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Briefly
3MBS was the first FM radio station in Victoria and began
transmitting to Melbourne and surrounds on the 1st of July
1975. 3MBS also led the way for the introduction of community
radio in Australia way back in 1968.
3MBS supports local music and art as part of its commitment
to develop and foster Melbourne’s local cultural identity.
200 dedicated volunteers along with a small team of staff
give their time, energy and passion to the station, delivering
fine music to listeners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Tune into 3MBS 103.5 FM or via our audio streaming service and you will hear an extensive range
of classical music, jazz, world and arts programming.
3MBS does not depend on government funding; rather it relies
on listeners to support the station’s operations and activities.
This listener support means greater integrity, more relevance
and less advertising. 3MBS values its listeners and repays
this support with quality music and a commitment to support
Victoria’s fine music community.
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Aims
To be the premier broadcaster
and supporter of classical music experiences in Victoria.
The station aims to broadcast the best recorded and live
classical music available to listeners in Victoria and to
increase the proportion of air time allocated to high quality
local content.
3MBS will intensify the assessment and
evaluation of the station's presentation and programming
standards and where appropriate institute remedial training
to ensure we continue to broadcast at the highest possible
standard.
3MBS will continue to foster a closer working relationship
with the MBS network to provide the best programs and services
possible for listeners.
3MBS will develop our relationships
with cultural institutions throughout the state,
especially musicians and music organizations.
The station will continue to offer services to its listeners
that will enhance their enjoyment of classical music, including merchandise such as high quality radio receivers,
musical tourism, music appreciation classes and other activities.
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History
The increasing popularity
of 'rock' music (Elvis, Beatles, etc) through the late 50s
and 60s, led to a reduction in the amount of classical music
played on the ABC and commercial stations in Australia.
Up until the early 1950s most radio stations employed orchestras
to play music which included classical music. By the 1960s,
only the ABC supported its own orchestra. But even the ABC
had dramatically reduced the amount of classical music on
air.
A music fan and radio engineer, Brian Cabena, was unhappy
about being unable to listen to the music he liked on the
radio - and he did something about it.
After much unsuccessful lobbying of radio stations, he turned
his attention to the government. He argued that if the existing
stations were not willing to program for classical music
fans, the government should licence new stations that would.
In 1968, Cabena wrote a letter to The Age (click here to read letter) calling a meeting of anyone interested in
pursuing the idea of a listener-run classical music radio
station.
200 people turned up and the Music Broadcasting Society
(MBS) of Victoria was born. The group spent years lobbying
the government for what they called "listener controlled"
radio.
The government rejected their approaches. The initial response
from the government was that the AM band was full and the
existing stations catered for the majority of listener needs.
But Brian Cabena was persistent and eventually convinced
the government that the FM band would work for metropolitan-wide
broadcasting.
After a change of government in 1972, public, or what is
now termed community broadcasting got off the ground. People
from the Melbourne MBS station travelled to Sydney and started
up a Sydney MBS which had the same aims: For people who
liked classical music to volunteer to operate a radio station
that would principally broadcast classical music.
2MBS went to air in late 1974 and Brian Cabena got 3MBS
to air in July 1975. This extraordinary effort led to the
development of a range of community radio stations catering
for diverse interests across the country.
There are now over 300 stations that address the needs of
geographic communities and Indigenous, ethnic, youth, disability,
religious, specialist music and sexuality based interests.
All of these stations share share the aim of being volunteer
operated, not dependant on government funding and catering
for a particular 'community' of interest.
First licenced FM Station in Victoria
At 6.30pm on July, 1975, 3MBS played Carl Orff's Carmina
Burana as its first licenced broadcast. It was not only
the first community broadcaster to be heard in Victoria,
but also the first radio station in the State to transmit
on the newly established FM band.
The station was able to operate through subscription ($10
pa) contributed by all those who shared the need to have
a station in Melbourne broadcasting classical music.
Right from the start, the station produced program notes
about the music being broadcast and sent them to subscribers.
