Australia's first radio station began 100 years ago as 2SB, now known as ABC Radio Sydney

Radio in Australia celebrated 100 years yesterday.

Transcript

00:00 It started with a hit from the past and a nod to the present.

00:07 The power of radio taking centre stage at a special broadcast.

00:15 In a world where we work remotely, where there's a lot of lonely people, radio is a voice,

00:22 it's a human connection.

00:24 The role that the ABC plays in giving emergency advice during the bushfires, whenever there's

00:31 a crisis, it's a national asset.

00:35 Australia now has more than 750 radio stations, but it started here.

00:41 ABC Sydney began as 2SB and later 2BL.

00:45 You'll hear the best of everything from station 2BL.

00:50 Radio has come a long way, with podcasting and streaming now exploding.

00:55 The very first broadcast was of a gala concert and it quickly evolved into a must-listen

01:01 medium.

01:02 Families would gather around to be entertained and informed about news, politics and of course,

01:08 sport.

01:09 In those earliest days, cricket couldn't be broadcast live, requiring creativity and sound

01:15 effects.

01:16 It's a short ball, grab and moves back and falls fiercely past square leg.

01:20 Later it was gripping dramas that took hold of imaginations.

01:24 A lot of the serials that were produced were actually sold overseas, which is quite surprising.

01:29 We're talking the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

01:32 Throughout decades of change, radio's heart and rivalries remain.

01:37 We have the best pictures, not you on television, but we on radio, because of course the listener

01:41 makes them in their own mind, right?

01:45 100 years on, radio is still providing that crucial connection.

01:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]