3MBS 103.5 FM

3MBS 103.5 FM is a fine music community radio station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1975, 3MBS was the first FM station in Victoria and led the way for the introduction of community radio in Australia. 3MBS 103.5 FM passionately supports fine music, especially Melbourne musicians and composers, and is the only locally-based classical music radio station in Victoria. 3MBS relies on listener support in the form of subscriptions, donations and bequests. 3MBS was conceived by music fan and radio engineer Brian Cabena in 1968 to address a lack of classical music being played on the radio. Cabena wrote a letter to The Age newspaper, calling for interest in a listener-run classical music radio station. 200 people attended that first meeting and founded the Music Broadcasting Society (MBS) of Victoria. In 1974, the McLean report recommended that TV should be removed from the internationally recognized FM band to allow FM broadcasting to begin. MBSV members travelled to Sydney to help establish 2MBS which first went to air in late 1974. The following year in July saw the launch of 3MBS in Melbourne. Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana has the honor of being the first piece of music played on this new station, 3MBS. As we still do.

3MBS 103.5 FM