From memory they were rating in the 20s when they were on FM.
I did get the opportunity to listen to them when I was visiting my cousin in Cairns in 2001 (their positioner then was âThe Best Songs Of All Time, 102.7 4CA FMâ).
A good station with good music, but was let down by Townsville hub stuff (which started the year before), as I heard things like ads for businesses in Roma, down the other end of the state.
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4TO FM and 4MK FM rated well back then also.
Radio in Mackay was very similar. They both had 4CA /4MK FM - Classic Hits, Sea FM - Rock Music, Hot FM - Hot AC and Easy 846 /1026 - Easy Listening. Hot and Sea were my pick. Us Queenslanders had a good choice of radio stations back then.
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When DMG and RG Capital were both acquired by Macquarie Bank in 2004, I had thought theyâd sell SEA and the Easy stations.. so it surprised me when they decided to keep SEA and offload 4MK FM/4CA FM instead.
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I thought it was about the mid 90s they were FM .I have relatives up there too and sometimes I was up there then
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The listing I have shows that 102.7 Cairns first went to air on 26 October 1998.
SEA FM 99.5 started on 13 July 1999.
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This week, weâre going west of Cairns to the Atherton Tablelands:
Hit is #1 with 21.1% (+1.2 from 2022), followed by ABC Far North QLD with 15% (+0.7), 4AM with 13.2% (+0.4), and JJJ with 6.7% (+1.6).
In the demos, Hit dominates in the under-55s, whilst ABC Far North tops the 55+, with 4AM the #1 commercial station in that same demo.
In breakfast, Hitâs Bronte & Lakey is #1 with 19.5% (-0.4), followed by ABC Far Northâs Charlie McKillop with 18.1% (+2.8), and 4AMâs AJ with 14.1% (+3.2). In mornings, Chris Smith on 4AM topped the ratings with 17.9% (+2.7 from John Laws). In drive, Hitâs Carrie & Tommy dominate with 26.1% (+4.9), followed by 4AMâs The Drive Home with Rachel with 12% (+2.5), and Adam Stephen on ABC Far North with 11.1% (-0.7).
The âOther Stationsâ share is at 37.3%, down 5.1 from 2022.
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Sure looks like they donât have much of a choice, do they?
âOther stationsâ down, guess they all went back to 97.9.
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This might be a silly question, but who owns 4AM and what format do they have?
Super Radio Network - so mix of local programs with a classic hits type format during the day (and Chris Smith) and network programs after hours
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Almost 40% of the market listening to Cairns is hilarious.
To be fair, a fair chunk of the licence area overlaps with Cairns, and thereâs an even larger fortuitous overlap.
