5AU
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
|---|---|
| Founded | 25 May 1938 |
| Headquarters | Port Augusta, South Australia , Australia |
Area served | Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Kadina, Moonta, Wallaroo, Flinders Ranges |
| Products | Classic hits music radio broadcast |
| Owner | Australian Radio Network |
Radio 5AU transmits on 97.9 MHz FM and operates as a South Australian broadcaster featuring a classic hits music format. Its signal originates from a transmitter located at The Bluff, reaching audiences in Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Kadina, Moonta, Wallaroo, and extending northward into the Flinders Ranges.
The station commenced operations on 25 May 1938, initially based out of studios in Port Augusta, with supplementary studio space established later in Whyalla. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, 5AU aired selected programs from 5KA Adelaide during certain daytime slots and frequently covered social events such as balls held in Whyalla and Hawker. In 1961, transmission capabilities were enhanced by installing a 2,000-watt S.T.C. transmitter at Nectar Brook, situated south of Port Augusta, supported by relay stations positioned in Port Pirie and Roxby Downs.
To improve broadcast reach—particularly around Whyalla—the transmitter was relocated in 1976 to Mambray Creek, approximately 47 km south of Port Augusta. This site utilized the original STC transmitter alongside an additional 2.5 kW unit. Concurrently, the station’s frequency shifted from 1450 kHz to 1240 kHz and subsequently adjusted to 1242 kHz.
New studio facilities were inaugurated at Denton Court in Port Augusta during December 1968, with Whyalla’s studios reconstructed at 15 Barter Street in July 1972. Programming responsibilities during the early 1970s were divided between these locations: breakfast shows originated from Port Augusta while morning, afternoon, drive-time, and evening segments were produced in Whyalla.
The South Australian Broadcasting Network (SABN), established in December 1943 through the collaboration of Methodist church and Labor party interests, encompassed stations including 5KA Adelaide, 5AU Port Augusta/Whyalla, and 5RM Renmark. Under SABN management, Sunday advertising was prohibited until regulations eased in 1973.
Prominent radio personalities associated with the station from the 1960s through to the 1980s included Dean Matters, Bob Byrne, Paul Hodges, Mark Carter, Sue Fraser, David Sabine, Mal Hedstrom, Keith Fowler, Tony Gordon, Mark Watson, Peter Morris, Leighton Marshall, Colin Jones, Gary Oborn, Craig Bruce, Paul Wise, Noel McMahon, Rob McCasker, Jim Glennon, Rohan Chabaud, Dave Richardson, and Don Plenty.
Ownership of 5AU shifted from Grant Broadcasters (2013–2022) to the Australian Radio Network (ARN) following a late-2021 acquisition. The station commenced FM transmissions on 97.9 MHz starting 1 March 2021. The completion of ARN’s purchase on 4 January 2022 allows regional listeners to access ARN’s iHeartRadio platform. Despite anticipated integration into ARN’s Pure Gold Network lineup, the station will maintain its existing name according to ARN’s official statement.