3MBS did not broadcast details of composers or performers.
If listeners were curious about the music, it was station
policy to only give details to subscribers.
The music presented was shrouded in mystery unless you were
a subscriber and received the monthly programme guide, the
predecessor to Libretto . Before a musical work began, the
announcer, usually in austere tones, would inform those
listening that “We will now hear item number 6”.
Despite this method of presentation, the subscription rate
rose steadily and quickly, so that by the end of the first
year of broadcasting 2,700 people were financially supporting
the station.
The advent of ABC-FM in 1976 caused a drop in the number
of subscribers to 3MBS but, as people realized that they
could have the best of both worlds by switching from one
station to the other in order to hear music to which they
wished to listen, the subscriber base moved upwards again,
so that by the 1980s 3MBS was financially secure.
Fought the Law
There was a hiccup in the station's development when the
then Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT) acted on complaints
from some listeners that as non-subscribers, they should
still be able to hear details about the music that was broadcast
on 3MBS. The ABT, which issued licences to radio stations,
ordered 3MBS to broadcast music details over the air. The
station Board resisted this direction, claiming that it
would lead to a loss of subscribers.
The ABT eventually threatened 3MBS with the removal of its
licence. It asserted that the licence to broadcast implied
that music details should be part of that broadcast and
not just in a subscriber magazine. 3MBS relented and presenting
these music details led to an overnight loss of almost one
third of its subscribers.
The station recovered from this set back. Even though people
could listen to the station without subscribing, many listeners
realised that if they did not subscribe, the station would
struggle to survive. The station invested more resources
into subscriber benefits, such as the magazine 'Libretto'.
The magazine included more than just music details. It soon
contained articles, CD reviews and even a cross word.
Although the broadcast of classical music remained the station’s
main objective, it was decided that other forms of “fine”
music, insufficiently represented in other Melbournian radio
station’s programmes, should be recognized; thus, 3MBS became
host to popular jazz and world music programmes as well.
Better coverage
In 1989, the station's technicians relocated the station's
transmitter from the Kew premises to Melbourne's main transmitter
site at Mt Dandenong. From that point, subscription numbers
rose to unprecedented levels. Unfortunately, the advent
of higher powered transmission from other stations in 1992
started to cause interference to the 3MBS signal. This coincided
with a slow decline in subscriber numbers. The station protested
about the interference, but received little comfort from
either the other stations or the regulatory authorities.
Support for local music
From the early 90s, 3MBS took its charter to support local
music seriously. In association with the Music Society of
Victoria, the station developed the 3MBS Young Performers
Award. In the year 2000, it developed a National Composer
Award. The winning entry has been performed by Orchestra
Victoria in Hamer Hall every year since then.
Apart from the broad spectrum of music presented, 3MBS has
actively encouraged and supported the endeavours of local
musicians, recording and later broadcasting their concerts
and recitals and takes great pride in our Musicians-in-Residence
programme, a position currently held by the superb Benaud Trio. The station, through its Daily Arts Diary and Accidental
Arts programme (Saturdays, 11.30 am), also draws attention
to the enormous variety of other artistic activities enjoyed
by our fellow Victorians.
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Board
There is a Board of Directors half of which is elected by
members each year for a 2 year term. There is a small annual
fee to be a member of 3MBS. Membership enables people to
vote at AGMs and to stand for the Board. The Board of Directors
is responsible for the direction of the station. It develops
policies and employs staff to undertake duties that will
achieve the policies. There are a number of volunteer committees
established to co-ordinate activities such as programming
and training.
The Board policies guide the work of all volunteers and
staff at the station. The Board has developed since the
early days of the station when all Directors had programs
at the station. The current Board has members recruited
for their expertise in finance, marketing and law. Many
Board members are not involved in broadcasting, but rather
are interested in the station's overall development.
