Radio station 5MU will switch from AM to FM
The Murray Bridge-based broadcaster is about to leave its "1125 5MU" identity behind after 86 years.
After 86 years, Murray Bridge radio station 5MU’s 1125 AM frequency is about to fall silent.
The station will begin broadcasting in stereo on an FM frequency – 96.3 FM – on March 1.
Its AM transmissions will cease after March 28.
General manager Stephen Walker said the move had been years in the making, and would benefit both listeners and advertising clients.
“Hearing those great songs we grew up with come to life in stereo is amazing,” he said.
“It’s like hearing them for the first time.
“Our listeners will love it.”
Content director Adam Connelly agreed it was an exciting time.
“If you love listening to 5MU music now, wait until you hear it on your FM radio,” he said.
The station’s stereo stream is already available online.
- Listen to 5MU: player.listenlive.co.
Switch wins approval from ACMA
The Australian Communications and Media Authority received mainly positive feedback when it called for feedback on 5MU’s proposal in 2019.
One listener at Cudlee Creek suggested it might be harder for people living in bumpier parts of the Adelaide Hills to pick up an FM broadcast.
But ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said FM radio generally provided higher-quality audio for listeners in regional areas, and could be more cost-effective to operate.
One difference between AM and FM will be the change from one frequency, covering the Murraylands, Adelaide Hills and south coast, to three.
From March, 5MU will broadcast on 94.3 FM in the Adelaide Hills and 97.1 FM on the south coast.
However, all three regions will continue to receive the same signal.
The station’s studios will remain on First Street, Murray Bridge.
New personalities accompany FM switch
The station’s shift to a new frequency will follow the arrival of several new on-air personalities in recent weeks.
Chris Guscott has hosted a new, locally focused sports show, The Sideline View, on Saturday afternoons since February 13.
Inga Milosic has presented conversations about South Australian topics on Around SA, a statewide program broadcast from 2-6pm on weekdays, since February 8.
5MU’s sister station, Power FM, also gained a new breakfast team on February 1, when former children’s entertainer Molly Rose joined Damon Adams in that timeslot.
Both 5MU and Power FM are owned by Grant Broadcasters, a family-owned network of 48 commercial radio stations across regional Australia.
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