Tim Robinson

3OZZ-FM

The story Behind Student Radio 3-OZZ-FM

1976 - Parkville Campus Radio - 3OZZ-FM

I participated in one of the first test FM broadcasts with a consortium set up through the University of Melbourne. "Parkville Campus Radio" - 3OZZ-FM [92.1Mhz] had an experimental license to broadcast for three days in August 1976 and the studio was located in the Union building. I designed and built the studio around a Phillips broadcast mixer, some turntables and two reel to reel tape recorders. While the on-air presentations were rather dubious, the studio held up for the duration with no technical problems.

Studio set up for 3OZZ-FM test broadcast and Testing the Equipment

I was appointed technical manager for a test broadcast for radio 3OZZ-FM at the University of Melbourne. This was a pre-cursor for an application for a public license for a FM radio station in the FM Band [88-108Mhz]. The transmission frequency was 92.1 Mhz [in glorious mono!]. A consortium had been created between Melbourne State College Student Union [formerly Melbourne Teachers College] and the University of Melbourne Student Union. I was technical representative for Melbourne State College and became technical manager for the project. My primary involvement was getting the station on air equipment, and studio, organised and connecting it all together. This was a forerunner of an application for an educational broadcast license. The station equipment consisted of a Phillips broadcast mixing panel, 2 x Revox A77 ¼ inch tape recorders, cart machine and two turntables. Parkville Campus Radio ran for three days - August 4th, 5th and 6th 1976.

A 10w FM transmitter [in glorious mono!] and ¼ wave ground plane antenna were loaned to us by 2MBS in Sydney. The antenna was installed on the top of the Raymond Priestly Building [Roughly in the middle of the Parkville Campus]. A temporary studio was set up in the Union building [which was in the building next door].

The test started on a Wednesday and went through to the Friday.

I was on the organising committee. Liberal minister for communications [Guilfoyle] at the time had a daughter at Melbourne University - a conduit to the minister. It was thought it may assist with getting application approved]. Hoqwever the Government changed and needed to wait until a call for applications for new licenses by the Whitlam government. A consortium was formed between [then] Melbourne State College [formerly Melbourne Teachers College] , RMIT and University of Melbourne. Eventually an educational license was obtained in conjunction with RMIT [Now RMIT University] 3RMT-FM, which eventually became 3RRR-FM under an educational license.

 See "My Radio Life" article for OTN magazine which goes in to much more detail about this event [downloadable PDF file].