6PR
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Radio |
| Founded | October 14, 1931 |
| Founder | Nicholson's Limited |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
Area served | Perth, Western Australia |
| Products | News, talk, sports programming |
| Owner | Nine Entertainment |
6PR, also referred to as 6PR Perth, is a commercial radio station situated in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Nine Entertainment and specializes in news, talk, and sports programming, holding the distinction of being Perth's sole commercial talkback station. The station commenced broadcasting on 14 October 1931.
History
Established when Australian radio was only twelve years old, 6PR was founded by the Electrical and Music warehouse company Nicholson's Limited. Its initial operations took place from a studio located above the music showroom at 86 Barrack Street, with transmissions originating from the Applecross Wireless Station. In October 1939, 6PR introduced its first relay station, 6TZ, at Waterloo, positioned 108 miles from Perth; this facility utilized overhead landlines and on-site diesel generators.
Throughout World War II, 6PR set up a triple diversity receiving station to capture the BBC's nine o'clock news from London for local broadcast. Post-war developments included AWA installing its inaugural Broadcast Transmitter at Collie, where 6CI relayed programming from 6PR. In 1955, new studio facilities featuring three studios opened at 340 Hay Street East, allowing for separate content delivery to regional stations.
By June 1960, 6TZ-CI began transmitting local content from a studio located behind Nicholson's shop in Bunbury, offering local weekday programming and relaying 6PR shows during weekends. In 1963, Nicholson's Broadcasting Services was acquired by the Victorian Broadcasting Network; however, the electrical and music warehouse divisions were sold to Vox Adeon, with the broadcasting operations retained under Nicholson's Broadcasting Service Pty Ltd.
340 Hay Street
During the 1960s, 6PR enjoyed the status of Perth's leading station with on-air talents such as Garry Meadows, Barry Martin, Gordon O'Byrne, and Trevor Smith. After experiencing a decline in ratings in 1972, the station transitioned from rock n roll to a beautiful music format under the "Gentle on Your Mind" campaign in 1973. This change restored its strong audience share, frequently placing it at number one or two in ratings.
In 1977, 6PR collaborated with the TAB to broadcast racing events alongside a personality-driven sports format. The early 1980s saw the introduction of extensive news and current affairs programming led by broadcasters including Howard Sattler, Bob Maumill, and Graham Mabury, which significantly enhanced listener engagement.
169 Hay Street
After occupying premises at 340 Hay Street for 22 years, the studio was demolished to accommodate an expansion of Mercedes College. Consequently, in 1985, 6PR relocated to 169 Hay Street in East Perth. Initially operating with only four staff members and limited broadcast hours, the station eventually expanded to provide round-the-clock service supported by approximately one hundred employees.
In 1987, TAB acquired ownership of 6PR to secure rights for racing broadcasts within Western Australia, integrating racing coverage into popular talkback programs. Despite an increase in racing content during the early 1990s, talkback shows hosted by Sattler, Maumill, Mabury, Peter Newman, Gary Carvolth, and Rob Broadfield continued to achieve considerable success.
A special narrowcast licence granted in 1994 allowed racing broadcasts to be transferred from 6PR to Racing Radio. This enabled clearer audience segmentation between talkback/news listeners and racing enthusiasts. Later that year saw Southern Cross Broadcasting acquire 6PR, adding it to a portfolio that included Melbourne's leading talk station 3AW as well as television stations in Adelaide and Canberra. Throughout the decade, 6PR maintained dominance in talk radio with presenters such as David Christison, Lee Tate, Howard Sattler, Jenny Seaton, Gary Carvolth, Liam Bartlett, Harvey Deegan, and Graham Mabury.
Recent years
On 11 July 2007, Fairfax Media purchased the radio assets of Southern Cross Broadcasting, which included 6PR and its sister station 96fm, both operating from 169 Hay Street. This acquisition also brought Sydney’s 2UE, Melbourne’s 3AW and Magic 1278, as well as Brisbane’s 4BC and 4BH under Fairfax's control. Graham Mott continued as general manager during the Fairfax era, focusing on a transition from national syndication toward more localized programming tailored to individual states.
In 2013, veteran presenter Howard Sattler was terminated following a contentious interview with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Sattler subsequently initiated legal action alleging wrongful dismissal.
By late 2014, Fairfax announced plans to merge its radio holdings with the Macquarie Radio Network. Ownership shifted to Nine Entertainment by 2020.
