Earliest 2EA broadcasts: Greek

Title:

Earliest 2EA broadcasts: Greek

NFSA ID

297089

Year

1975

Courtesy

SBS

Summary

The earliest extant in-language broadcasts by 2EA (then SBS Radio, now SBS Audio), including Arabic, Greek, Italian, Maltese, Spanish, and Yugoslav programs, represent the birth of multilingual and multicultural broadcasting on Australian radio.

2EA began broadcasting on 9 June 1975, with EA standing for Ethnic Australia. It was opened in Sydney by Al Grassby, former Minister for Immigration, with the first broadcast in Greek. Later that month, 3EA opened in Melbourne. The initial purpose of the stations was to inform multilingual communities about proposed changes in the healthcare system brought by the new Medibank scheme.

During 1977, programming and language coverage grew to 119 hours per week in 33 languages on 2EA and 103 hours per week in 22 languages on 3EA. As SBS celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, it continues to inform, educate and entertain all Australians in more than 60 languages.

This clip is from a Greek broadcast on 2EA on 30 June 1975.

Watch an excerpt from a Network Ten news report from June 1977 about 2EA’s rapid growth and potential future direction.

Watch a clip from 25 Years of SBS Radio (2000) describing the early days of 2EA and 3EA and the diversity of the communities involved in their formation.

2EA image on Sounds of Australia page: Greek program presenters Sophia Catharios and Takis Kaldis. Courtesy: National Archives of Australia and SBS

BACK TO SOUNDS OF AUSTRALIA

TRANSCRIPT

This is Al Grassby, on behalf of the Australian Community Relations Office. Welcoming you all to radio 2EA, the voice of Ethnic Australia. Today, the program is in Greek.

Welcome to radio station 2EA, Australia, the voice of multi-ethnic Australia.

Today's show is broadcast in Greek.

Dear listeners, we are with you again. We welcome you once again to 2EA, the multilingual radio station, which has already become an essential companion for thousands of our brothers. We believe that now all the Greeks of Sydney listen to us every Monday. The difficulty that imposes repeating the same program throughout the day also has a good thing... it gives the opportunity to those who cannot hear us in the morning, to hear us at noon or in the evening. What Greek broadcasts of 2EA, you listen to them every Monday from 6.30 to 8.30 in the morning, 12.00 to 2.00 in the afternoon, and from 7.00 to 9.00 in the evening. On 800 meters of medium wave between radio stations 2GB and 2BL.

In today's program you will listen to about 30 records chosen to satisfy all preferences. Songs that have just arrived from Greece, as well as old hits. You will also hear the regular commentary of our show curator Mr Takis Kaldis, listener letters from Mrs Kathariou, useful information from the social worker Miss Vivi Koutsounadis, Mrs Chariklia Kalvi, following the series Learn something about Australia, Mr Giorgos Tserdanis in a short speech about the Greek theatre and a little fairy tale of Theia Lena, as well as announcements that may be of interest to you. We now start our program with ‘My Joy’, Giorgos Koinoussis sings.