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3MBS Staff
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Volunteers
Over 200 dedicated volunteers devote their
time, energy and passion to 3MBS, both on-air and behind-the-scenes,
24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Without their combined
knowledge, experience, skills and commitment, 3MBS would
never survive. If you would like to find out more about volunteering at 3MBS, please contact subs@3mbs.org.au
Meet some of our dedicated volunteers:
John Barns
After his 38 year career as a lawyer ended, John became
involved with 3MBS as a programmer/presenter of Concert
Hall (Mondays 1.30-4.30pm) and Recent Releases in Concert
(Sundays 9am-12pm). He enjoys the challenge of presenting
neglected works by the great composers, resurrecting the
music of forgotten composers and is not averse to including
examples of challenging "modern" classical music. When not
engaged in these pursuits, John edits the 3MBS magazine
Libretto, breeds and races thoroughbred horses (with his
wife Maureen), enjoys watching and reading about (real!)
cricket, gazes fondly at the wines maturing in his and Maureen's
cellar and plays golf (badly!)
Maureen Barns
A former secondary school teacher, Maureen helps out with
reception and administrative duties, as well as arranges
for 3MBS volunteers to speak to various organizations. Maureen
has given group tutorial sessions in German language skills
to presenters and helps individual presenters with German
and French pronunciation. When not at the station, Maureen
is an ardent painter (watercolour and pastel), and shares
with her husband John an attempt to breed a Melbourne Cup
winner.
John Barty
John Barty is an Australian musician with a German/Hungarian
background. He has a music degree from the University of
Melbourne and has held teaching and music directorship positions
in both government and private schools having worked in
primary, secondary and adult levels of education. He now
works as a freelance conductor, producer and pianist. John
is a programmer and presenter at 3MBS.
Susan Batten
Susan began as a volunteer in 2000 and presented ‘Music in Melbourne’ from 2001 until 2007. She now presents Friday ‘Intermezzo’. During the annual Radiothon, Susan co-ordinates the 'Spotlight' live music segment. Susan also plays the oboe, having completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the VCA in 2001 and teaches oboe at several private schools in Melbourne. She is also a freelance musician and regularly performs with the Australian Pops Orchestra.
Alastair Blaikie
Alastair has been presenting Intermezzo (Weekdays 4:30-7pm)
on Mondays since 1986 as well as doing minor construction
and maintenance around the station.
Paul Butler
Paul presents Music for Strings each Saturday afternoon.
He also takes a keen interest in the technical side of 3MBS,
including the recent trials of digital radio. Outside the
3MBS studios, Paul manages Information Technology in a major
Melbourne school. Any time left over is reserved for his
family and dogs.
Lindsay Coker
Lindsay has been presenting Daybreak Classics (Weekdays
from 6-9am) on Thursdays since 1997. Always an early morning
person, he finds it a real joy to be able to select some
of his favourite classics and then share them with our listeners.
Hopefully your day is helped along by his choices. To all
his unseen friends, he says thanks for your support - and
keep listening!
Michael Compton
Michael presents Daybreak Classics (Weekdays from 6-9am)
and Relaxing Classics (Saturday 10pm-12midnight), a couple
of times per month. He loves the very friendly atmosphere
at 3MBS where everyone helps everyone else.
Elizabeth Duffield
Elizabeth has been programming and presenting since 1991
and can be heard on Kingfisher Bay Afternoon Concert (Saturdays
from 3-5pm). Originally from Tasmania, Elizabeth joined
ABC Radio after leaving school and was on ABC Concerts and
the Youth Concert Committees. Her late husband was actor
Michael Duffield, she has two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren
and three grand dogs! Elizabeth loves classical music, 3MBS
FM, ABC, SBS, opera, concerts, foreign films, food, wine,
driving and travelling extensively.
Elisabeth Giddy
A former librarian, Elisabeth has been with the station
since 2001 as a presenter and programmer, and has enjoyed
working with concert programmes and lighter music programmes.
Elisabeth is currently presenting Much Ado About Midday
(Weekdays noon - 1:30pm) on Fridays, spends a lot of time
at concerts and theatre, and also attempts to play golf.
