ABC Goulburn Murray
| Company type | Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
| Founded | 1931-12-16 |
| Headquarters | Wodonga , Australia |
Area served | North East Victoria and Southern New South Wales |
| Products | Radio broadcasting |
ABC Goulburn Murray (call sign: 3MRR) operates as an ABC Local Radio outlet located in Wodonga, Victoria, catering to audiences across North East Victoria and Southern New South Wales. The station commenced broadcasting on 16 December 1931 under the call sign 2CO, initially transmitting from studios in Albury, New South Wales. In 2000, the AM transmitter situated in Corowa was reassigned to ABC Riverina.
Outside of the breakfast slot, local shows are simulcast with ABC Shepparton, while network programming is sourced from ABC Radio Melbourne and ABC Local Radio Victoria.
History
The station's origins trace back to a modest studio inside the Albury Post Office, where its inaugural staff member, Arthur Newnham, produced local content alongside relays from ABC Melbourne's 3LO and 3AR stations. Over subsequent years, 2CO moved several times within Albury before finally establishing itself in a custom-built facility at the intersection of Olive and Wilson Streets.
A notable moment in October 1934 saw 2CO play a crucial role during the MacRobertson Air Race when the KLM aircraft Uiver became disoriented over Albury. Announcer Arthur Newnham urged listeners to line the racecourse with vehicles to create an illuminated makeshift runway, facilitating the plane's safe landing and enabling it to secure victory in the handicap division of the race.
In the early 1990s, with its shift from AM to FM broadcasting, 2CO rebranded as CO-FM. The station adopted the ABC Goulburn Murray identity in 2000 and moved into a newly constructed studio complex in Wodonga, which remains its current headquarters.
Mornings program cancellation
In 2021, ABC's choice to discontinue the local Mornings show on ABC Goulburn Murray and substitute it with a statewide regional Mornings broadcast sparked backlash from several political figures including state Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed, Nicholls independent candidate Rob Priestly, independent Indi MP Helen Haines, and Wodonga-based senator Bridget McKenzie. Sheed described the change as part of a gradual decline in services, while Priestly emphasized that it diminished local representation by noting that "concerns in Gippsland differ significantly from those in Shepparton or Echuca." Haines criticized the reduction of localized programming as "a terrible idea" and intended to address her objections with ABC managing director David Anderson.
Along with ABC Goulburn Murray’s local Mornings, similar editions from ABC stations in Ballarat, Bendigo, Horsham, and Mildura were eliminated in favor of a single statewide regional Mornings program broadcast from ABC Gippsland in Sale during the 9am to 10am slot. This restructuring also resulted in local Breakfast shows being shortened by one hour. Presenters from the discontinued local Mornings programs were reassigned to roles as field reporters.
Defending this move, ABC’s director of regional and local services Judith Whelan stated that consolidating the Mornings program would allow for better allocation of resources, facilitate broader story dissemination, and improve coverage of wider regional topics such as arts and culture across Victoria.
Transmission
ABC Goulburn Murray broadcasts on 106.5 FM via a transmitter located at Mount Baranduda near Wodonga, reaching northern Victoria and southern New South Wales markets including Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Bright, and Benalla. Supplementary low-power transmitters provide service to areas like Bright, Corryong, Harrietville, and Myrtleford. Local content is produced at studios situated at 1 High Street, Wodonga. Meanwhile, the original 2CO AM transmission site remains operational, relaying ABC Riverina programming on 675 AM to audiences within southern Riverina.
Presenters
| Presenter | Position |
|---|---|
| Sandra Moon | Host of Breakfast show |
| Alice Walker | Host of Mornings program |
| Warwick Long | Presenter of Victoria Country Hour |
| Nic Healey | Presenter of Victoria Statewide Drive |
| Ray Terrill | Host of Saturday Breakfast |
| Gaye Pattison | Chief of Staff |
| Ashlee Aldridge | News presenter and reporter |
| Eliza Beck | News presenter and reporter |
| Annie Brown | News presenter and reporter |
| Anna Chisholm | News presenter and reporter |
| Jan Deane | News presenter and reporter |
| Erin Somerville | News presenter and reporter |
| Katherine Smyrk | News presenter and reporter |
| Rhiannon Tuffield | News presenter and reporter |