A number of original staff members of radio station 2CC are coming together in Canberra to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the station on Friday October 31 1975.
General Manager Nick Erby as 2CC went to air on October 31, 1975
In the early 70s 2CC was one of a number of new commercial AM licences granted by the Whitlam Government, after a long period of no expansion of the commercial radio sector. 2CC came into a quickly growing market of young families, drawn to Canberra by the expansion of the public service.
At that point in the National capital, 2CA was operating as the only commercial station servicing the market, doing “all things for all people”.
Paul Ramsden doing the first Breakfast show
2CC’s young staff, with a competitive Top 40 mindset created a music based, community involvement format which went to #1 six months after that launch with an audience share of 51% – greater than the combined total of all the other stations.
This was repeated the two following years.
As a result, Billboard Magazine named 2CC “International Station of the Year” and runner-up in it’s “Grand Station of the Year” award.
2CC was independently owned by a group of Canberra investors who beat out six other applicants for the licence building a reputation through strong community engagement, local promotions and support for local events, some promoted directly by the station.
On Friday October 31:
Staff who worked at 2CC during it’s first iteration (with Nick Erby as GM) will celebrate the opening of 2CC twice.
At 7.00am the current 2CC management will host a barbecue breakfast as it plays some of the highlights of first hour of broadcast, which included the official opening by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
This will be followed by an “Originals Reunion” lunch where over 50 old staffers will gather to remember that uniquely exciting period in their lives when a locally owned station with a young staff of adventurous broadcasters made history which has never been matched in Australian commercial radio.
Additional editor’s note – The funeral of Kevin Blyton, the owner of the Capital Radio Network and 2CC, is to be held the day prior, at 11am on Thursday October 30, 2025 at St Columbkille Church, 24 Kosciuszko Rd, Jindabyne, NSW 2627. All are welcome to attend with further details here: https://radioinfo.com.au/news/vale-kevin-blyton-commercial-radio-has-been-very-good-to-me/