Perth’s only talk radio station, 882 6PR has enjoyed a long and illustrious history which takes it back to the early days of Australian radio.
In the Beginning
Radio was introduced to Australia just twelve years before 6PR commenced broadcasting on October 14, 1931. 6PR was founded by electrical company Nicholson's Limited which ran the station from a studio above its showroom in Barrack Street, Perth. In 1963 the Victorian Broadcasting Network purchased Nicholson's and sold the electrical division of the organisation to Vox Adeon. The broadcasting business was retained and operated under the name Nicholson's Broadcasting Service Pty Ltd.
The operation moved from Barrack Streetto 340 Hay Street after being purchased by the VBN in 1963. The 6PR studio remained at 340 Hay Street for 22 years before relocating to its current premises at 169 Hay Street, East Perth in 1985.
A Change of Pace
Throughout the sixties 6PR was consistently the top rating station in Perth but lost its dominance in 1972. The image of the station changed from rock ‘n’ roll to beautiful music with the "Gentle on Your Mind" promotion in 1973. This boosted 6PR's ratings to a consistent number two, with a number one position on several occasions.
In 1977 an agreement was made with the TAB by the station's owners to broadcast races in conjunction with a personality/sport format.
Out with the Old, In with the News
In the early eighties the station commenced a more comprehensive news and current affairs format with the introduction of regular programs by Howard Sattler, Bob Maumill and Graham Mabury, which proved extremely popular with listeners.
In 1987 the TAB purchased 6PR to secure the future of race broadcasts in Western Australia and races were broadcast across the station during popular talkback programs. During the early nineties the station's current affairs/talkback program hosted by Sattler, Maumill, Mabury, Peter Newman, Gary Carvolth and Rob Broadfield achieved considerable success in spite of the ever increasing level of racing broadcasts on the station.
In 1994 6PR, in conjunction with the TAB, was able to secure a special narrowcast broadcast license that allowed racing broadcasts to be moved from 6PR to the narrowcast broadcaster called Racing Radio. This move allowed 6PR to serve its two distinct audiences, those who listened purely for a talkback/news/current affairs format and those who listened just for racing information in a more comprehensive manner.
Southern Cross takes the Reigns
In December 1994 6PR was purchased by its current owner Southern Cross Broadcasting. In the nineties and now, into the new millennium, 6PR has continued its dominance in the talk format arena with personalities such as Basil Zempilas, Steve Mills, Tony McManus Howard Sattler, Jenny Seaton and Gary Carvolth, Liam Bartlett, Bob Maumill, Paul Murray, Harvey Deegan and Graham Mabury. In 2007 6PR celebrates 76 years of broadcasting in Perth.