Larry Groves
Larry has been presenting and programming Colours of Jazz
(Fridays 10-midnight) since 2000. This specialist jazz program
is dedicated to investigating all kinds of jazz music spanning
the early 1900's to the present day. Larry is a former professional
musician and composer, commencing his career in 1968 and
spending much of his time playing piano and composing music
for many renowned Melbourne bands. He now enjoys the challenge
of presenting overseas, and more importantly talented Australian
jazz musicians, to dedicated 3MBS listeners.
Geoff Hayes
Born into a medical family in 1942, (within hours of the
Japanese invasion of New Guinea), Geoff is descended from
Anglo-Celtic Victorian gold rush immigrants. He completed
a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Melbourne University in
1962 and was employed at the ABS from 1966-1995. Geoff enjoys
his extended family, cycling, tennis, walking and photography,
and has travelled to Finland several (8?) times! He has
was the producer of Nordic Sounds on 3MBS for 17 years and
continues to be a crusader for Sibelius.
Robert Hooke
Robert currently presents Concert Hall on Friday afternoons and Melbourne in Concert on Sunday evenings. Brought up and educated firstly in France then England, he has been a teacher of French and linguistics at secondary and tertiary levels, excepting his years of service with the RAAF. He has been a volunteer at 3MBS since 1985, with the exception of ten years spent in Queensland, during which he was a presenter for 4MBS. For a life-long music lover, 3MBS provides a creative challenge in the selection of music which is hopefully pleasing to the listener.
Julie Houghton
Julie has been an Accidental Arts (Saturdays 11:30-1pm)
on-air presenter and general 3MBS interviewer since the
mid 90's. She began life as a child actress but soon realised
she wanted to eat every week so trained as a cadet journalist
with ABC TV and Radio News and later became an ABC announcer
on Radio Australia and a theatre interviewer on ABC FM.
She is often the voice of 3MBS Outside Broadcasts and 3MBS
advertisements and loves all radio presentation work.
Joan Ikin
Since 1989 Joan has found great pleasure in being part of the 3MBS team as a programmer and presenter of concert programmes. “Wonderful people, a splendid record library, and the constant challenge of preparing programs which may provide interest and pleasure for our listeners – what more could one want?” she wonders. Joan enjoys the challenge of creating programmes using themes which draw on her wide interests in people, history, her church, art and travel (perhaps a little biased towards France!). In another life Joan taught Mathematics, French and Music, so communication is a continuing pleasure. Above all Joan wishes to communicate and share her love of classical music.
Alastair Jackson
Alastair has been the co-presenter of Vocal Chords (opera
program featuring music and interviews Saturday from 1-2pm)
since its inception in 1988, as well as various other programs.
A retired medical practitioner and author, Alastair is also
a Council Member of the Melba Conservatorium of Music and
was Chairman of The Opera Foundation Victoria from 1999
to 2002.
Peter Larsen
Peter has been presenting Chamber Music & Song (Monday from
8-10pm) since 1992. He is an ex-teacher and lecturer and
an amateur violinist.
Nicky MacFarlane
Nicky has been a regular presenter of Much Ado About Midday
(Weekdays 12-1:30pm) and Daybreak (Weekdays 6-9am) and A
Little Night Music (Monday 10-midnight) since 1999. Nicky
has a background in Community Theatre and a large extended
family keeps her on the hop. In her spare time she's an
avid reader.
Jane Mitchell
Born in Nottingham, England, Jane has been a presenter and
programmer since 1993 and was elected to the MBS Board of
Directors in 1999. From a very young age, Jane worked as
an actor in theatre and television and later became a BBC
interviewer and writer of comedy and "whodunnits", working
in London, Los Angeles and New York.
Robyn Murtagh
Robyn has been a volunteer at 3MBS for nearly three years, having joined when she moved to Kew from the country. When calling or visiting 3MBS you’ll receive a warm welcome from Robyn who, as a member of the Reception team, handles the various duties with great efficiency. "Volunteering has appreciably increased my understanding of and passion for classical music, and I have had the privilege working with many wonderful and knowledgeable people", she says. In another life Robyn has been a solicitor, author and a breeder of occasionally fast racehorses.
