FOREWORD

I was privileged to be part of an era in radio when the world, particularly the entertainment world, was being swept up by change. New forms of popular music and fashions in the 1950s were at the epicentre of the change. Many say it was the beginnings of what is now termed pop culture.

My first job in radio broadcasting, at age 15, was with Melbourne’s 3XY in 1942. Since then, I’ve been involved in almost every major development in radio. I’ve played music over the airwaves—from 78s to CDs—and have introduced my listeners to some of the biggest names in show business from Bob Hope to Bill Cosby, Johnny O’Keefe to Frank Sinatra. For a few crazy weeks in 1964, I toured with four young men whose music changed the world: The Beatles.

Apparently, I have the rare distinction of being Australia’s oldest living original Top 40 Disc Jockey … still working! I suppose I’ve experienced more of radio’s highs and lows than most. A high point for me was in 1958 when I joined Sydney’s 2UE. It was the start of a bold new direction for Australian radio. Television had commenced a few years before and all the big production shows were disappearing from radio.

I was hired to present music programs, aimed at young people, in what was then an emerging style called The Top 40. The presentation style was casual and loose by 1958 standards. It would now be considered rather formal. This was the beginning of ‘format radio’, as we’ve come to know it.

A few of us were involved in this Top 40 revolution: John Laws, Tony Withers and I were known in Sydney as the Big Three. Fellows in other cities promoted the new Top 40 format with enthusiasm and vitality. These included Bill Gates, who took over my program at 4BH Brisbane when I came down to Sydney. There were others, like Adelaide’s Bob Francis, now a successful talkback host in that city, and a young Melbourne player, Don Lunn, who, for my money, was the best disc jockey we’ve produced. He was certainly the most energetic and stylish of his time.

The repetitious nature of Top 40 radio has, at times, caused me to wonder if we created a monster! Still, like rock ’n’ roll music, which many said would never last, format radio has survived through the years. Many of radio’s developments, the people involved and the stories of what makes radio broadcasting tick come together in this book.

Wayne Mac was a keen young radio listener in the ’60s, who turned his passion for radio listening into a successful career as an announcer and program director in the ’70s and ’80s. Documenting this era of our radio history is long overdue. Wayne’s commitment to this task, through several years of meticulous research, has resulted in an authoritative and entertaining read. Few stones are left unturned. I have even been reminded of a few things about me, which I’d forgotten and I had a few laughs along the way.