Midwest Radio Network is an Australian media company that focuses on broadcasting and digital media. The broadcasting division focuses on the operation of FM and AM commercial radio stations in the Midwest region, west of Sydney. The digital media platform comprising newspaper-style news portals is internationally concentrated.
Overview Midwest Radio Network was founded on 7 June 1938 as Lithgow Broadcasters Pty Ltd and was granted a license to transmit that year. Initially the company was a subsidiary of Western Newspapers Pty Ltd."Company History", Midwest Radio Network, retrieved 19 March 2013. In July 1939 the company began broadcasting with the channel name 2LT"2LT planning 75th birthday celebrations", RadioInfo, retrieved 19 March 2013. as part of the Macquarie Central Western Network.
In the 1970s the company was acquired by the Transcontinental Broadcasting Company Limited. This in turn was bought by Broadcast Investments Pty Limited, the former owner of 2UE,"Lamb, John (1885–1974)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, retrieved 19 March 2013. in 1979. Late in 1979 Lithgow Broadcasters was transferred to interests associated with John McEvoy of the Metro Hotels group.
On 21 June 1984 the company changed its name to Midwest Radio Network Pty Ltd, and in 1986 became a major shareholder in a new Australian Securities Exchange listed public company called Midwest Radio Limited. Midwest Radio Limited was involved in a number of ventures during the 1980s and 1990s, including regional radio stations in New Zealand"Disposal of NZ radio shareholding in XS Corporation Ltd", Australian Securities Exchange, 21 August 1998, retrieved 8 September 2013. and FM broadcasting operations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.
In 1996 Midwest Radio Network established a new FM station which launched with the call sign Kiss FM, which it began operating in conjunction with 2LT, and servicing a similar coverage area.
In 2001 Midwest Radio Network cut most of its connections with Midwest Radio Limited when that company was taken over in a reverse takeover by Unitel, a former listed public company whose principal asset was a network of radio stations jointly owned with Rural Press Limited comprising River 94.9 in Ipswich, Queensland, and South Australian stations 5AU Port Augusta, 5RM in Renmark, 5CC Port Lincoln, 5CS in Port Pirie, Magic FM in Port Lincoln, and Magic FM in Renmark."To Expand Operations", Australian Securities Exchange, 20 September 2001, retrieved 8 September 2013. Subsequently, the name of the public company was changed to Media Corporation Australia Limited.."Change of Name", Australian Securities Exchange, 30 August 2002, retrieved 8 September 2013. Control of the radio assets had passed to MCA and Midwest Radio Network was now concentrating on online news portals.
However, in March 2006 Media Corporation Australia went into liquidation and asked Midwest Radio Network to appoint a receiver for the radio assets. Both stations were offered for sale but no buyers emerged."2LT/107.9 FM Lithgow for sale", RadioInfo, 17 April 2009, reproduced on knowfirst.info (original link dead.) Retrieved 19 March 2013. Four years later Midwest Radio Network terminated the receivership and resumed control of the radio stations."Midwest Radio Network resumes control of 2LT/IceFM Lithgow", RadioInfo, retrieved 20 March 2013.
History
Early days After the license to establish 2LT was granted to Midwest Radio Network (then named Lithgow Broadcasters Pty Ltd) in 1938 it was proposed a trade union lease the license on a ten-year term basis, and for the union, the Professional Radio Employees Institute, to build and own the station, a first for a union in Australia."Trade Union Radio Station", The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 December 1938, retrieved 8 September 2013. The proposal did not eventuate and Midwest proceeded to develop the station, building a transmitting aerial and a studio at Bowenfels. The station was to broadcast 10 hours a day initially.Broadcasting Station 2LT Lithgow Sydney Morning Herald 17 January 1939, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Mast collapse A contract for the erection of the tubular steel aerial mast, which was to be 218 feet in heightNew Wireless Station Sydney Morning Herald 18 March 1939, retrieved 8 September 2013. was entered into in January 1939 while tenders were called for other buildings to be built. It was intended the mast would be finished in six weeks and the station would be on air by Easter 1939.New Radio Station Sydney Morning Herald, 30 January 1939, retrieved 8 September 2013. The erection of the mast which had been extended to 228 feet in height was a disaster. A pulley failed causing the newly constructed mast to buckle and fall. It was extensively damaged. A new mast had to be commissioned which took two to three weeks to build."Wireless Mast falls", The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 April 1939, retrieved 8 September 2013. In the end the two contractors commissioned to erect the mast were unable to do so. The Mayor of Lithgow Bob Fullagar, who was Manager of the Lithgow State Mine at the time, took over the job and had the mast installed."Sudden Death of Mr Bob Fullagar", The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder, 13 January 1948, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Official opening The official opening of 2LT occurred on 2 July 1939. The station was opened by the Australian Minister for Customs Mr. J. N. Lawson, who in congratulating Midwest Radio Network (then Lithgow Broadcasters), said the Australian system of broadcasting provided greater variety, and unlike stations in Britain that were under government control, had greater freedom, "and freedom in broadcasting was just as important a bulwark as freedom of the press.""New Radio Station", The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 July 1939, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Station threatened