K rock 95.5

For other uses, see K-Rock.
95.5 K-Rock
City Australia Murradoc Hill, Victoria
Broadcast area Geelong
Branding K-Rock 955
Slogan Geelong and the Surf Coast's K-Rock
Frequency 95.5 MHz FM (1990 (1990)-)
First air date 3 December 1930 (1930-12-03) (as 3GL)
27 January 1990 (1990-01-27) (as 3CAT)
Format Comedy, modern rock, sport
Language(s) English
ERP 55 kW
Transmitter coordinates 38°9′48″S 144°36′14″E / 38.16333°S 144.60389°E / -38.16333; 144.60389
Former callsigns 3GL (1930 (1930)-1990 (1990))
Former frequencies 1400 kHz AM (1930 (1930)-1935 (1935))
1350 kHz AM (1935 (1935)-1978 (1978))
1341 kHz AM (1978 (1978)-1990 (1990))
Owner Grant Broadcasters
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.krock.com.au

95.5 K-Rock (call sign: 3CAT) is a commercial FM radio station based in Geelong, Australia. K-Rock operates a mainstream Top 40 rock-inclined playlist.

In 2015 the on-air line-up consists of "Buckle and Tom" (breakfast) (Josh Buckle & Tom Lewis), day jock (09:00 - 14:00), Stampsy (14:00 - 16:00) and "The Departure Lounge" (16:00 - 18:00 with Stampsy & Leigh).

K-Rock's football coverage mainly consists of Australian Football League matches involving the Geelong Football Club. Commentators include Anthony Mithen, Andrew Bews and Tom King.

K-Rock shares transmitter facilities with sister station Bay FM (along with 94.7 The Pulse and 96.3 Rhema FM) - broadcasting from a high-powered transmitter on top of Murradoc Hill on the Bellarine Peninsula. The licence area covers the Greater Geelong area, Werribee and Western Melbourne, The Golden Plains, and the Surfcoast. K-Rock also streams online via their website.

History

3GL

From 1930 to 1990, K-Rock was known as 3GL on the AM band, broadcasting first on 1400 kHz, then 1350 kHz and later 1341 kHz.[1] Although based in Geelong, it was notable for being receivable over most of the Melbourne metropolitan area.

3GL gave Happy Hammond his start in broadcasting in 1948 as a breakfast announcer. While at 3GL, Happy also made his first TV appearance in 1948, long before the Tarax show, as part of an exhibition using closed-circuit TV equipment for trial purposes.[2]

3GL has been the home of many well-known names who formerly worked in Melbourne including Gene Fisk, Don Lunn, David Coburn and Denis Scanlan. Other well-known and loved Announcers included Gary Newton, Tim Hind, Rod Poynter, Ric Ditchburn and Don Crawford. The station was well known for its "3GL on the West Coast" slogan and associated jingles, many sung by Mike Brady of "Up There Cazaly" fame.

For many years, 3GL was based in James Street Geelong but relocated after being granted the right to convert to the FM band in 1990.

3GL was offered an FM conversion upon the entry to the Geelong market of competitor BAY FM. 3GL converted to FM to allow equal competition in the Geelong regional market, with the management of the former Geelong AM service agreeing to the transfer of service to the FM band in 1990. The station dropped the 3GL call sign in favour of 3CAT (after the Geelong Cats), an ID that was proposed by the radio station's head of football commentary Ted Whitten (who at the time was in the early stages of affliction of cancer). 3CAT as a call-sign never made it to air, being changed to K-Rock on the eve of its commencement on the FM band at 95.5 MHz.

K-Rock

After simulcasting on both 1341 AM and 95.5 FM for 24 hours - K-Rock went to air at midday on the Saturday of the Australia Day weekend 1990, the first announcer to speak on the new FM station was Ian 'Strawny' Strachan.

The original line-up consisted of Mike O'Loughlin & Bogart Torelli (breakfast), Dave Ferguson, Tim Hind, Craig Vesey, Ian Strachan, Gavin Morris and Craig Meddings.

K Rock's most successful lineup was in the mid-1990s featuring "Dave & Roxie on the Big Mattress" (Dave Gorr, Roxanne Bennett and Brendan Roberts' character voices), Steve Woods (also Program Director), Todd Austin, Frank Fursey & Wazza (Warren Penny). At its peak this lineup delivered record ratings in Geelong, Werribee and Western Melbourne with a blend of Classic Rock, Modern Rock and local personality.

Other K-Rockers have been John Hood, Peter Mobbs, Rick The Roadie (Simon Dale), Daryl Reader, Matt Bern, Dan Veling and Greg Parkinson.

K Rock was also Australia's first FM station to cover AFL football. With a lineup that included Ted Whitten, Sam Kevovich, Billy Brownless and Dwayne Russell, K Rock focus on all Geelong Football Club matches, and is proudly one eyed.

In 1996, K-Rock FM and Bay FM achieved a record 11 RAWARD nominations in the programming area, winning 5 awards – an achievement only equalled that year by Melbourne's Fox FM. During this period, despite the strength of all Melbourne radio stations reaching the listening area, nearly 1 in 3 Geelong people listened to K-Rock.

Originally owned by the Hoyts organisation, which operated the successful Triple M brand in Australia, K-Rock was sold to Sydney-based Grant Broadcasting in the mid-1990s.

Shortly after this the station purchased the rival Geelong station, 93.9 Bay FM, moving it from its Ryrie Street studios to co-locate in the K-Rock studios in Moorabool Street Geelong. Both K-Rock and Bay FM now operate from the same studios in Geelong's CBD.

In 2007, K-ROCK celebrated 75 years of broadcasting 3GL and K-ROCK Footy, culminating in a week of broadcasting at various events as the city celebrated the first AFL Premiership victory by the Geelong Football Club in 44 years.

In 2010, K-ROCK underwent a major format change which re-focused the music toward a younger audience and minimised the station's traditional rock base. The station has struggled to find a new audience.

K-Rock Newsroom

The K-Rock Newsroom is shared with sister station 93.9 Bay FM.

Former K-Rock news team members:

References

  1. ↑ Aussie Callsigns at RadioDX
  2. ↑ King, by Graeme Blundell, p.79, ISBN 1-4050-3566-8

Coordinates: 38°08′49″S 144°21′40″E / 38.146994°S 144.361017°E / -38.146994; 144.361017

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