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hit93.1 Riverina

2WG and 2WZD studios
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Broadcast area	Riverina South West Slopes
Frequency	93.1 MHz FM
Programming
Format	Contemporary hits
Ownership
Owner	Southern Cross Media Group (Riverina Broadcasters Pty Ltd)
Sister stations	Triple M Riverina 1152
History
First air date	July 1994
Technical information
Licensing authority	ACMA
Class	Commercial
ERP	80,000 Watts
Transmitter coordinates	35°02′59″S 147°33′34″E / 35.049858°S 147.559370°E / -35.049858; 147.559370
Repeater(s)	103.1 MHz FM
Links
Public licence information	Profile
Website	Official website

2WZD, which is branded as hit93.1 Riverina, is an Australian radio station that transmits on 93.1 MHz FM and is owned by Southern Cross Media.

History

On 14 November 1991 the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT) granted an FM commercial licence to Wagga and Riverina FM Stereo Broadcasters Pty Limited, which was to be Wagga FM but the incumbent, Riverina Broadcasters Pty Limited, the licensee of 2WG, successfully appealed in the Federal Court of Australia in September 1992.

The Federal Court found that the decision the ABT made was an error of law. On 5 October 1992, the ABT and Broadcasting Act 1942 were replaced by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) and the Broadcasting Act 1992. On 2 December 1992, South West Media Ltd who was also competing for an independent FM licence, advised the ABA it was withdrawing its licence application.

The ABA announced that an inquiry into the licence grant would be held on 19 – 20 May 1993 at The Old Wagga Inn. The inquiry would re-examine Wagga and Riverina FM Stereo Broadcasters application which Riverina Broadcasters had contested. The inquiry would also look at the application for a supplementary FM commercial licence from Riverina Broadcasters, and at the viability of Riverina Broadcasters if an FM commercial licence was granted to a second independent licensee in the city.

On 12 October 1993, ABA announced that the FM commercial licence was granted to Riverina Broadcasters and it decided not to grant an independent FM licence, as the ABA found that the viability of Riverina Broadcasters would have been jeopardised if an independent FM licence was granted.

In July 1994 2WZD began broadcasting on 93.1 MHz as FM93. The station and its sister station 2WG was sold to DMG Radio Australia in 1998 and FM93 was re-branded as Star FM by DMG Radio in 1999.

In 2000 the station sacked four of its radio presenters and began networking with the StarFM network hub in Albury. On 11 April 2000 Duncan Potts and Leighton Marshall began broadcasting as breakfast announcers on the station. On 6 June 2000, 2WZD relocated from its Fitzmaurice Street studios to the Prime Television studios in the suburb of Kooringal. In September 2004, DMG Radio sold the stations to Macquarie Regional RadioWorks. Star FM relocated to its new Forsyth Street studios on 6 October 2015.

The stations branding of 93.1 Star FM was rebranded to hit93.1 Riverina as part of Southern Cross Austereo's wide rebranding.

References

1. ^ "Apparatus Licence". Australian Communications and Media Authority. 29 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
2. "Apparatus Licence". Australian Communications and Media Authority. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
3. ^ "ABA revisits Wagga Wagga for FM licence inquiry". Australian Broadcasting Authority. 14 May 1993. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
4. ^ "New FM radio service for Wagga". Australian Broadcasting Authority. 12 October 1993. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
5. "About Us". The Radio. 93.1 Star FM. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
6. ^ Grimson, Ken (12 April 2000). "Wagga radio stars dumped". The Daily Advertiser. pp. 1, 4.
7. Bartlett, Jason (7 June 2000). "Move marks start of a new era for Wagga broadcaster". The Daily Advertiser. p. 3.
8. Catalano, Christian (3 September 2004). "Macquarie pays $194m in radio deal". Fairfax. The Age. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
9. Owen, Brodie (6 October 2015). "2WG, Star FM move into new Forsyth Street studios". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
10. Media, Australian Community Media - Fairfax (13 December 2016). "End of an era as radio gets re-branded". The Daily Advertiser.

35°08′03″S 147°22′33″E / 35.13419°S 147.375718°E / -35.13419; 147.375718

• Radio stations in Wagga Wagga
• Contemporary hit radio stations in Australia
• Southern Cross Media Group
• Radio stations established in 1994
• 1994 establishments in Australia