2UE. 100 Years At or Near the Top

Forget partying like it's 1999, the Sydney 2000 Olympics went one better. Radio 2UE didn't just keep Sydney in the loop. As the official broadcaster, it helped deliver the games to a (then) record audience of around 3.7 billion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Radio delivers companionship to the lonely, news for the inquisitive and music for those wanting to be entertained. But some listeners just want the answer to ONE simple question.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the wife of a Russian spy was bundled into a plane by some shadowy characters, the Cold War had come to Australia. 2UE was on the spot when the crowd turned ugly. But did she want to go or stay?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1928, Australian pilots Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm, along with two US crewmen, became the first people to cross the Pacific Ocean. Seven years later, Smithy was still getting a hero's welcome at Mascot. And 2UE was there for Australia's first live cross.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These days, we wouldn't begrudge an Australian cricketer an IPL payday. But what if the greatest cricketer of all time decided he was headed OS, never to play cricket for Australia again?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it was a police radio in the studio, a Holden station wagon that could file stories on the fly, or a Cessna reporting beach conditions, 2UE was always a pioneer in the news gathering stakes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the tyranny of distance that separates Australia from the rest of the world, 2UE has kept listeners closer to world and local events by pioneering regular, shorter hourly news bulletins and around-the-clock coverage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top 40 radio came to Australia in 1958. 2UE published the first giveaway chart that was distributed via record stores. The public soon wanted to know what was charting and what song was Number 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Combine Sydney's love of the car with its appetite for games of chance and cash prizes and you've got a promotion made in heaven.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While viewers think nothing of an Australian drama set in another city, when it comes to radio, we are parochial. Just because you're a big name in Sydney doesn't mean you will be a radio star in Melbourne. And visa versa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The French can be tough on tourists, especially if they think you are American. Things are said to be bigger and better in Texas. But one Harbour City can have its sunniness and optimism distilled into a single jingle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to the spotty or incurable, there's no better medical authority than John Knight, aka Dr James Wright. His cheerfulness earned him the nickname, The Merry Medic and his philanthropic vision is still improving lives today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You always remember where you were when the bad news broke. Whether it's an assassination, disaster or the death of a public figure, Sydney-siders turned to 2UE for information they could trust.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This superhero didn't wear a cape, but he did have feathers. Tuning in to Sammy Sparrow was a listening ritual for millions getting ready to go to work or school.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the cut-throat world of commercial radio, everyone is looking for an edge. But playing the news five minutes before the hour was destined to go down as a 'noble failure'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For first-time callers to long-term listeners, radio is the perfect two-way medium. 2UE was the first to allow listeners the chance to have a conversation with the host, on air.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before music and talk formats listeners tuned into the radio for big production radio dramas. Many dramas were imported from America, but only one station had the 2UE Dramatic Players.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.