Did they take turns in transmitting? In the 90’s in Melbourne, various community stations took turns transmitting on the same frequency. For example, 89.9 was used by HITZ FM, KIX FM and Triple 7 (now called Light FM and is now on that frequency).
Prior to being granted a full-time licence, Family Radio - 4FRB used to do test transmissions on 92.1 mHz. Three weeks at at time.
Wild FM, Pulse, Switch used to test broadcast on 97.3 mHz.
The Christians won the crusade on FM - getting 96.5 mHz, while Switch got the consolation prize - 1107 kHz.
How embarrassing.
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No! I recall driving between the Gold Coast and Brisbane and they would constantly cut in and out over each other between Coomera and Ormeau.
Does anyone have more info on this? What was their logo? And did Star Classic Hits exist whilst 4KQ was also playing Classic Hits?
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I certainly remember this. I remember when they flipped to classic hits around the mid 90s they went full on 60s and 70s for a while, before gradually easing back to include newer music again. And yes this was when 4KQ was playing classic hits. IIRC they launched the classic hits format with an all-60s weekend.
Even when they launched as QFM they were a bit of a hybrid station, they played classic hits/AC throughout the day, and then at night they leaned more AC/CHR.
Towards the end of the 90s they were very popular as the 3rd FM option, south of the river anyway. They had returned a bit more to their hybrid classic hits/AC by then with less 60s.
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I moved up to QLD mid 1997, and only caught the very end of the Mix 106.9 QFM era. A few weeks later, they changed to Star 106.9 and played only 60s and 70s. After a few months they added 80s music.
And as you say, they seemed to drift more back to a general AC mix by the end of 90s, as I’m sure I remember them playing The Corrs around that time.
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Amazing. I wonder how they rated on FM against 4KQ’s classic hits format on AM.
I know I would’ve preferred the FM option.
Come on ARN. Let history repeat itself already. Bring on Gold94.9.
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Coverage across Brisbane was rather poor compared to 94.9 now. Lower power back then and sandwiched between 2 high powered stations.
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Yes, i/f from the ABCs on opposite sides prompted the change in frequency.
That’s what they say, but I actually don’t agree. I remember receiving 106.9 better in those days than I do 94.9 now. I was living in Camp Hill when QFM first launched and received 106.9 on my home stereo quite easily. Interestingly we received a letter-box drop in the area advertising QFM when it launched. I also remember friends in Cleveland having BBQ’s with 106.9 blaring on their home stereos. I used to drive from Camp Hill to Sherwood in the mid-90s every day for work and the car reception was flawless. I honestly think the move to 94.9 didn’t help reception into Brisbane, and in fact IMO made it less receivable. It seems to boom in now in places, but it’s patchier than it was. I can still get 94.9 on my home stereo but only when it’s connected to the outdoor TV aerial. Back int he 90s I could get it with an inside aerial in both Camp Hill and Carina.
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The signal definitely improved in the northern suburbs when they moved to 94.9.
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Yes, that doesn’t surprise me. It also improved out of sight on the Gold Coast too. There’s no doubt the increase in power helped some areas, but I think others went backwards. It just seemed to become patchier and less reliable in the eastern (southside) suburbs for some reason.
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“QFM” was on a power of 10k, compared to 50k for River.
Good question. It’s hard to say. According to STAR (and their own independently commissioned research - 4KQ 1997/98), they were certainly a star, ahead of 4KQ in all their various markets (whether it be all people 15+, or selectively 30-54).
STAR must have had the top brass at ARN a little rattled, as 4KQ changed their positioning to ‘Good times and great music of the 60s and 70s’.
Good times indeed.
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I remember being able to receive QFM/Star 106.9 on FM radio easily in Salisbury in the late 90s ,early 00s ,I was still at my former workplace back then.Some of us used to listen to them instead of the main 2 FMs at the time,Triple M and B105
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Tripod was on JJJ back in the day…
Thanks for the confirmation. I too remember being able to pick up 106.9 at home on my boom box type stereo no problem.
I was living in New Farm in 1990 when QFM was launched (on Sunday February at 1:06 PM - and 9 seconds) and it was definitely ‘listenable’ though needless to say, notably much weaker than the neighboring Brisbane FMs.
On-air they were big on being an SEQ station, rather than pushing the whole Ipswich thing. Like most stations back then they day-parted. So you’d hear the Doobie Brothers, Bachman Turner Overdrive and the Beatles during the day and new music like Jeff Lynne’s Every Little thing and Sydney Young Blood’s ‘Sit and Wait’ at night - Music for my generation
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In which direction ?? 4QFM was 10 kW omni with a slight null towards Brisbane at 30 meters with 4 panels compared to 4MIX which is 5 / 2/ 5 kW on the arc towards Brisbane at 80M with 32 panels both with a input power of 10 kW
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