Frank Pam
Frank has been a programmer/presenter at 3MBS since 1991
but has always been passionate about music. He attended
ten National Music Camps, was Principal Viola of the Australian
Youth Orchestra, President/Musical Director of Musica Viva
Younger Group and Victorian Treasurer of Musica Viva for
over 20 years. In 1975 he founded a chamber orchestra, the
Melbourne Musicians. He was a senior teaching Fellow in
German at Monash University and then spent 20 years with
the Commonwealth Department of Education, culminating in
the position of Assistant Director of the Overseas Students'
Office in Victoria.
Kitty Sandy
Kitty has been a programme/presenter of Morning Melody (Saturday
8-9:30am) since 1991. Kitty's program taps into a rather
eclectic mix of classical music, catering for all tastes.
Kitty is also known as the Schubert Lover for she starts
off with Schubert every time.
John Smyth
While exercising his 2nd Millennium profession of communications engineering, John created a parallel career in public broadcasting, starting with Melbourne's first regularly-licensed community broadcaster, 3CR, in 1976. (He was also a founding subscriber to the Music Broadcasting Society.) Apart from presenting a jazz program (which continues on 3CR to this day), John specialised in conducting outside broadcasts from public events, festivals and music venues, including other public broadcasters such as 3RRR, 3EA, 5UV and 2XX. He co-ordinated the linking of every public broadcaster in Australia (including 3MBS) in 1983 for Public Broadcasting Week, and engineered 3MBS' first outside broadcast from the (then) Kew Civic Centre in May 1984. However, he long harboured a desire to get more closely involved with the broadcast of classical music, and when he renounced his 2nd Millenium profession for a 3rd Millenium avocation in music and broadcasting, he immediately moved to 3MBS (suffering an unexpected delay of one year when he hired to undertake a consulting assignment in New York, which also had the benefit of enhancing his indulgence in high-performance recording equipment). John has been a volunteer member of the 3MBS Concert Recording Team since 2002. He also enjoys on air work and presented "Melbourne in Concert" between 2004 and 2006. He now is an occasional presenter on "Music in Melbourne" and is dedicated to reducing the delay between performance and broadcast as close as possible to zero. His biggest surprise has been finding his former high-school maths teacher as a fellow 3MBS volunteer ...
Kiera Stevens
Kiera has been a volunteer at 3MBS since 1984, during which time she has been a programmer, presenter, trainer and President of the Board. When she is not at the station she works as a manager at the University of Melbourne. This follows an earlier career as a teacher of French and German. She is also a marriage celebrant and a besotted grandmother.
Hector Walker
Hector has been presenting Après-Midi, the 3MBS Sunday afternoon concert, for almost twenty years. He can also be heard fortnightly in the Tuesday edition of Much Ado About Midday. Hector’s musical tastes are wide-ranging, his music-teachers having encouraged a sense of adventure, exploring much that is outside the standard repertoire. This is reflected in his programming, although the popular favourites have a firm and permanent place, too. In his pre-3MBS days, Hector was a schoolteacher, English and History being his main subjects, though from time to time there was an opportunity to do some Musical Appreciation. Voluntary radio work has been an ideal way of occupying the years of retirement, and during his time at 3MBS, Hector has done just about everything from digging the garden (there used to be small one behind the Kew premises) to on-air training of new volunteers, editing the station’s magazine Libretto for five years and a short spell as acting station manager.
Rod Watson
Rod has been presenting Much Ado About Midday (Weekdays
12-1:30pm) every second Wednesday and Music for Leisure
(Sunday 4-6pm) every second Sunday afternoon since 1998.
He is also one of a number of presenters who speaks to community
groups about how the station functions. When he is not at
3MBS, he may be taking a high school mathematics or physics
class, working on the Puffing Billy Railway or marrying
a couple with stars in their eyes.
Jenny White
Jenny's voice is one of the many friendly and helpful voices
you'll hear when you call the station. She has been on 3MBS
reception since 1991, joining after she retired.
