Editing Magic 1278 (section)

====1967–1989 – Melbourne's top pop music station====
From 1 July 1967,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/aus.radio.broadcast/HE2ZFqEQKOw|title=Google Groups|website=groups.google.com}}</ref> under the direction of General Manager Bob Baeck<ref>{{cite book|url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/285438|title=Biographical cuttings on Bob Baeck, general manager 3XY radio station (Melbourne), containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals|first=Bob|last=Baeck|via=National Library of Australia (new catalog)}}</ref> the station became Melbourne's dominant [[music radio]] station and remained so until the mid 1980s, with a [[Top 40]] [[music radio]] format, which often topped the ratings. Its sister station during this era was Sydney's [[2SM]]. Of the many promotions conducted by the station, the most important during the 1970s/80s was ''Rocktober'' held annually during the month of October.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radiotoday.com.au/the-vault-more-3xy/|title=The Vault: 3XY, and a horse – Radio Today|date=30 June 2012}}</ref>

3XY dropped all of its religious programming in the late 1960s under the direction of Program Manager Dick Heming. (Heming received a letter of complaint from a woman who signed herself 'Yours in Christianity' but which concluded: 'I have prayed to the Lord that you be struck dead'.)<ref name="auto5">Griffen-Foley, Bridget, ''Changing Stations - The Story of Australian Commercial Radio'', UNSW Press, 2009, Sydney</ref>

In the early 1970s, there was a head-on battle for the lucrative Top 40 market between 3XY, by then managed by Rod Muir, and Rhett Walker's [[3AK]].<ref name="auto"/>  The fact that 3XY won the battle is reflected in 3AK's rapid change away from its Top 40 format.  However, 3XY's fortunes declined in the late 1980s after the advent of [[FM broadcasting|FM]] radio in Australia, a few years earlier.

3XY [[Disc jockey|DJs]] during this era included: Barry Bissell, Jack Daniels, [[Greg Evans (television host)|Greg Evans]], Peter Grace, Peter Harrison, Jane Holmes, John Hood, Craig Huggins,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newmedia.com.au/vale-bill-ali.html|title=Vale Bill Ali|website=newmedia.com.au}}</ref> Kevin Hillier, Mark Irvine, Peter James, Chris Maxwell, Peter O'Callaghan, [[John O'Donnell (radio personality)|John O'Donnell]], John Peters, [[Stan Rofe]], [[Lee Simon]], Peter ''Grubby'' Stubbs, [[Richard Stubbs]], Gary Suprain, Paul Turner, Karl van Est.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/3AWNightline/posts/1175891605832874 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/176054582483253/1175891605832874 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=3AW Nightline|website=www.facebook.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="heraldsun.com.au">{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/for-a-generation-3xy-was-melbournes-killer-music-radio-station-but-fm-brought-a-legend-to-its-knees/news-story/a667430a802c9fa293b2b94332836e49|title=Heraldsun.com.au – Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories|website=www.heraldsun.com.au}}</ref>

As well as its Top 40 format, in the early 1970s, 3XY also experimented with a ''personality'' format with [[Bert Newton]] conducting the breakfast program, and [[Graham Kennedy]] presenting a morning session from a studio especially constructed at a cost of $10,000 in the bedroom of his house in Frankston, thus saving him from even having to leave home to present the show.  He often broadcast whilst in pyjamas.<ref name="heraldsun.com.au"/><ref name="auto5"/> During the late 1970s [[Derryn Hinch]] presented a current affairs morning program.

The [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] continued to have a marked influence at 3XY. In the late 1970s and 80s, the manager of the station was Stanley Guilfoyle, husband of Liberal Senator [[Margaret Guilfoyle]].<ref name="auto5"/> [[Magnus Cormack]], a former Liberal senator, served as chairman of the company after his retirement from politics in 1978. The company's articles of association provided that, upon the sale of the company, any proceeds should be "given or transferred to some institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the company". In 1986, the radio licence was sold to businessman Paul Dainty for $15 million. The proceeds were used to establish the Cormack Foundation, which became a major donor to the Victorian Liberals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/deal-behind-the-treasure-chest-thats-tearing-the-liberals-apart/news-story/f36803d7e17bd3525e12e7dc55ea819c|title=Deal behind the treasure chest that's tearing the Liberals apart|newspaper=[[The Australian]]|author=Pamela Williams|date=24 July 2017|access-date=21 August 2018}}</ref>