Melbourne’s 1377 3MP celebrates 30 years of broadcasting on Saturday July 22.
The milestone will be marked on-air with a special day of programming featuring recollections from the original 3MP announcing team – John Burgess, (Breakfast), Dean Matters (Drive), Glen Knight (midnight to dawn) – and Mike Walsh (from the first 3MP Board of Directors).
Musically, the station will celebrate with some of the big hits from their birth-year, 1976 , plus, play some of the original 3MP “Bay City Radio” jingles and sprinkle in some of the classic radio ads from 1976.
Issuing 3MP’s licence was one of the final acts of the Whitlam Government. A telegram sent on behalf of Media Minister, Moss Cass, advising Mornington Peninsula Broadcasters Ltd that its licence application had been successful, was received on Friday November 7, 1975.
Four days later, the Whitlam government was out of business … and 3MP was up and running.
After a series of test transmissions, 3MP officially went to air at 6am on Thursday July 22, 1976.
The first record played was Sherbert’s “Howzat”, slightly nervously back-announced by breakfast announcer “Baby” John Burgess.
The other members of the “Day One” announcing line-up were:
Mornings: Brian Bury
Afternoon: Richard Coombe
Drive: Dean Matters
Nights: Richard Perno (currently producer/anchor “Charles Woolley Across Australia”)
Mid/dawn: Glen Knight (now hosting the Saturday fishing show on 1116 SEN) and Gary Newton (now the voice of the Clive Peters radio & TV ads).
Over the past 30 years, the 3MP line-up has featured some of Melbourne’s most popular radio personalities, including Keith McGowan (who’s morning show knocked a formerly invincible Bert Newton off the top of the ratings), Denis Walter, Margaret Ingram(Peacock), Greg Evans, Andrew McLaren and Anne Gilding.
Today, the 3MP team of Shawn Cosgrove (Breakfast), Jane Holmes (Morning), Peter Tarnawski (Drive), Steve Curtis (nights & weekends) and Geoff Cox (Saturday nights) takes “Melbourne’s Home of Easy Listening” into its fourth decade.
Below…an early ad for the line up at the end of the first year and a group pic of the first Board of Directors of Mornington Peninsula Broadcasters Ltd, celebrating the success of their radio licence application.
The company was founded by Norm Spencer (former Channel 9 Executive and Mornington Peninsula resident), Mike Walsh (Ch 9 personality and Mornington Peninsula resident), Brian Rangott (former Ch 9 Musical Director) and Joff Ellen(Ch 9 personality). His name IS spelled “Ellen”, not “Allen” as the caption on the photo would suggest.
