those who shared the need to have a station in Melbourne broadcasting classical music.
The advent of ABC-FM in 1976 caused a drop in the number of subscribers to 3MBS. However, as people realised that they could have the best of both worlds, by switching from one station to the other in order to hear music to which they wished to listen, the subscriber base moved upwards again, so that by the 1980s 3MBS was financially secure.
Support for local music
From the early '90s, 3MBS took its charter to support local music seriously. In association with the Music Society of Victoria, the station developed the 3MBS Young Performers Award. In the year 2000, it developed a National Composer Award.Apart from the broad spectrum of music presented, 3MBS has actively encouraged and supported the endeavours of local musicians, recording and later broadcasting their concerts and recitals. It also conducts a Musicians-in-Residence programme, a Daily Arts Diary and Accidental Arts programme.
Article sourced with permission from the 3MBS-FM website