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Thursday May 21, 2026 
29 August 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
Local radio station 2MBS Fine Music is quickly approaching its 50th anniversary and has invited listeners and locals alike to celebrate the exciting milestone.
Launched in 1974, it is Australia’s first FM radio station and continues to broadcast a collection of fine music from renowned composers, orchestras, ensembles and soloists in programs of classical and jazz music.
The station sits nestled in the heart of the lower North Shore on Chandos Street, St Leonards.
Michael Morton-Evans, a 2MBS presenter, reflected on how far the idea has come.
“It was a crazy concept – and none of us had any idea if it would work!” he said.
“At one stage we toyed with the idea of working from and broadcasting out of a caravan.”
Morton-Evans added: “We had zero dollars (we still have very little money!) and then as now, [it is] entirely listener supported.”
“They appreciate what we do… and when we’re in dire straits – as we are from time to time – the public always steps up! We’re unique in that respect.”
The station is run by a team of volunteers with the support of three paid staff, he explained, and yet still manages to broadcast 24/7, 365 days a year.
“[And] with a global listenership – I have a regular listener who listens and writes to me from the Isle of Wight!”
The Mosman resident now presents Fine Music Drive every alternate Tuesday afternoon and remains an active part of programming classical music for the station.
He is in the process of finalising a collation of the history of 2MBS, titled ‘The Experiment that has Lasted Half a Century’, which will be released with the November/December copy of the Fine Music magazine.
To celebrate the half a century of trials and tunes, a dinner is set to be held on December 12 at Cellos in Castlereagh Boutique Hotel.
The station will also be undergoing a rebrand in the new year, with a new logo to be revealed in the December/January edition of the magazine followed by the anniversary of its official opening with the 2025 Open Day on February 1.
All are welcome to tour the station, chat with presenters on air, record a message or make an on-air request.
Not the only milestone coming up, Chair Simon Moore and veteran presenter Owen Fisher are also approaching their 1000th program.
It is available to stream on-demand for Sydneysiders on 102.5 FM, and both nationally and worldwide via the 2MBS Fine Music website.