2KA

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2KA was an Australian radio station, licensed to Katoomba, New South Wales, and serving the Blue Mountains area of western Sydney.

The station transmitted on 783 kHz on the AM band, with a translator station on 1476 kHz at Emu Plains.

Before the station launched it's Emu Plains based translator in the late 1970s, it was exclusively a Blue Mountains based licence. The new frequency, 1476 kHz, enabled programmers to extend the reach the audience to Penrith, and draw revenue from businesses in the area. To combat the potential damage to their Sydney audiences at the time, a number of Sydney radio stations bought the licence and experimented with various automated technologies, none of which were seriously designed to draw mass audiences.

Australian television personality Mike Walsh bought the licence in 1983, and worked to advance his vision of developing a successful business model and innovative entertainment product.

The station, which had been broadcasting from a studio in Borec House, at the corner of Station Street and Henry Street in Penrith, developed a new studio at the intersection of Henry and Lawson Streets. It adjoined a cinema complex, which was also owned by Walsh.

On 23 October 1992 at 1:00 PM, it converted to the FM band and became One FM, and later "96.1FM". The station had paid just $46,000 dollars to convert to the FM band, which was considered a bargain, noting it covered a considerable area of Sydney, and the record amounts of money being paid by other AM stations to convert to FM. In order to be granted the licence the owners, 'Hayden Nepean Broadcasting', had to agree to comply with regulations regarding local content and the stations overall focus on the local community.

The licence for the station was purchased from Walsh in 1997 by the Australian Radio Network (ARN). .

The 1476 kHz translator is now a standalone station in its own right, as Cool Country Radio. In October 2006, they were re-branded Cool Country 2KA, resurrecting the defunct call sign.

The station is now known as Edge 96.1, owned by Australian Radio Network since 1997.

From 1967 until 1993, 2KA broadcast all of the Penrith Panthers rugby league games live. By far the longest serving of the commentators was the late Frank Ley, who broadcast the games from the mid-1970s until his retirement in 1991. Brian Sanders took over the calling from Frank, and appointed former Penrith and Canterbury player Darryl Brohman as his expert analyst. Brohman is now with 2GB's Continuous Call Team.

Former announcers include:

  • Greg Evans (3MP),
  • Ian Maurice (4BC Nights),
  • Leon Byner (5AA Mornings),
  • Ron Casey,
  • David Bunt (Cool Country 2KA),
  • Mark Condon (voice overs and documentaries)
  • Selwyn Jones
  • Glen O'Brien
  • Peter Saxon
  • Mike Stanley
  • John O'Callaghan (son of 2UE legend Gary)
  • John Bond (Cool Country 2KA)
  • Richard Perno (Albury)
  • Walter Williams (4BC, Brisbane)
  • Rob Gooda (Wave FM, Wollongong)
  • Richard Mercer (MIX 106.5 Nights),
  • Mal Lees (ex Club-Veg and now on Vega 96.9FM in Sydney, NSW)
  • Vic Davies (ex Club Veg and now with Star FM in Gosford, NSW)
  • Brian Sanders (2Day & Triple M Traffic Reporter "Sando"),
  • Jason Bouman (www.jasonbouman.com),
  • Reg Dowton (Bay FM 99.3),
  • Tad Pierson, (www.thedarknebula.com)
  • Kerry Denten (www.kerrydenten.com | www.voiceovers.com.au),
  • David Archer (C91.3 Music Director),
  • Adrian Zorec (heard as an imaging voice on 2UE)
  • Ian Taylor (Spirit Radio Network, WA Breakfast),
  • Warren Purchase, now traffic reporter with 2SM Sydney.
  • Mark Wyman

Newsreaders that have worked at 2KA:

  • Shon Walker (Newsradio)
  • Jenny Tallmen
  • Kerryn Banks (News Anchor for WIN TV)
  • Paul Bentley
  • Lindsay Bennett
[www.coolcountryradio.com.au]
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