90 fabulous years of radio: Happy Birthday 5MU

They’re breaking out the birthday cake (and one heck of a lot of candles) today at South Australia’s second oldest radio station, as 5MU Murray Bridge turns 90 years old.

It was on this day in 1934 that 5MU’s transmitters were switched on for the very first time.

Pioneering radio engineer Frank Miller made this moment possible by broadcasting from a modest shack on the corner of Thomas Street and Eleanor Terrace.

5MU’s current line up of Adam Connelly, Jennie Lenman, Chris Guscott and Jacquie Irvine-Creaser will celebrate this incredible milestone today with special programming, playing archival audio and talking to some of the past stars of 5MU.

The celebrations kicked off at six this morning with a special edition of Adam and Jennie.

Breakfast Host and Content Director Adam Connelly says the celebration is as much about the community as it is about the station.

“The wonderful Mel Dzelde told me that 5MU listeners are the best in the world. She was right. We love broadcasting to the Murraylands, Hills and South Coast, and it’s been a love affair for 90 years.”

General Manager Dave Shearer says it’s a privilege to be part of a hardworking team that always has the local community top of mind.

“The importance of regional radio is more significant and powerful than ever. We’d be nothing without our listeners and advertisers who have continued to support us through the years. Thank you from everyone at the station.”

The anniversary has been marked by Premier Peter Malinauskas, who conveyed his own birthday wishes in an online video.

“It’s a big history, it’s a proud history, but most importantly, the communities that you service – in the Adelaide Hills, the South Coast, and the Murraylands -have been the beneficiaries of your hard work, including in some very challenging times. So well done, keep up the great work, and hopefully, 5MU is around for another 90 years.”

The celebration will continue through to the end of the year with an event at the Murray Bridge Golf Club in November, which is expected to sell out.

Miller’s early association with communications began as a signaller in World War I, where he contributed to the development of the teletype machine while working with the Signal Corps in the trenches. His work earned him a personal commendation from the King.

After a decade of amateur broadcasting experiments in Murray Bridge, Miller teamed up with a business partner to establish 5MU.

With the help of volunteers, he built a 50-watt transmitter and put up wooden masts and an aerial system.

His great-nephew Peter Callow says he takes great pride in his family member’s contribution to the region and global broadcasting.

“He built everything from the ground up and apparently, at the beginning, he had a wooden aerial … he used to talk to people from all over the world.”

In 1935, Keith Murdoch’s Advertiser group acquired 5MU, transforming it into a relay station for 5AD Adelaide. The original wooden masts were replaced with a single base-loaded vertical mast.

Miller remained with 5MU until his retirement in 1953. The station’s transmitter, with increased power, was then relocated to Gifford Hill.

Miller died in 1954 and is buried in a soldier’s grave at Murray Bridge Cemetery.

The Advertiser group ran 5MU for decades before it was bought by locals David and Dianne Bean. From 1982 to 1987, the Beans co-owned the station with announcer and Content Director Phil McEvoy.

Reflecting on the occasion just recently, McEvoy shared some sombre news about his colleague and mentor.

“Sadly, he passed away earlier this week after a long battle with illness, and he’ll be remembered by many of your listeners. He was very active in the community. He drove the radio station to do great things for Murray Bridge, the Adelaide Hills, and Victor Harbor.”

McEvoy recalled an initiative they worked on together – the transformation of the Murray Bridge Festival into the popular Big River Challenge, which brought together sporting groups from across South Australia to compete at Sturt Reserve. He says this “really lifted the town.”

The Beans eventually sold the station to transport mogul Allen Scott, who later sold it to the Cameron family’s Grant Broadcasters network.

Despite changes in ownership, 5MU has remained committed to serving the Murraylands, Adelaide Hills, and South Coast.

On 28 March 2021, 5MU transitioned from AM to FM broadcasting for higher fidelity sound, moving to 94.3 FM in the Adelaide Hills, 96.3 FM in the Murraylands, and 97.1 FM on the South Coast.

In January 2022, ARN Media acquired the station, joining the network alongside Mix FM and Cruise AM in Adelaide and KIIS in the eastern states.

5MU is the oldest continually used call sign in South Australia, the second oldest radio station still broadcasting in the state.

Connelly is urging locals to share their memories of 90 wonderful years.

“It is a testament to the value of the relationship between the community and the station that through famine and flood, drought and delight, 5MU and the community have cherished each other,” he says.

“We love our history, and we are excited for the future.”