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FAQs
1.
How can I contact 3MBS?
2. How can I support 3MBS?
3. When did 3MBS
first appear on the airwaves?
4. Who runs the station?
5. Who decides what music is
played?
6. Who can volunteer at 3MBS?
7. How many volunteers and staff
are at the station?
8. Do you ever run out of music
to play?
9. Who is the most popular composer?
10. Does the government fund
the station?
11. What do you need money if
everyone is a volunteer?
12. Why should I subscribe when
I can hear 3MBS for free?
13. What does 3MBS do other
than play music?
1.
How can I contact 3MBS?
3MBS is located St Euphrasia,
1 St Heliers St,
Abbotsford, VIC 3067
Telephone: (03) 9416 1035
Facsimile: (03) 9416 1036
Email: info@3mbs.org.au
Website: http://www.3mbs.org.au
2. How can I support 3MBS?
3MBS does not depend on government funding; rather it relies
on listeners to support the station's operations and activities.
You can help 3MBS by subscribing, making a donation, arranging a bequest in your will, or with a promotional sponsorship package for your business or event.
3. When did 3MBS
first appear on the airwaves?
3MBS was Victoria's first community radio station and has
grown substantially since its first broadcast on 1 July
1975. The station now has 150 volunteers and broadcasts
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to over 110,000
listeners every week.
4. Who runs the station?
There is a Board of Directors half of which is elected by
members each year for a 2 year term. There is a small annual
fee to be a member of 3MBS. Membership enables people to
vote at AGMs and to stand for the Board. The Board of Directors
is responsible for the direction of the station. It develops
policies and employs staff to undertake duties that will
achieve the policies. There are a number of volunteer committees
established to co-ordinate activities such as programming
and training.
The Board policies guide the work of all volunteers and
staff at the station. The Board has developed since the
early days of the station when all Directors had programs
at the station. The current Board has members recruited
for their expertise in finance, marketing and law. Many
Board members are not involved in broadcasting, but rather
are interested in the station's overall development.
5. Who decides what music is
played?
Broad policy is established by the Board. The volunteer
Programming committee then establishes guidelines for each
program. Within these broad guidelines, volunteer broadcasters
choose the music. The station has a library of well over
12,000 CDs. Broadcasters also utilise sources of music outside
the station.
6. Who can volunteer at 3MBS?
Anyone who is interested in the station's objectives and
the music that is played at the station. There are a range
of jobs for volunteers at 3MBS from administration and data
entry to broadcasting and maintenance tasks. There are forms
and information that can be mailed or emailed to you and
the station administrator will work with you to find the
best fit for your skills and interest. Training is offered
in all areas at the station.
7. How many volunteers and staff
are at the station?
There are more than 150 volunteers at the station. They
range in age from early twenties to late eighties! And everyone
contributes to the station's operation. There are 10 administrative
staff employed full and part-time to support the work of
the volunteers and a handful of contractors who take care
of technology and magazine layout.
8. Do you ever run out of music
to play?
Once in 1978 - no, only joking. There are more than 12,000
CDs in the library and over 1000 LPs. People lend recordings
to the station and volunteers go to extraordinary lengths
to find those "hard to find" recordings. All the
record companies are keen for 3MBS to play their new releases
and we receive up to 50 new CDs every week.
9. Who is the most popular composer?
Check out the Top 30 Composers to find out.
10. Does the government fund
the station?
No. Less than 2% of our funding comes from the government.
Our main source of revenue is from subscribers (30%). Then
the sale of airtime or sponsorship is the next biggest (25%).
The station then operates a range of fundraising and associated
activities to raise the rest of the money required to run
the station.
11. What do you need money if
everyone is a volunteer?
There are many costs associated with a radio station. We
pay copyright for all the recordings we broadcast. The total
annual payments to the three copyright agencies is close
to $20,000. The station's equipment requires ongoing maintenance
and we pay operating costs such as electricity and insurance
at our studio premises as well as the transmission site
at Mt Dandenong.
