Tracking the Sky Sports Radio tale

Tracing the progress of Sky Sports Radio from its origins way back in 1925 reveals a litany of luminaries, past and present, of the broadcasting world.

Originally under the ownership of the Labour Council of New South Wales as radio station 2KY with a music-format it progressed to talk programs and ultimately the current popular niche of race broadcasting.

A cavalcade of radio broadcasting doyens have graced the station’s airways in three formats.

• Music: Lyal Richardson, Bill Perryman, Donald Day, Jim Tregonning, Bill McColl and Brian Howard.
• Talk Back: John Harper, Ron Casey, Ita Buttrose, Mike Gibson, Bob Maumill and John Singleton.
• Sportscasting: Ken Howard, Cyril Angles, Ian Craig, Ray Conroy, Tiger Black, Doug Melton, Greg Hartley, Peter Peters, Peter Bosley and Ray Warren.

Race broadcasting, the present speciality of Sky Sports Radio, actually dates back to 1949 when night harness racing was introduced and soon after greyhound racing was added to the program guide.

Still under the banner of 2KY, in the mid-60s the station obtained network capability from 2GB for Wednesday thoroughbred race broadcasts and expanded to Saturday afternoon gallops coverage by 1974. Eventually in 1981 2GB dropped out of race broadcasting and 2KY had exclusive commercial coverage.

By 1992, taking advantage of the open narrowcasting provision of the Broadcasting Services Act, the station began to introduce a state-wide narrowcasting network.

Sky Sports Radio now transmits to more than 104 centres throughout New South Wales, practically blanketing the state with its exclusive racing radio service.

In 2001 the radio station was acquired by Sky Channel Pty Ltd heralding a new era in broadcasting in racing and sports. Of course, the amalgamation of the two visual and audio broadcasters enabled the organisation to take advantage of the synergies that exist within the two entities.

As a result of the Sky Channel acquisition 2KY was rebranded Sky Sports Radio.

Sky Sports Radio has embraced the next generation of technology, pioneering Digital Audio Broadcasting and chief engineer, Max Carter, won two Commercial Radio Australia awards for his contribution to the early development of the new medium.
In 2010 Sky Sports Radio began broadcasting the English Premier League on its second digital channel. It was the first radio station in Australia to broadcasting live sports coverage on its digital service and was recognised by Commercial Radio Australia in 2010 as a finalist for best new digital radio format.

Sky Sports Radio has produced some of the greatest race callers in Australia and is continually focussed on harbouring new broadcasting talents. This is highlighted through the John Tapp Scholarship program.

Matt Hill was the inaugural winner of the John Tapp Scholarship which subsequently has been awarded to Josh Fleming, Mitchell Manners and Luke Marlow, who all now are broadcasting through Sky Sports Radio and Sky Racing.