A visit to 2HD, as the radio station celebrates 100 years

This week the two first commercial radio stations in Australia will celebrate their 100th birthdays. Sydney’s 2UE (January 26, 1925) one day before Newcastle’s 2HD. Both call signs have remained the same across location and format changes.

In my wonderful role here with Radioinfo I often get told, “You should meet / interview this person.” I was told it so often about Guy Ashford (pictured above), the General Manager of the Super Radio Network owned 2HD and NEWFM, that during a flying visit to watch my husband (Dr Seyderhelm now thank you very much) graduate from Newcastle University, I reached out to Guy to see if he might have time for a coffee.

He agreed and what proceeded makes me chuckle as I write this.

2HD and NEWFM are situated on Maitland Road in Sandgate. Maitland Road itself rather busy, but behind the station is bushland that you quite easily could get lost in. I went in and happily sat in the waiting area for a couple of minutes before a booming baritone voice declared:

“OK. LET’S DO THIS THING.”

And there was Guy. Whom I spontaneously hugged.

With the introduction over, Guy said he’d show me around. Off he set at Mach speed. I was warned immediately that I would need my running shoes and run I did. Guy threw out names, dates, trivia and other details while I tried to keep up, giggling away behind him.

I stopped to take a picture of the beautiful stained-glass window (main image), from the original premises and heritage listed, in this new building that felt like a submarine. By the time I took it I could barely hear Guy’s voice in the distance. I was offered water replenishment as I strived to keep up and find him again.

When we finally returned to Guy’s office he handed me, whilst saying I should never accept gifts from strange men, a Christmas pudding made by local business but supplier internationally, Pudding Lane.

Guy told me that these puddings were the best ever and a story involving them being so good they were sold in London. I have no affiliation with Pudding Lane but can say that my father, who was staying with us at the time, and is generally very mild mannered, actually demanded a piece of that pudding every night he was with us.

But I digress.

Guy spent nearly 20 years as a radio announcer on stations across NSW before moving across to sales and then management. He did his first stint as GM of 2HD and NEWFM in 2008 and then, after a period out of the industry, returned in May 2021, in the thick of Covid times.

A profoundly passionate Novocastrian, if there is an event happening in the region, likely Guy will be in attendance or have a hand in its running. Up against SCA stations Hit 106.9 and Triple M 102.9, with  Triple M’s Tanya and Steve No 1 on breakfast for the last 10 years, Guy has built solid relationships with the NRL team the Newcastle Knights, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the John Hunter Children’s Hospital which received more than 3000 gifts donated by the community at Christmas as part of station promotions. NEWFM’s Joel Gosper pictured with a very familiar Santa below.

The station never shuts down, has an active and local news presence and 2HD’s Richard King, who had been broadcasting his breakfast show into Sydney on 2SM, can now focus on local with Ron Wilson part of Despina Priala and George Caralis’s new appointments for that station taking over breakfast, alongside Chris Smith on Mornings.

So, it’s a big year for Guy, NEWFM and 2HD.

Despite many people thinking the HD stands for Hunter District, the call sign is in fact the initials of station founder Hugh Alexander McKay Douglas.

2HD building in Sandgate – picture from Soundworld.

The station was originally in Hamilton, moving in 1931 to the Sandgate location. The outside has shifted, changed, and grown, but the inside, where I took my picture, is still some of that original building.

2HD was shut down for more than 3 years during WWII, starting up again at the start of 1945 when purchased by the Australian Labor Party and Labor Council of NSW.

Presenters across the 50s, 60s and early 70s, the station’s Good Guys of Life format include Allan McGirvan, Graeme Gilbert, Mike Jeffries, Malcolm Elliott and Geoff Gregory as host of a Sunday night program Country Sounds.

The 70s saw the expansion of Maitland Road, with the building gradually dismantled, and format changes to country and easy listening, not overly successful until a return to news and talk in the late 80s. Coverage of the 1989 earthquake won the station awards and the 90s success of the breakfast team of the late David Collins and Tanya Wilks (the Tanya of Tanya and Steve at Triple M), Geoff Jay and Richard King. They were top of the ratings for eight years.

NEWFM was purchased in 1995 with another building remodel as a result. Both were sold to Bill Caralis in 1999. The John Laws Morning Show was a feature for more than 20 of the years since, with the station not yet being able to recapture the halcyon days of the 90s. The entire team I met however were passionate and enthusiastic about the stations, their work, and the future.

Radioinfo wishes 2HD a very happy 100th birthday for Monday January 27. If you happen to be in Newcastle you really should meet Guy Ashford. And if he happens to say yes to your invitation, pack your running shoes.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]

Additional 2HD historical images: https://www.radioheritage.net/story194.asp

A 2HD weekly program guide from 1933: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165350386

 

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