Radio 2 was a narrowband

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radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass media, mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio (Duplex (teleco ...

owned and operated by WorldAudio Limited. The network was broadcast on frequencies between 1611 and 1629

kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...

via a series of 50 AM transmitters across Australia, as well as by satellite (including through

Austar Austar was an Australian telecommunications company founded in 1995 as Community Entertainment Television (CETV). Its main business activity was subscription television. It was also involved with internet access and mobile phones. Austar's tel ...

and

Foxtel NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...

) and through the network's website.

History

Radio 2 began in

Blacktown Blacktown is a suburb in New South Wales, Australia, west of the Sydney central business district. It is one of the most multicultural places within Sydney, Greater Sydney. History Before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the area of ...

Western Sydney Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

on 1611 AM in October 2001, broadcasting under a Section 40 licence - meaning it could only operate on narrowband AM frequencies (1611–1701 kHz), and with narrow spectrum - 5 kHz, rather than the full 9 kHz which other

commercial radio Commercial broadcasting (also called private broadcasting) is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship, for example. It was the United States' first model ...

stations use. Branded "The New Voice Of Western Sydney", the station focused on live and local content, similar to 2WS in its heyday. In 2002, Radio 2 was a broadcast partner of the

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

, broadcasting live coverage of matches, with the call led by Colin Turner. In 2003, Radio 2 was a broadcast partner of the

AFL AFL may refer to: Education * Angel Foundation for Learning, a Canadian Roman Catholic charity * Ankara Science High School, a high school in Ankara, Turkey, natively referred to as ''Ankara Fen Liesi'' * Assessment for learning Military * ...

, hosting live coverage of

Sydney Swans The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Swans also field a Austral ...

home games from the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in the Moore Park, New South Wales, Moore Park suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australi ...

and

Stadium Australia Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...

National expansion

In November 2003, owners WorldAudio Limited acquired a series of 14 additional transmitters, forming a national commercial

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmi ...

network. This did not come without drama - a legal battle had begun between owners WorldAudio and GB Radio in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, over the use of the 1620 AM licence - WorldAudio would eventually use 1629 AM in Melbourne instead. In April 2005, owners WorldAudio signed

Mikey Robins Mikel Mason "Mikey" Robins (born 8 December 1961) is an Australian media personality, comedian and writer. He is best known for the satirical game show ''Good News Week'', which ran on the ABC and Network Ten between 1996 and 2000, and returned ...

and Ian Rogerson to host ''The Big Australian Breakfast'', Nick Bennett to host the ''Nick's Nation'' drive show, and former

Seven News Seven News (stylised 7NEWS) is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2021, the highest-rating in Australia. National bulletins are presented from Seven's high definition studios in South Eveleigh, Sydney, while its flags ...

presenter Ross Symonds to host Sunday morning business program ''The Bottom Line''. In May 2005, the station launched nationally to a network of 50 stations around the country, dropping the

focus and moving to programming of national significance. At launch, WorldAudio CEO Andrew Peter Thompson boasted the station "

ould Ould is an English surname as well as an element of many Arabic names. In Arabic contexts it is a transliteration of the word wikt:ولد, ولد, meaning "son". Notable people with this surname include: English surname * Edward Ould (1852–190 ...

be picked up by 93% of all radio receivers." Additional programming included ''Sportswatch Australia'' with Colin Turner, ''She Said'' with

Sophie Falkiner Sophie Falkiner (born 20 March 1973, in Melbourne) is an Australian television presenter. Sophie has previously presented an entertainment news series ''Confidential (TV series), Confidential'' on Fox8. She was also a presenter on ''The Great O ...

and

Katrina Warren Dr Katrina Louise Warren (born 8 December 1967) is an Australian veterinarian, best known as the co-host of several popular television programs on the Seven Network. Career After working as a fashion model in Japan, Warren first appeared on tele ...

, and ''Politically Direct'' with Paul Makin. The network had an emphasis on sporting coverage, with coverage of

A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...

and

English Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

soccer, AFL (including

and

Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions are a professional Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that compete in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. Brisbane are the ...

games, plus the

2005 AFL Grand Final The 2005 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 24 September 2005. It was the 109th annual AFL Grand Final, grand final of the Australian ...

), and the NBL.

Downfall and closure

However, the network's success wasn't to be. A combination of minimal listenership and low advertising lead to a

trading halt A trading halt occurs in the U.S. when a stock exchange stops trading on a specific security for a certain time period. The halt, which can happen a few times a day per security if FINRA deems it, usually lasts for one hour, but is not limited t ...

being placed on parent company WorldAudio, with the announcement that administrators had been appointed to the company a week later. Administrators halted all talk based content, leaving the station to broadcast non-stop music. Radio 2's frequencies were later sold, either to

Rete Italia Rete Italia is an Italian-language radio network which broadcast to selected capital cities in Australia. The station is associated with Il Globo Newspaper and La Fiamma newspaper. The radio network was launched in 1994. Rete Italia is part of N ...

, the start-up Vision Christian Radio, or to the similarly ill-fated Goanna

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

network.

Availability (at time of closure)

References

{{reflist Defunct radio stations in Australia Radio stations established in 2001 Radio stations disestablished in 2006 Defunct Australian radio networks Radio stations in Sydney Radio stations in New South Wales Radio stations in Brisbane Radio stations in Queensland Radio stations in Melbourne Radio stations in Victoria (state) Radio stations in Adelaide Radio stations in South Australia Radio stations in Perth, Western Australia Radio stations in Western Australia Radio stations in Darwin, Northern Territory Radio stations in the Northern Territory Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange 2001 establishments in Australia 2006 disestablishments in Australia