2BE (Sydney)
2BE was Sydney's and Australia's first officially recognised commercial radio station,[1] commencing broadcasting on 7 November 1924.[2] It broadcast on the medium wave band at 870 kHz, with a power of 100 watts.[3]
| Broadcast area | Sydney |
|---|---|
| Frequency | |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Rowley Bergin, Bergin Electric Company |
| History | |
First air date | 7 November 1924 |
Last air date | 6 November 1929 |
Former frequencies |
|
Call sign meaning | Bergin Electric |
Background
The station was owned and operated by the Burgin Electric Company, owned by Rowley Burgin, and 2BE was managed by Oswald Francis (Ossie) Mingay.[4][5][3]
2BE held a Radio Dance Night on 23 December 1925, in aid of cancer research. On 3 March 1927 the station broadcast from the Radio and Electrical Exhibition at the Sydney Town Hall.[3]
In 1927, 2BE was off the air for a few months on account of a fire.[3]
The station only broadcast on two days per week, for at least the first two years.[5] It closed exactly five years after opening, on 6 November 1929.[6][3]
After Closure
On 30 November 1937, the 2BE call-sign was re-allocated to 2BE Bega, New South Wales, which now broadcasts as 2EC.
2BE's 870 kHz wavelength was allocated to another Sydney station, 2GB.
See also
References
- Some radio historians dispute that 2BE was the first commercial station, giving the title to 2CM
- R R Walker, The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia, The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1973
- Carty, Bruce, On the Air: Australian Radio History, privately published, 2011, Gosford, N.S.W.
- Biography – Oswald Francis (Ossie) Mingay – Australian Dictionary of Biography
- Griffen-Foley, Bridget, Changing Stations: The Story of Australian Commercial Radio, UNSW Press, 2009, Sydney
- Walker, R.R., The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia, 1973, The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne