This year marks a significant milestone for Armidale’s radio station, 2AD, as it celebrates 90 years on air, reflecting nearly a century of broadcasting history, community connection, and regional storytelling across the New England.
First going to air on 5 February 1936, 2AD has grown alongside Armidale and the surrounding region, becoming a trusted source of local news, entertainment, and emergency information for generations of listeners. From its early days of live music and local announcements to today’s modern programming, the station has remained a constant presence in the daily lives of the community.
General Manager Steve McMillan, who has worked at the station for 28 years, said the 90th anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on the station’s enduring role in the region.
“It’s a huge year for 2AD. We’re still finalising all the details of the official birthday celebration plans with Super Radio Network, but we’ve kicked things off by reliving a lot of the station’s history live on air,” said Mr McMillan.
“We’ve got all the world headline news, some song montages and some of the old serials that used to broadcast on the station, and we’ve been featuring 2–3 each day since the start of December. The feedback on this has been great – people seem to really be enjoying it.”
Mr McMillan offered huge praise to now-retired General Manager Don Thomas, who collated many of these memories for the station’s 75th birthday.
Over the decades, 2AD has witnessed and reported on major local, national, and global events while continuing to shine a spotlight on community stories, local voices, and regional issues. The station has played an important role during times of celebration and crisis alike, helping to keep residents informed, connected, and supported.
According to Mr McMillan, the station’s longevity can be attributed to its strong connection with listeners and its ability to adapt to changing times.
“Obviously, media has changed a lot, but I still believe radio is very important, especially for places like Armidale,” he said.
“TV can get very diluted – there are so many stations, but we still have that connection to the community. We speak with the local MPs and councillors, we know what the local news is, we make lots of community service announcements, and we genuinely care about the local community.”
Mr McMilllan cited their recent Christmas toy drive as a pivotal moment for him when it comes to recognition of how much they can achieve for the community.
“We ended up being able to hand out 450 items,” he said.
“It was really rewarding to see that huge community response and getting the feedback from places like the Armidale Women’s Shelter telling us that this was the first time some of these kids had ever had presents. It really brought tears to our eyes.”
Another area Mr McMillan is exceptionally passionate about is local sport. As presenter of the Saturday morning sport report for 27 years, he said he never ceases to be impressed by the calibre of sporting talent in the area.
“We have so many world-class athletes in things like hockey, swimming, and shooting, as well as so many other fantastic local sporting achievements – it’s really important to try and promote our local talent,” he said.
While technology and listening habits have changed dramatically since the station’s early broadcasts in the 1930s, 2AD has continued to embrace innovation, expanding its digital presence while maintaining the local focus that has long defined its identity. This balance between tradition and progress has ensured the station remains relevant to both long-time listeners and new audiences.
Looking ahead, Mr McMillan said the focus remains firmly on the future, with a commitment to continuing strong local programming and community engagement.
“It is going to be a huge 12 months for us, not only have we got our own 90th birthday celebrations, but 2NZ in Inverell will also turn 90 in March,” said Mr McMillan.
“Then we’ll be saying goodbye to Tara from our weekday breakfast at the end of the month and welcoming Samson to the air from February – new staff is always exciting!”
“And then the next big step in our future is that, later this year, we’ll be the next Super station to get an upgrade, so we’ll be changing over from 1134AM to 94.3FM.”
The federal government has been encouraging all AM stations to covert to the FM band to improve reception and sound quality, as well as freeing up AM bandwidth for other uses.
“There are a few technical issues still being ironed out with this, but we’ll be getting a big studio upgrade as part of the process, so definitely a very busy year!”
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