| City of license | Mount Dandenong |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Melbourne |
| Slogan | Good Times and Great Classic Hits |
| Frequency | 104.3 MHz FM (1990-present) |
| First air date | December 8, 1930 (as 3KZ) January 1, 1990 (as 3KKZ) |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Language | English |
| ERP | 56 kW |
| Former callsigns | 3KZ (1930-1990) |
| Former frequencies | 1350 kHz AM (1930-1935) 1180 kHz AM (1935-1978) 1179 kHz AM (1978-1990) |
| Owner | Australian Radio Classic Hits Network |
| Sister stations | 3TTT |
| Website | www.gold1043.com.au |
Gold 104.3 (call sign: 3KKZ) is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. Gold 104.3 is part of the Australian Radio Classic Hits Network and broadcasts on the 104.3 MHz frequency.
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3KZ commenced operations on 8 December 1930.[1] Its original frequency was 1350 kHz, moving to 1180 kHz on 1 September 1935. The frequency changed again on 23 November 1978 to 1179 kHz when all Australian AM radio stations were assigned new frequencies as part of the new 9 kHz spacing plan implemented.[2]
3KZ was for many years was considered one of the "old guard" of Melbourne radio. In 1989, 3KZ was one of two successful bidders to convert to the FM band. 3KZ bid $A32 million for the right to convert to the FM band, the highest bid made for FM conversion in Australia.
3KZ moved to 104.3 MHz at 12:00 am on 1 January 1990. As a result of the change, the official call sign became 3KKZ, in line with normal call sign protocol where '3' is designated the state (Victoria), followed by a three letter call sign for FM stations. However the new station broadcast on-air as KZFM and carried over its successful slogan "Hits And Memories" from 3KZ.
3KKZ simulcast on both 1179 kHz and 104.3 MHz frequencies for a month before the old AM frequency was closed down to be later reassigned to 3RPH. The switch to FM paid immediate short term dividends, as the new KZFM debuted at number one in the first ratings survey of 1990,[3] breaking an almost three-year dominance by rival FOX FM.[4] However KZFM's success was short-lived, with ratings soon taking a dive and the station going into receivership in 1993.[5] Radio network Austereo soon purchased the station to supplement its popular FOX FM, however ownership of 3KKZ shortly changed again to the Australian Radio Network which already owned radio station TTFM, today Mix 101.1.
By October 1991, the KZFM branding was gone and replaced with a new name of Gold 104 with a revamped playlist predominantly of hit songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
In December 2011, Peter 'Grubby' Stubbs and Diane 'Dee Dee' Dunleavy were axed from the station after hosting 'Grubby and Dee Dee for Breakfast' for over 12 years.
Gold 104.3 and sister station Mix 101.1 now broadcast from shared facilities, in the Pelaco Building in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. Classic hits from the 60s are being played less often, with the station now predominantly focusing on 70s and 80s songs, with the slogan "Good Times... And Great Classic Hits".
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