12. Why should I subscribe when
I can hear 3MBS for free?
If people don't subscribe to the station, it will cease
to exist. It is the only classical music station based in
Melbourne. It supports the work of over 100 local music
and arts groups in Melbourne. 3MBS records and broadcasts
concerts of local musicians. The station promotes the best
of local, visiting and young musicians.
None of this will happen if Melbourne people don't subscribe
to the station. Yet, only 4,000 of the station's 100,000
regular listeners do subscribe. While the station greatly
values those subscribers, it would develop more quickly
if more people subscribed.
There are considerable benefits afforded to station subscribers.
The station magazine, Libretto, is mailed out 6 times a
year, there are many businesses that offer discounts to
subscribers and the station has daily subscriber-only prizes
such as restaurant vouchers, bottles of wine and CDs.
13. What does 3MBS do other
than play music?
The continuing support of our listeners, subscribers, sponsors
and donors has allowed 3MBS to expand its role as a major
supporter of music and contributor to the vibrant cultural
community in Victoria.
Recent initiatives include:
- The annual 3MBS National Composer Awards
- The 3MBS Young Performer Award and MBS National Composer
Award
- The 3MBS Musicians-in-Residence
- The annual Classically Melbourne Free Concert, in partnership
with Orchestra Victoria, Betty Amsden OAM, APRA, the Arts
Centre and the Robert Salzer Foundation
- Special annual subscription rate to cultural organisations,
which provides promotion for their events on-air in the
Daily Arts Diary, as well as listings on our website.
- 3MBS Box Office which provides a complete ticketing
service for performances Australia wide.
- 3MBS regularly records and broadcasts Victoria's finest
musicians.
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Technical
200 dedicated volunteers along with a small team of staff give their time, energy and passion to 3MBS, delivering fine music to listeners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
But to ensure our listeners continue receive their beloved music at an excellent broadcast standard, a small team of experts work constantly behind-the-scenes to manage the many technical aspects that make this possible.
Studios
The 3MBS Studios are located in the St Euphrasia building, 1 St Heliers St, in the Abbotsford Convent Cultural Precinct in Melbourne, Australia, about 7kms East of Melbourne CBD.
We moved to this location in 2006, completely refitted the building internally, and installed a fully digital “Axia” audio system. This was the first Axia installation in Australia. See www.axiaaudio.com
Transmitter Status
3MBS transmits on 103.5MHz from Mt Dandenong, about 35kms East of the Mebourne CBD. Our licence specifies a broad cardioid pattern towards the West (over greater Melbourne), with a peak power of 56kW ERP (Effective Radiated Power).
We have a Community Radio licence issued by the Australian Communication and Media Authority.
Planning details are contained in ACMA's Melbourne Licence Area Plan :- www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw
Technical details can be found at :- web.acma.gov.au
Technical FAQs
Where can I listen to 3MBS?
Where does 3MBS Broadcast and Transmit from?
My car radio won't pick up 3MBS - what's wrong?
My reception has a lot of hissing noises, how can I fix this?
What is Digital Radio?
How does it work?
What are the advantages of Digital Radio?
How is this different from FM?
Digital radio text and data - how does it work?
Where can I listen to 3MBS?
You can receive 3MBS on 103.5MHz on the FM dial in Greater Melbourne and Geelong and some rural areas of Victoria, Australia. You can also hear 3MBS live via audio streaming on this website.
Where does 3MBS Broadcast and Transmit from?
The 3MBS Studios are located in the St Euphrasia building, 1 St Heliers St, in the Abbotsford Convent Cultural Precinct in Melbourne, Australia, about 7kms East of Melbourne CBD. We transmit from Mt Dandenong which is approximately 35kms east of Melbourne CBD.
My car radio won't pick up 3MBS.
Due to a car being made of metal a radio receiver will not pick up reception unless an aerial is in place. These should be extended to their maximum length. Around 80cm is ideal any more or less and you may not gain full reception. The aerial should be upright at all times and not folded down onto the roof or bonnet. Coat hanger Aerials shaped like a map of Australia are very traditional but unfortunately do not gain quality reception. Your local car audio shop should be able to help you with the best aerial for your car.
