NEWFM (call sign: 2NEW) is an Australian radio station, licensed to, and serving Newcastle and its surrounding area. It is owned by Bill Caralis's Broadcast Operations Group, and operates at 105.3 megahertz on the FM band from Radio Centre at Sandgate. Great Mt Sugarloaf houses the transmitter site. Its callsign is 2NEW, the 2 being a standard prefix for stations in New South Wales, and NEW short for Newcastle. Its sister station is 2HD. On 24 May 2005, NEWFM reverted to its original 1989 logo which has since been modernised.
History
NEWFM was the first commercial FM radio station in Newcastle, founded by Mike Webb. It commenced broadcasting on 14 April 1989, with the AC/DC song It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll).[1] The station officially launched on 6 May of that year, accompanied by pyrotechnics and laser technology.[2]
In its first ratings survey, the station achieved a ratings share of 24.7%.[3]
In 1994, Labour–owned 2HD bought out the station's shareholders for $2.3 million.[4] In March 1999, both radio stations (2HD and NEW-FM) were sold to Bill Caralis's Broadcast Operations Group, for $12.5 million.[5][6]
In 2008 NEWFM became the Hub of the Super Network FM Stations (NEWFM Network) supplying programming from its Sandgate based studios to stations from the New South Wales/Victorian border in the south, north to the Sunshine Coast and Whitsundays in Queensland and West to Broken Hill and Alice Springs.
On-Air Team
Monday to Friday
5am to 9am – The NOVOS (Ariana Gatti & Mark Krivo)
9am to 10.45am – 105 Minutes Commercial Free
11am to 3pm – Mark Pitman
3pm to 7pm – Joel Gosper with Newcastle's Only 100% Local Drive Home
7pm to 9pm – The Kyle & Jackie O Show (Monday to Thursday)
9pm to 11pm – Matt Morris NEWFM at Night
11pm to Midnight – Homegrown with Rox
Key Staff
Guy Ashford – General/Sales Manager
Luke Hetherington – Promotions & Marketing Director/ Operations