Significant changes to the station’s lineup occurred in 2013, 2017, and 2020. Gary Adshead succeeded longtime morning host Paul Murray, who transitioned to afternoon slots before Adshead returned to The West Australian as State Political Reporter. Gareth Parker took over morning duties following Adshead's departure. Simon Beaumont assumed the afternoon slot after Peter Bell moved to ABC Perth; Beaumont had previously hosted mornings prior to Murray.
Oliver Peterson replaced Adam Shand as the drive time host, with the program renamed Perth Live.
Since 2004, Steve Mills anchored the breakfast show alongside Tony 'Mac' McManus until a schedule change in 2008. Broadcaster Basil Zempilas joined Mills on breakfast from 2014 but left in 2020 due to conflicts with his Channel Seven commitments and responsibilities as Lord Mayor. Subsequently, Gareth Parker took over mornings, with Liam Bartlett returning later as Parker’s successor.
Graham Mabury retired in 2014; Chris Illsley shifted from overnight hosting to weekdays, while Jon Lewis assumed weekend overnight shifts. Bob Maumill retired in 2016. At the end of 2020, Illsley was controversially replaced by singer Tod Johnson.
As one of Perth’s primary AM stations alongside ABC Radio Perth and 6IX, December 2020 ratings indicated ABC leading most time slots with 6PR ranking second overall; however, on weekends, 6IX held the top position.
News format
6PR broadcasts news updates hourly, featuring extended bulletins approximately five minutes long every half hour during breakfast hours. Traffic reports are provided every fifteen minutes throughout morning and afternoon drive periods.
| Program | Host | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 6PR Breakfast | Steve Mills and Karl Langdon | 5 am to 9 am, Monday to Friday |
| Perth Today | Simon Beaumont | 9 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday |
| Perth Live | Oliver Peterson | 1 pm to 5 pm, Monday to Friday |
| Wide World of Sports | Mark Readings | 5 pm to 7 pm, Monday to Friday |
| Money News | Evan Lucas | 7 pm to 8 pm, Monday to Thursday |
| Perth Overnight | Tony McManus | 9 pm to 2 am, Monday to Friday |
| Boat Dive and Fishing Show | Frank Prokop Curtis Waterman | 5 am to 6 am, Saturday to Sunday |
| Weekends | Jamie Burnett | 6 am to 12 pm, Saturday to Sunday |
| The Catch-Up | Russell Collett | 12 pm to 3 pm, Saturday |
| Saturday Night | Fred Mafrica | 6 pm to midnight, Saturday |
| Healthy Living | Dr Ross Walker | 4 pm to 6 pm, Sunday |
| Remember When | Harvey Deegan | 6 pm to midnight, Sunday |
Australian rules football
Among the trio of Perth radio stations granted local rights to air Australian Football League (AFL) games, 6PR stands alongside ABC Radio Perth and Triple M Perth. The station also features coverage of West Australian Football League (WAFL) contests. Select matches are simulcast from sister stations 3AW in Melbourne and FIVEaa in Adelaide.
6PR delivers live commentary for every home-and-away and finals match involving the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers, including major finals and the AFL Grand Final held in Melbourne.
| Commentators | Experts | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Papalia | Will Schofield | Paddy Sweeney |
| Mark Readings | Glen Jakovich | Hayley Miller |
| Karl Langdon | David Mundy | |
| Mark Foreman | Luke McPharlin | |
| Mark Doran | Brad Hardie | Adam Simpson |
| Eddie Summerfield | ||
| Mark Stone |
Football (soccer)
Since 1996, 6PR has broadcast nearly all home and away fixtures of Perth Glory during Australia's national soccer competitions, beginning with Glory’s inaugural 1996/97 season through to the conclusion of the National Soccer League in 2003/04.
Following the establishment of the A-League in 2005, 6PR covered only Perth Glory’s home games. After the first 2005/06 season, broadcasts ceased due to Football Australia’s acquisition of the club. When Perth Glory returned to private ownership in 2007, 6PR resumed as the official radio partner until 2012, when cricket broadcasting rights prompted a halt.
Cricket
Starting with the 2013/14 Ashes series, 6PR has aired most Australian Test matches, including prominent fixtures such as the Perth Test, Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test, and Sydney’s New Year’s Test.
From the same season onward, 6PR has provided comprehensive coverage of every Perth Scorchers game in the Big Bash League, encompassing home, away, and finals matches.