Fifty years ago today, the strains of Sherbet’s hit song Howzat rang out through the studios of 3MP in Frankston’s Bayside Shopping Centre, heralding the birth of what would become one of Melbourne’s most beloved AM radio stations.
3MP launched on July 22nd, 1976 with John Burgess, Brian Bury, Richard Coombe, Dean Matters and Richard Perno all part of its on-air lineup.
Half a century, several iterations and seven major ownership changes later, today the ACE Radio Network station is looking back on the journey thus far.
When ACE took over 3MP in 2020, it wasn’t 3MP. It was SEN Track.
ACE Radio’s Chief Operating Officer Grant Johnstone – himself a former Frankston boy – says 3MP was a big part of the reason he got into radio in the first place.
Johnstone recalls hearing the station first go to air.
“I remember going up to the old Bayside Shopping centre.”
“Working here was almost like a homecoming for me. It’s actually a bit surreal to be involved in the station which really sparked my whole interest in radio back in the day.”
3MP initially broadcast on an AM frequency of 1380 kHz, but would later change to 1377.
“When it launched, it was very much focused on the Mornington Peninsula, even though its broadcast licence area is the same as all the other Melbourne stations,” says Johnstone.
Despite being based well outside Melbourne’s CBD, 3MP was widely considered the city’s seventh commercial radio station – and was the first new commercial licence since the launch of 3XY in 1935.
3MP’s original format was adult contemporary music blending solid gold and current top 40 records – targeting a older demographic than Melbourne’s market leading station at the time, 3XY.
For a brief time in the late 1970s, 3MP was Melbourne’s #1 station. Then, as the FM stations started to make their presence felt, their AM music counterparts began to lose ground.
By the mid-eighties, 3MP had switched to an easy listening format.
In 2002, the station relocated its studios from Frankston to inner suburban Richmond, sharing its digs with 3AK.
Then in 2009, as part of a joint-venture agreement, 3MP programming on 1377 AM was replaced by the ill-fated MTR – Melbourne Talk Radio.
The easy listening music format continued via MyMP on DAB+.
Within a few short years, the MTR venture had gone into administration.
The station began rebroadcasting SEN’s cricket coverage. MyMP returned to the 1377 AM frequency shortly thereafter.
In 2016, the station relaunched as Classic Rock Radio. Then, in July 2020, the station was relaunched again as 3MP, returning to an easy listening music format.
ACE Radio CEO Mark Taylor (pictured above) says 3MP has evolved in more ways than one.
“It’s become almost like a full service agency for clients. We do digital marketing for people, we build websites and we do their radio.”
Back in its Mornington Peninsula heartland, the station today is proudly and fiercely local.
3MP’s ‘Easy Music’ positioning statement was dropped a few months ago and changed to ‘Melbourne and the Peninsula’s Best Music.’
“That gives us just a little more scope to tinker with he playlist,” says Taylor.
The station will celebrate the milestone with a collection of audio pieces prepared by 3MP Breakfast announcer Dave Ferguson, to be played on air throughout the day.
Tonight, more than 100 people will attend a special celebratory event being held in conjunction with the Frankston Business Chamber at the Frankston Arts Centre.
Below is a link to a selection of classic 3MP audio.
Images: ACE Radio Network, Facebook and supplied. Audio with thanks to Frank Iuston.