A makeshift studio was set up in Bank Street, South Melbourne, draped with hessian to deaden the noise.

[4] Peter Grace, formerly a DJ for 3XY (now Magic 1278) was the first voice heard on the station; he later said he was given that late night spot by default.

Other announcers included Mike Nicholls, Karl Van Est, Joe Miller, John Peters, Andy McLean, Jan Cannon, Paul Cashmere, Kenny The Paper-Boy, Kent Forbes, John Hood, Gavin Wood, Trish Mulholand, Craig Huggins and Mark Irvine.

With a successful sketch show on ABC TV behind them and initially hired in 1986 by Lee Simon to write comedy pieces for The John Peters Breakfast Show, the team of Tom Gleisner (1986–92), Santo Cilauro (1986–92), Rob Sitch (1986, 1989–91), Tony Martin (1987–91), Michael Veitch (1987–89), Mick Molloy (1990–92), and Jason Stephens (1990–92), successfully took over the breakfast air waves; even recruiting a member of the news team, Jane Kennedy (1988–92).

The show had a number of anchors during its run, notably Ian Rogerson (1987), Peter O’Callaghan (1988) and Kevin Hillier (1990–92), but it is the sixteen month 'anchorless' period (September 88-December 89) that is best-remembered by fans.

Tim Smith and then Brigitte Duclos, who, like Jane Kennedy earlier, began working at the station as a newsreader, joined him to form The Richard Stubbs Breakfast Show.

At the start of 1996, Tim Smith left the breakfast show to join forces with Steve Bedwell in a morning show called The Squirrel Grippers, while Duclos moved to drive for The Grill Team, a reworking of the original Grill Team format pioneered by Triple M Melbourne in the early 1990s, merging sport, comedy and music – a formula to filter throughout the station.

(A common radio theme) Triple M tested the concept of FM talkback in 1999 with The Spoonman adding his controversial opinion every weeknight.

Called The Morning Madhouse, it included former Big Brother contestant Rachel Corbett, with ex-cricketer James Brayshaw featuring as a sports reporter.

James Brayshaw remained at breakfast and eventually joined The Cage full-time, which at the same time lost Marmalade and Gilbert.

Triple M eventually decided in July 2002 to concentrate The Cage on breakfast only, and filled the drive slot for next 13 months with a couple of one-announcer shows.

He continued with the network through until 2005, leaving his mark with the number one position across Melbourne in the afternoons time slot with a 13.8 share of the market.

While Triple M Melbourne's line-up was proving successful during 2003, the Sydney station was in a ratings dive, partly due to the popularity of a then-new competitor, Nova.

It starred comedians Marty Sheargold, Jo Stanley and Jodie J. Hill with Fifi Box and Byron Cooke, plus another Sydney breakfast show ex-member, Mikey Robins.

(He later moved to rival station Mix 101.1 to host breakfast with Tracy Bartram 3 months later) In 2004, Mick Molloy returned to Triple M with Tough Love from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Chas and Dom from The Chaser filled the drive slot during the summer break, with Wil & Lehmo moving in permanently from 2 April 2007,[9] broadcasting to all Triple M stations.

The Freq Club was eventually ended in 2005, replaced with a 'Music Jury' in 2006, where anyone can sign-up and are then sent, on a weekly basis, a survey of 30 songs which are judged by how liked it is and how tired you are of it.

Coupled with this was the suggestion that the music director was a monkey called Barry, and featured an ad campaign where on-air talent were subjected to his mood.

In December 2007, Triple M revived the slogan "Home of Rock, Sport and Comedy", previously used in the late 1990s, which announcers and advertisements used instead of "You'll Never Know What We'll Play Next".

Triple M announced that Peter Helliar had been chosen to lead a new breakfast show in Melbourne in 2008, joined by Myf Warhurst.

In early 2009, the building was named the Richard Marsland Studios, in honour of the popular panel operator and on-air presenter who had taken his own life in December 2008.

At the end of 2008, Wil & Lehmo finished their drive-time show, which was replaced by Roy and HG (Monday and Friday) and local announcers (Tuesday-Thursday).

[18] In 1992, Eddie McGuire was given the green light and the Saturday morning timeslot to launch The Grill Team, a groundbreaking 3-hour sport show which also featured Jane Kennedy and comedians Trevor Marmalade, Tim Smith, Matt Quartermaine and Sergio Paradise.

The Grill Team rapidly gained momentum and ratings with its unique blend of Rock, Sport and Comedy, a format which was rolled out across the entire station in the ensuing years.

The introduction of The Grill Team on Triple M Melbourne in the early 90s is considered by many industry insiders to be the precursor to Channel 9's long running AFL The Footy Show which debuted in 1994 with Eddie McGuire, Trevor Marmalade and former Geelong great, John "Sammy" Newman.

The success of the Saturday morning Grill Team led to the introduction of even more sport based programming on Triple M including The World According to Pig, Jimmy and Rooboy with AFL legends Jason Dunstall, James Hird and Wayne Carey, Dougy and Dunstall, and more recently, The Gospel and Dead Set Legends.

In 1995, Programme Director, Lee Simon noted that Triple M's ratings were dropping off over the weekends in increasing numbers.

[citation needed] Triple M began using the slogan "Rock, Sport and Comedy" on the back of the gaining of the football rights, until early 2000.