This weekend, 4KQ is doing “Monster Hits Weekend”, where they play the hits that got to #1 or close to it according to Brisbane’s Top 40 charts in the 60s, 70s & 80s.
Here’s the song list: http://cdn.arn.com.au/media/7597770/monster-hits-2016.pdf
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Yeah it’s been pretty good at times. I have to hand it to 4KQ especially on weekends. It has to be the most adventurous classic hits station in the country at times, and in a major metro market too.
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I suppose that’s an advantage of being on AM, they are forced to be a bit more adventurous and cant afford to be as safe as WSFM or Gold 104.3.
And you can still hear it in stereo via digital radio in Brizzy.
I would agree with you on that. Personally, I think 4KQ would be up there with 6iX (also in a major metro market), 2CA & 2GN/2XL in “the most adventurous classic hits stations in Australia” category. And yes, they’re all AM stations too.
Of the main Brisbane-based commercial stations, 4KQ would be the only one I listen to.
Yeah it’s a shame 2uw and 2ws became fm in the 90s
I am going to set up a crowd funding site so we can send the programmers from Sydney’s 2CH to Brisbane where they will can listen to 4KQ for a while to see how an AM station can succeed by playing a few “dangerous” classic hits.
You can donate money here: www.save1170.com.au
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People still listen to music on the AM band? Do they think they’re back in the 1970s? 
4KQ rates higher than five of Sydney’s FM stations - 2DayFM, Triple M, Nova, KIIS and WSFM.
So people do listen to music on the AM band, especially when the AM station plays music that the FM stations ignore as too “dangerous”.
The band is important - FM has a huge advantage.
But the music is key.
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4KQ does well because there is no Classic Hits station on the FM band in Brisbane and there is no station playing a Smooth format.
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That’s part of it but it’s not quite that simple. There is significant overspill from River 94.9 in the west and Mix FM Sunshine Coast both playing adult/classic hits and Breeze FM in the south playing classic hits verging on Smooth.
4KQ does amazingly well, especially considering there are TWO AM music stations in Brisbane including Magic.
Heck it almost outrages Triple M, now playing “classic rock”.
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@JBar
It’s called DAB mate. Most radios I hear in public playing 4KQ are on Digital, not AM.
It’s not the 2000s anymore mate.
@Brianc68 The point @nickatnights was making in his first post was about the AM band:
So it might be available on DAB but I think the majority of listeners would still be listening on the AM band.
Also one of Brisbane’s most popular stations, often the number one, is a variety station 97.3. It easily fills the position of a Smooth FM type station would appeal to a broader audience than Smooth.
mate mate. Aren’t AM surveys seperate from DAB though? Plus in cars, very few people would listen to DAB.
No. As far as I’m aware the standard survey doesn’t differentiate whether someone is listening to 4KQ on AM or DAB.
The separate DAB survey is for DAB-only stations in each market.
So there’s no way to know the % listening via AM vs DAB. All I can say is anectdotally most radios in shops etc appear to be on DAB.
As for cars you’d be surprised. About 100,000 new cars hit the road per year with DAB. You can’t tell me anyone with one of these (eg every new Mitsubishi Lancer) is listening on AM. I read today that the number of cars with DAB has TRIPLED since the start of 2015.
I think things are moving much faster than you realise, particularly in markets like Brisbane and Adelaide which rely on AM for older music. Adoption of DAB in these markets is faster, particularly for those particular stations like Cruise, 4KQ, 6IX and Magic.
DAB adoption will arrive in time to save 4KQ and Cruise. Maybe not 2CH though 
How’s the bitrate of 4kq? The ARN stations in my opinion don’t sound the best on dab in Sydney.
It must be annoying for WSFM that smooth is so far in front of them in the ratings:
Nights: WSFM 4.3 / smooth 9.8
Weekends: WSFM 6.9 / smooth 11.0
Drive WSFM 6.1 / smooth 10.4
In these shifts both stations play music yet smooth is in the lead by a mile. The reason why I reckon it annoys those at WS is that they technically can play nearly every song that smooth plays. Smooth is restricted to playing “easy” music. WS can play that and more. Much more.
Yet WS insists on a narrow playlist. And that is smooth’s winning edge. WS is predictable gold. Smooth tends to go a little more nuclear.
I say all this because they normally have WS on at my work but today it was smooth. And everyone kept commenting on the music.
The day that WS goes a little more nuclear (unpredictable) is the day that smooth gets nervous.
Meanwhile cue on smooth: Kelly Marie "Make Love To Me"
Cue on WS: Bryan Adam’s “Summer of 69”
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WS do pull out some real gems, but unfortunately that’s limited to Fri/Sat nights and 80s weekends.
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Phil Collins this weekend on WS.
According to its playlist, I’ve noticed that WS’s “80s Lunch” (12-1pm Sundays-Fridays) now only plays the safe songs, whereas until just recently, they were throwing in some rare gems during that hour. I’ve suspected that they’ve made the change just after the most recent radio ratings were released last week, where WS went down 0.8 to 6.9.