South Australia’s second oldest radio station 5MU is celebrating its 90th birthday on Monday September 16, and we are all invited.
Radio engineer Frank Miller began broadcasting from a modest shack on the corner of Thomas Street and Eleanor Terrace on September 16, 1934. The current lineup of Adam Connelly, Jennie Lenman, Chris Guscott and Jacquie Irvine-Creaser (main picture) will mark the anniversary by playing archival audio and talking to some of the station’s past stars.
Celebrations start at 6 am with a special edition of Adam and Jennie, with Breakfast Host and Content Director Adam Connelly saying:
“The wonderful Mel Dzelde told me that 5MU listeners are the best in the world. She was right. We love broadcasting to the Murraylands, Hills, and South Coast, and it’s been a love affair for 90 years.”
Former 5MU announcers Keith McCarten, Anne ‘Willsy’ Wills, the late Mel Dee Dzelde, and her husband and announcer Chris Dzelde
The Story of 5MU:
Frank Miller’s early association with communications began as a signaler in World War I, where he contributed to the development of the teletype machine while working with the Signal Corps in the trenches. His work earned him a personal commendation from the King.
After a decade of amateur broadcasting experiments in Murray Bridge, Miller teamed up with a business partner to establish 5MU. With the help of volunteers, he built a 50-watt transmitter and erected wooden masts and an aerial system.
His great-nephew Peter Callow said:
“He built everything from the ground up and apparently, at the beginning, he had a wooden aerial… he used to talk to people from all over the world.”
The station was officially opened on the evening of Saturday, 15 September 1934, by local Minister John Cowan. In 1935, Keith Murdoch’s Advertiser group acquired 5MU, transforming it into a relay station for 5AD Adelaide. The original wooden masts were replaced with a single base-loaded vertical mast.
Miller remained with 5MU until his retirement in 1953. The station’s transmitter, with increased power, was then relocated to Gifford Hill. Frank Miller died in 1954 and is buried in a soldier’s grave at Murray Bridge Cemetery.
The Advertiser group ran 5MU for several decades before it was bought by locals David and Dianne Bean. From 1982 to 1987, the Beans co-owned the station with announcer and Content Director Phil McEvoy.
A sign for 5MU in the 80s
Reflecting on the occasion this week, McEvoy shared some sombre news about his colleague and mentor:
“Sadly, he passed away earlier this week after a long battle with illness, and he’ll be remembered by many of your listeners. He was very active in the community. He drove the radio station to do great things for Murray Bridge, the Adelaide Hills, and Victor Harbor.”
McEvoy recalled an initiative they worked on together, the transformation of the Murray Bridge Festival into the popular Big River Challenge, which brought together sporting groups from across South Australia to compete at Sturt Reserve. He says this “really lifted the town.”
The Big River Challenge in the 80s
The Beans eventually sold the station to transport mogul Allen Scott, who later sold it to the Cameron family Grant Broadcasters network.
On March 28 2021, 5MU transitioned from AM to FM, moving to 94.3 FM in the Adelaide Hills, 96.3 FM in the Murraylands, and 97.1 FM on the South Coast. At the start of 2022 ARN Media acquired the station.
5MU is the oldest continually used call sign in South Australia, the second oldest radio station still broadcasting in the state.
Adam Connelly would like locals and those connected to the station in the past to share their memories:
“It is a testament to the value of the relationship between the community and the station that through famine and flood, drought and delight, 5MU and the community have cherished each other. We love our history, and we are excited for the future.”
General Manager Dave Shearer said it is a privilege to work at the station:
“The importance of regional radio is more significant and powerful than ever.”
Of course there was a 5MU bus
The celebration will continue throughout this year with an event at the Murray Bridge Golf Club in November.
Should you wish to contribute to the celebrations, you can contact Adam here.
Main picture: The Current 5MU Line-up L-R – Jacquie Irvine-Creaser, Adam Connelly, Jennie Lenman and Chris Guscott