As you walk along, keep your eyes peeled to the right; you'll soon spot a single-story white brick building with a brown-tiled gable roof. There is a large sign right out front that clearly reads "ABC Riverina" with the iconic ABC logo - it’s pretty hard to miss! There's also a colorful painted rock in the small garden right by the entrance.
Welcome to ABC Riverina! This local radio station is broadcast magic in action, serving the regions of Riverina and Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, including towns like Griffith, Leeton, and Hay. It all started way back in 1931, under the humble call sign 2CO in Albury, covering south-west New South Wales and north-east Victoria. Back in the day, this station sent its signals from an AM mast on the edge of Corowa.
Initially, Wagga Wagga just got a bit of the action when the signal reached here. But in 1987, it got its own piece of the radio pie with new studios and transmitters! The station then split into two, with 2CO serving the Riverina and the Albury-based station moving to Wodonga.
Now, don't worry if you need a nerd fix. The original transmitter for 2CO was quite the contraption - a Sydney-made STC 6.5/7 kW, no less, cooling its hot triodes with water just to keep things from melting down!
Nowadays, you can catch ABC Riverina at 675 AM or 89.9, 100.5, and 102.7 FM. And during the footy seasons, it goes full sports buff, splitting broadcasts between AFL on the main transmitter and NRL or Super Rugby on the FM repeaters - a nifty solution for an area divided by the Barassi Line.
Tune in and enjoy the sounds of Riverina's past and present!
