95.5 K-Rock

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95.5 K-Rock
City of license	Murradoc Hill, Australia
Broadcast area	Geelong, Australia
Branding	95.5 K-Rock Geelong
Slogan	The World Famous...
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, Mainstream CHR (pop, rap), adult contemporary, modern rock, sport
Language	English
ERP	55 kW
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
Website	www.krock.com.au

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

In 2009, the on-air line-up consists of K-Rock Brekky with Matt Bern / Paul "chicken" Dyer / Rob McLennan (6am-9am), Daryl Reader (9am-noon), Gordie Waters (noon-4pm), The Peter Mobbs Radio Show with Dick Dickson, Laurie Lightning, Netty Neville and Gossip Queen - Tennille Armstrong (4pm-8pm), Silent Bob overnight and Aaron "Az Dawg" Chilcott. Overnight shows include "World Party" Saturday nights and "Homebrew" Sunday nights.

K-Rock's football coverage mainly consists of Australian Football League matches involving the Geelong Football Club. Commentators include Ian Robertson, Andrew Bews and Wayne Schwass.

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.

[edit] History

[edit] 3GL

From 1930 to 1990, K-Rock was known as 3GL on the AM band, broadcasting first on 1400kHz, then 1350kHz and later 1341kHz.^[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 and Denis Scanlan. 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, 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 95.5MHz.

[edit] K-Rock

K Rock's most successful line-up featured Dave & Roxie on the Big Mattress (Dave Gorr & Roxanne Bennett), Steve Woods (also Program Director), Todd Austin, Frank Fursey, John 'Budgie' Budge and Andy Fox.

At its peak this line-up delivered record ratings in Geelong, Werribee and Western Melbourne with a blend of Classic Rock and personality.

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.

[edit] References

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