November update

GabeMcGrath.com news update

Hey guys, wanted to give you a quick update re everything happening with the Hitz FM book and my GabeMcGrath.com blog. And that means, a November update.

BUT FIRST – A GIFT FOR BUSY PEOPLE.

This blog can now send you the latest posts automatically.

It’s easy. Just look for the big black subscribe box. (If you’re on a mobile, it’s probably below this post.) Pop your name/email in, and you’re sorted.

Now, what else has been going on…?

Interviews – and a lot of them.

In the past two month I’ve spoken to Julie Doyle (Hitz news director 1994-1999), Ty Frost (announcer broadcasts 2 and 3), Andrew Gyopar (announcer 93-94, president 1994 to 2001), Myf Webster (music director 1993-1995), Darryl Rae (announcer 1992-1995, program director 1995-1996) and James Ash (announcer 1993 to 1996, DJ & member of Rogue Traders).

I will use most of this information for my book, but there will be the occasional treat to be shared on the blog.

This will be music to your ears…

The SOUNDS of November update

So, what else have I got in this November update, tI’ve received more Hitz audio from kind volunteers. Lots of people are raiding their ‘shoeboxes in the back of the cupboards’. Digging out those old cassettes.

Better still, a few Hitz staff have found the REAL GOLD – Logger tapes. These are special VHS tapes used at the station to record everything broadcast on the radio. (They had to be kept for 6 weeks, under government law.) Each logger tape contains 8 hours of audio, and were ‘not to leave the station at any time’.

Of course, people DID bend that rule. And thank god they did. Because 25 years later we can enjoy huge 8 hour slabs of 90s radio. And you’ll be able to stream it right here on GabeMcGrath.com in coming months.

So – do you (or a friend) have any old Hitz cassettes hidden away somewhere? Even if you don’t have a working tape deck, please contact me now and I’ll organise a nearby volunteer to help you.

On the Hitlist…

Finally, I’ve been working with other Hitz fans to track down old issues of the member’s newsletter, The Hitlist. I will scan, edit and upload each one on this site so you can ‘flip through them and read’ in full-screen 3D.

I estimate there were about 35 Hitlist issues in total, and we’ve managed to locate 24 of them so far. Almost 70%! And I’ll be starting a campaign here soon, so together we can find and share – the full set.


Phew, what a month.



PS: Thanks again for your support.
And remember, if you’ve got any “old Hitz stuff” hidden away somewhere… there’s a tonne of people hanging out to see/hear it.

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Author: Gabe McGrath

Gabe McGrath is a radio creative and freelance writer. He helped set up 89.9 Hitz FM Melbourne in the 90s. This youth radio station caused a sensation and 30 years later many a 90s kid will smile when 'Hitz' is mentioned. Gabe is working on a book about that era and now blogs about Hitz Melbourne. GabeMcGrath.com includes tonnes of streaming audio recordings, photos, stories and behind-the-scenes info.

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