by bushfires In January 1940, six months after 2LT first went to air the station, along with a number of cottages and State Pine forests, was endangered by bushfires but survived without damage."Bushfires Spread City Fireman Killed", The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1940, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Australian Government censorship On 13 May 1940 Australia's Postmaster-General imposed a restriction on 2LT preventing it from allowing two members of the Western Mining Federation to speak on the station because of 'objectionable remarks' including their description of the word 'scab.' The Postmaster General directed the two men be barred from speaking on the station again unless scripts of what they were to say were submitted to his department and approved beforehand. The minister also directed the station itself not be able to comment on industrial matters unless it followed the same procedure. He said he had directed the Crown Solicitor to investigate the powers of the government in such matters."Broadcasting Station 2LT Lithgow", The West Australian, 14 May 1940, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Station linked to communist threat The Postmaster-General linked the station ban to his government's concern about communism infiltrating the unions. He was quoted as saying "there were only two classes of Australians today, those who were loyal to the country and those who were not." The Minister said anyone who had information that would assist the government in its fight against communism and enemy agents should, submit it to the nearest police station, or send it to him direct."Partial Ban on Radio Station", The Barrier Miner, 14 May 1939, retrieved 8 September 2013.
National coal mining strike The Australian Government restriction imposed on 2LT occurred as a national coal mining strike was entering its third month, with most coal mines in Australia located in and around Lithgow. The strike brought unprecedented attention from the Australian Government as it had come in the midst of World War II and was depriving manufacturing plants focused on the development of military equipment and arms, including the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, of vitally needed coal supplies. Miners were being pressed by unions to stay on strike despite pleas from Prime Minister Robert Menzies that the War Effort was under threat. "If we do not obtain ample supplies of coal soon our war programme must be curtailed drastically", he said at the time. This is unthinkable when our strong and calculating enemy is throwing all resources into a terrific gamble for world domination", he said."Miners Scorn Warnings", The Courier-Mail, 14 May 1940, retrieved 8 September 2013.
News services commenced From February 1942 the Australian Broadcasting Commission by arrangement with the Federation of Commercial Broadcasters began providing news services to 2LT and other regional Australian stations free of charge."Land-Lines Only for A.B.C. News Service", The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 May 1945, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Andrews Sisters banned In December 1943 the 2LT general manager Desmond Day banned all forty records by the Andrews Sisters. At the time he said the standard of music on the station, which he took over as general manager 5 months earlier, was very low and consisted of nothing but "boogie-woogie and hot jazz." The Manager said at the time the War had increased the average age of listeners to 35 to 40, and he hadn't met anyone over the age of 35 that liked the Andrews Sisters. "I don't believe in tom-toms. The people want melody and good vocalists", he said."Andrews Sisters Ban", Worker, 20 December 1943, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Plan to introduce commercial news service Three news services a day covering national and international news were scheduled to commence in May 1945 on 2LT, on relay from 2GB Sydney, by arrangement with The Sydney Morning Herald. 'The aim was to give an objective, balanced and entirely factual survey of overseas and Australian events as reliable as the Herald itself and free from comment of any kind except when a survey of press and other opinion on any event of importance abroad becomes in itself a matter of news interest. Aside from international and Australian news wires, it was noted The Sydney Morning Herald had correspondents in London, New York, India, and China, and war correspondents in Western and Southern Europe, the Supreme Allied Headquarters in Europe, and General MacArthur's headquarters in the Pacific"Herald News Service from 2GB", The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 May 1945, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Australian Government blocks new news service The Australian government however moved to block 2LT and other stations taking the new news service as it would replace the existing service provided by the government-controlled Australian Broadcasting Commission, which had been provided free of cost to the station since February 1942. The Acting Prime Minister Ben Chifley announced the Postmaster-General would refuse to provide landlines for the new service. For some stations however, including 2LT, the government would allow landlines to be allocated provided the stations agreed to also broadcast the ABC news.
First live boxing broadcast In February 1946 2LT joined a network of 25 Macquarie Network and co-operative stations Australia-wide to broadcast a boxing match, which was the largest hook-up ever for a boxing match in Australia."Broadcast After Fight", The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 February 1946, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Statewide Food for Britain appeal 2LT assisted in a statewide appeal in February 1946 for the Food for Britain Fund."Food Fund Appeal", The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 1946, retrieved 8 September 2013.
Poisoned potatoes