2CA

Established by Albert John (Jack) Ryan, an AIF veteran and former signaller during the first World War, Canberra's first commercial radio station - 2CA - began broadcasting with just a small 50 watt transmitter from the back of Jack's electrical repair shop in the Canberra suburb of Kingston on 14 November 1931. By 1933 the station had increased its transmitter to 500 watts and moved to a small purpose built studio on a low hill close to the Queanbeyan - Canberra road (near what is now the intersection of Hindmarsh Drive and Canberra Avenue). The hill quickly became known as "Radio Hill". By the late 1930s the 2CA studios were moved from Radio Hill to a new building in Mort Street, Canberra City, next to the Civic theatre. The transmitter power was increased again from 500 watts to 2,000 watts and moved to Gungahlin.[2]

In 1975, Canberra’s second commercial radio station, 2CC, began broadcasting and soon topped the Canberra ratings survey, continuing its dominance over 2CA throughout the latter half of the 70s and most of the 80s. In 1986 2CA went to air in stereo-AM from the new Mitchell Transmitter site along with a new 5,000 watt Nautel Transmitter, using the STC valve transmitter as stand-by transmitter. In 1988, FM 104 (now Hit 104.7) & Kix 106 (now Mix 106.3) went to air as Australia's first supplementary FM licences (also the first commercial FM licences in Australia since 1980). FM 104 was a supplementary licence of 2CA, and Kix 106 a supplementary licence of 2CC.

Over the years the 2CA studios were housed in numerous buildings in the City including 64 Northbourne Avenue (until the site was re-developed as an office building in 1983) and then the first floor of the Jolimont Building, also on Northbourne Avenue. The 2CA studios had to be evacuated on 29 November 1993 when a man crashed his car into the ground floor of the Jolimont Building and tried to blow up the building. Staff from 2CA had to be rescued from their first floor studio by smashing a window and climbing down a ladder.[3]

In the mid-1990s, Austereo, owner of 2CA & 104.7 and ARN, owner of 2CC & Mix 106.3, merged to form a joint venture ownership of both FM stations, selling 2CA and 2CC to the Capital Radio Network. Both 2CA and 2CC then moved to a building at 52 Hoskins St in the Canberra suburb of Mitchell.

In 2004 Grant Broadcasters purchased part ownership of Radio Canberra Pty Ltd (2CA & 2CC) to form a joint venture with the Capital Radio Network. 2CA broadcasts to the Canberra and Southern tablelands region of NSW, including Yass, Bungendore and Queanbeyan. The 5000 Watt AM signal travels as far as Braidwood, Cowra, Gundagai, Cooma and Goulburn. In addition to the AM transmission, 2CA also broadcasts from Black Mountain Tower in Digital (DAB+), as well as streaming its program on its website at www.2ca.com.au and other streaming platforms.

In 2019, 2CA and its sister station 2CC moved into state of the art purpose built studios[4] on Bellenden St, Crace, in a multi-million dollar broadcasting complex, the Canberra Radio Centre.

• Official website