Deaksy on 3GG’s 85th birthday: “I’m excited for the future”

The champagne’s at the ready at 3GG.

This coming week – on Tuesday, May 17 – the station servicing Victoria’s Gippsland and Latrobe Valley region will break out the birthday candles, as 3GG celebrates 85 years on air.

3GG Breakfast host Andrew Deak has been there for 16 of those, and tells Radio Today it’s been a dream gig:

“The things I love about 3GG are the reason I have been here doing breakfast here that long. That 24 hours a day, 3GG is Gippsland’s only commercial station that plays my favourite music of the 70s 80s and 90s.”

“I also get to spend my day with some incredible local talent like Trent McCurdy who has been on Gippsland radio as long as me (since 1998).”

“Having Lance White do 3GG local news is the cream on top of the cake. I love just how local the station is and how loyal the listeners are.”

3GG first went to air in 1937 in Warragul as 3UL.

It shifted premises to Traralgon and changed its call sign over the journey, but is now back in the regional town where it began.

Deaksy says they’re marking the milestone with an 85k Birthday Payday, where one lucky Gippsland listener has a chance to win $85,000.

The day itself will feature interviews and former announcers’ memories of their time on 3UL/3GG every hour across the day.

“We’ll also be taking it to the street so to speak with a 2 hour OB from Mid Valley Shopping Centre on the day as many years ago in Morwell there was a thing called Radio Arcade – the station had a remote studio. The likes of Ron Burke and Denise Drysdale would often broadcast from there. It no longer exists.”

“(Station owner) Kevin Blyton‘s focus for the future is to be even more local with a stack more OBs and listener interaction, with contests right across the day rather than reducing the amount of local programming.”

“I’m excited for the future.”