AFTER last year’s failed sale attempt, Warragul radio station 3GG has finally sold.
First published in the 16 January 2015 edition of the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen.
ADVERTISEMENT
Resonate Broadcasting has sold the AM station to Capital Radio network owner Kevin Blyton.
Mr Blyton has a growing portfolio of broadcasters, including 2CA and 2CC in Canberra, 2XL and Snow FM Cooma, as well as stations in Perth and Goulburn.
3GG will be his first Victorian station.
The sale of Gippsland’s third oldest radio station for an undisclosed amount follows a failed attempt last year. 3GG was under contract to be sold to Dan Bradley’s fledgling Watermark Media in May but the sale fell through in August.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr Blyton said “3GG has a proud history of strongly serving the Gippsland area which will continue under my ownership.”
3GG went to air with the callsign 3UL in 1937, preceded in the region only by 3TR (1932) and 3GI (1935).
3UL’s original licence holder was the Argus newspaper, which was already operating radio stations in Melbourne, Shepparton and Warrnambool.
3UL was renamed 3GG when it temporarily moved studios to Traralgon in 1989.
While not being drawn on any future plans for 3GG, Mr Blyton said “the station will continue its long standing ties with local communities throughout Gippsland and be managed and operated by local people.”
It is believed Resonate offloaded 3GG to help fund an expansion of its network of stations in Queensland. The company currently holds four licences in that state and another four on Hawaii’s Big Island. 3GG was its only station in Victoria.
For more by Greg on the history of 3GG, click here and here to see his pieces at greatergippsland.com.