Midnight-to-Dawn Programs on Australian Commercial Radio

Abstract

This article considers radio's claim to enjoy a personal, intimate relationship with listeners by examining late-night programming on Australian commercial radio from the 1930s to the 1980s. It explores radio's shift from exploiting the extraordinary to the ordinary through the prism of the midnight-to-dawn pro- gram that made its debut on Sydney's 2UW in 1935-possibly the first example of continuous broadcasting in the British empire. The article then looks at the spread of midnight-to-dawn shows to other Australian stations, and the role played by women broadcasters in this genre. Finally, the article discusses outlets for "romance" on Australian radio in the middle decades of the 20th century and examines the rise of late-night matchmaker programs-"a time," in the words of one journalist, "when the lonely get lonelier and inhibitions loosen."