page_title: History of broadcasting in Australia
section_title: Class A & B Broadcasting
hierarchical_section_title: History of broadcasting in Australia / Regulatory Chronology / 1920s / Class A & B Broadcasting
context_page_description: The history of broadcasting in Australia has been shaped for over a century by the problem of communication across long distances, coupled with a strong base in a wealthy society with a deep taste for aural communications in a silent landscape. Australia developed its own system, through its own engineers, manufacturers, retailers, newspapers, entertainment services, and news agencies. The government set up the first radio system, and business interests marginalized the hobbyists and amateurs. The Labor Party was especially interested in radio because it allowed them to bypass the newspapers, which were mostly controlled by the opposition. Both parties agreed on the need for a national system, and in 1932 set up the Australian Broadcasting Commission, as a government agency that was largely separate from political interference.
  The first commercial broadcasters, originally known as "B" class stations were on the air as early as 1925. Many were sponsored by newspapers in Australia, by theatrical interests, by amateur radio enthusiasts and radio retailers, and by retailers generally.
context_section_description: As quickly as July 1924, the Sealed Set system was declared to be unsuccessful and it was replaced by a system of A Class and B Class stations.  There were one or two A Class stations in each major market and these were paid for by a listener's licence fee imposed on all listeners-in. Five of the former Sealed Set stations became A Class stations, and were soon joined by the following stations in other State capitals:
  5CL, Adelaide, Central Broadcasters Ltd, 20 November 1924;
  7ZL, Hobart, Associated Radio Co, 17 December 1924;
  4QG, Brisbane, Queensland Radio Service (operated by the Queensland government), 27 July 1925.
  As from 1929, all A-Class stations received all their programs from the one source, the Australian Broadcasting Company which was made up of the following shareholders: Greater Union Theatres (a movie theatre chain), Fuller's Theatres (a live theatre chain) and J. Albert & Sons (music publishers and retailers).
  A number of B Class stations were also licensed.  These did not receive any government monies and were expected to derive their income from advertising, sponsorship, or other sources.  Within a few years B Class stations were being referred to as "commercial stations".  The following were the first to be licensed:
  2BE, Sydney, Burgin Electric Company Ltd, 7 November 1924 (closed 6 November 1929);
  3WR, Wangaratta, Wangaratta Sports Depot, 1 December 1924 (closed 22 December 1925 but later re-opened);
  2EU, Sydney, Electrical Utilities Supply Co, 26 January 1925, still on the air – name changed to 2UE within months of opening;
  2HD, Newcastle, H. A. Douglas, 27 January 1925, still on the air;
  2UW, Sydney, Otto Sandel, 13 February 1925, still on the air;
  5DN, Adelaide, 5DN Pty Ltd, 24 February 1925, still on the air;
  3UZ, Melbourne, J. Oliver Nilsen & Co, 8 March 1925, still on the air;
  4GR, Toowoomba, Gold Radio Electric Services, 9 August 1925, still on the air;
  2KY, Sydney, Trades and Labour Council, 31 October 1925, still on the air;
  2MK, Bathurst, Mockler Bros, 11 November 1925 (closed November 1931);
  2GB, Sydney, Theosophical Broadcasting Service, 23 August 1926, still on the air.
  Amateur broadcasters continued to operate in the long-wave and short-wave bands. In Melbourne, for some years, they were also permitted to broadcast on the medium-wave band on Sundays between 12:30 and 2:30 pm, during which time all commercial stations were required to close down.
  A national service, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, was formed in July 1932, when the Australian Broadcasting Company's contract expired.  The Corporation took over the assets of all A Class stations.  It still exists as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The Australian Broadcasting Co changed its name to the Commonwealth Broadcasting Company and later the Australian Radio Network.  It soon purchased Sydney commercial station 2UW and now has an Australia-wide network of commercial stations.
  In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the PMG planned to institute C Class stations which would have had their advertising limited to the station owner(s) only. When the plan was abandoned in 1931, the PMG was about to issue such a licence to the Akron Tyre Co in Melbourne; in lieu of a C Class licence, Akron was given a licence for a B Class station but with a number of limiting conditions on its licence (see 3AK for details).
caption: Emil Voigt, founder of 2KY on behalf of the Labor Council of New South Wales This photo was taken in earlier days when Voigt was a prominent British athlete.
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