My reception has a lot of hissing noises, how can I fix this?
The hissing noises could be caused by an effect called Multi-pathing. Multi pathing is when the signal is reflected off buildings, hills or trees. The reflected signal reaches the receiver a moment later than the direct signal which can mean your receiver doesn't receive either signal. To fix this problem, you need to do one of three things.
- Slight change of position inside your house of your portable radios, or relocation of antenna can help with FM reception.
- Using an external directional FM antenna which will only pick up the direct signal from the transmitter will help to avoid receiving the unwanted reflected signals.
- If you are receiving a strong Television signal you can split the signal from your Television antenna, you must use a proper antenna splitter, if unsure consult professional assistance.
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Digital Radio
What is Digital Radio?
Digital Radio is a new transmission system offering the benefits of digital technology to radio broadcasting.
How does it work?
Digital radio works by using technology which converts the music or speech from analogue signal into digital (binary) code. This vastly reduces the potential for the broadcast to be corrupted during transmission by weather conditions, and other problems that can degrade the quality of reception.
Will I need new radio?
Yes – you will need a new receiver to hear Digital Radio. But the Federal Government has no plans to switch off analog AM and FM radio, so that will still be available. (By contrast, there IS a mandated switch-off date for analog TV).
What are the advantages?
The main benefits to the listener:
- The robust nature of digital transmissions avoids many of the problems of that can spoil analogue radio transmissions such as multipath interference. This is particularly good news for listeners to 3MBS who can now hear the best classical music without all the usual problems associated with analog FM reception. Digital signals are also far less likely to be affected by adverse weather conditions or local sources of interference - like trams and other electrically driven machines.
- The flexible nature of digital radio mutliplexes mean that 3MBS could create secondary services - allowing us to offer a lighter music channels or even nostalgia channel as well as a serious music service.
- As well as music and speech, digital transmissions also contain data information. A digital receiver uses a screen, on which various kinds of information can be displayed such as music details or information about local performances.
How is this different from FM?
The European "Eureka 147" system to be used in Australia can use multi-path signals to actually improve reception, rather than degrade it.
Digital radio text and data - how does it work?
Have you ever heard music on the radio and wanted to know who it is by or what it's called, or tuned into speech radio and wanted to know what the programme is about or who is speaking? Digital radio sets come equipped with a small screen which carries information about the programme you're listening to. This may be a plot summary to a play, the name of the track currently being played, email addresses, up to the minute news or competition details.
Some stations also scroll news headlines and other up-to-date information. Some of the latest digital products can pick up a broadcast E.P.G (Electronic Programme Guide) which provides free, useful programme information in advance, allowing users to programme the set to record a particular show automatically - or even an entire series of programmes.
What Digital Radio system will be used in Australia?
Over recent years some European countries, and Canada, have used the "Eureka 147" system. While partly successful, this system uses a relatively “old” audio coding system, MPEG2 (MP2). This means it requires substantial spectrum space to deliver adequate audio quality. (The same problem would arise with the popular MP3 format). Eureka 147 has been trialed in Australia, and the industry consensus was to look for a more efficient coding system so that all broadcasters could have access to Digital Radio in the spectrum that was available.
An enhancement has now been achieved for Eureka 147 that substitutes an MP4 audio coding system called aacPlus, and the new system has been named “DAB+”. Trials in Australia and elsewhere have been very promising, to the extent that the former Minister for Communications, Helen Coonan, declared that Digital Radio using DAB+ would commence in Australia in January 2009.
For more information visit:
Australian Communications and Media Authority Media Release 143/2007 :- www.acma.gov.au
CBAA (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia) Article - Digital Radio :-
www.cbaa.org.au
Senator the Hon Helen Coonan, Former Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts outlining the 'Framework for Digital Radio' :- www.minister.dcita.gov.au/coonan/media
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