| City of license | Brisbane, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Brisbane RA1 ([1]) |
| Branding | Triple M |
| Slogan | Brisbane's Widest Variety of Music |
| Frequency | 104.5 MHz FM (also on DAB+) |
| First air date | August 22, 1980[1] |
| Format | Active rock |
| Language | English |
| ERP | 12,000 watts |
| HAAT | 365 m[2] |
| Former frequencies | 104.1 MHz (1980-1989) |
| Affiliations | Triple M |
| Owner | Southern Cross Media (Triple M Brisbane Pty Ltd) |
| Sister stations | 4BBB |
| Webcast | Triple M Player |
| Website | Official website |
4MMM (identified on air and in print as Triple M) is one of Brisbane, Australia's commercial FM Rock radio stations, primarily targeted at those in the 25-50 age group. It is part of the Austereo Triple M network and broadcasts on 104.5 MHz.
In April 2011 the Austereo group was purchased by Southern Cross Media.
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The station started on the FM band at 104.1 MHz on August 22, 1980. Brisbane businessman Leo Williams was the driving force behind the venture while the station manager then was Rob McKay, who left the station soon after, allowing program manager Ted Seymour to take the reins. Their first format was contemporary rock. It was rebranded as FM104 in December 1982 with the new slogan "Rock In Stereo", and focused on the typical Queensland lifestyle of beaches and barbecues.
The music was now serious rock but very much album oriented. Their playlists now included AC/DC, The Angels, Van Halen, ZZ Top and the Talking Heads as well as supporting Australian pub rock bands such as INXS, Hunters & Collectors and the Choirboys.
In 1983, they started using the popular call sign, "FM104 ROCKS THE WEEKEND", "FM104 ROCKS BRISBANE" and "FM104 ROCK IN STEREO". The first number one ratings success was in the 7 to midnight timeslot in the second survey of 1983, reaching an impressive 26 share. The station finally went number one overall in October 1984 with a share of 18.2% total audience.
From then they dominated the market, peaking at a massive 37.9% share in the Brisbane expo year, 1988. This has never been achieved by any radio station since. They were number one in Brisbane from late 1984 until 1990. The breakfast shift, with Bill Healy and Mr T was also consistently number one. Promotions including the Skyshow featuring the first afterburner F111's in the world, and involvement in all things Brisbane supplemented the sizzling on-air format.
In 1988, Hoyts Entertainment, the new owners of the station, forced FM104 to take on the Triple M brand to become part of the newly created Triple M nationwide network. From then on it became known as FM104 Triple M, with the callsign 4MMM. A change of frequency to 104.5 MHz occurred on 5 November 1989.
During 1990, management and staff changes started a slide. Triple M was finally toppled from the top spot by new FM station B105, with the onset of rap and dance music. When the Austereo group purchased the station as part of its takeover and merger of the Triple M and Today networks in 1995 the FM104 tag was dropped, however the FM104 Tag has resurfaced recently in station sweepers and jingles.
In April 2011 the regional media giant Southern Cross Media bought the Austereo group for more than $700 million. Southern Cross is the current owner of the Triple M network, and at this stage the only significant lineup change has been the cancellation of the long running breakfast show 'The Cage' in September 2011 and the axing of 28 year Austereo veteran announcer Ian Skippen.
FM104 studios were originally based in the top floor of 67 St Pauls Terrace, and later moved to 549 Queen Street, Brisbane. This building was quite a character building - designed by renowned architect David Phillips, it featured a quirky lift, green carpets and a distinctive spiral staircase linking the two floors. The basement carpark, reserved for executives, was tiny and difficult to enter and exit. The building also hosted some wild survey parties with many famous guests over many years.
The original equipment comprised MTE mixing consoles, and ITC Delta cartridge machines. FM104 Triple M never experienced the era of "Digital Commercial System" (DCS) which was incorporated into most other Austereo stations. Instead, FM104 Triple M continued to use outdated cartridge machines until 1999, when the updated Maestro digital playout system was installed as part of an Austereo wide upgrade.
From 1998 to 2000, Triple M's news was broadcast from the newsroom of sister station B105 FM in a combined newsroom arrangement. A data link was also installed between the two stations for WAN access.
FM104, and later Triple M Brisbane, broadcast from the Queen Street location until August 2000, when owners Austereo relocated Triple M and sister station B105 into new combined premises at 309 North Quay, Brisbane. The new complex was the first in Australia to use the revolutionary Klotz Digital VADIS audio system.
FM104 originally transmitted using two RCA BTF-20E 20 kilowatt transmitters in an A/B failsafe configuration running from the BTQ Seven tower at Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane. An increase in Effective radiated power was granted in the early 1990s, and an arrangement was reached with rival station B105 to share a new antenna, combiner and floor space at TVQ Ten, which had a higher tower.
An ERI FM array was installed on the tower, combined through an RF combiner to allow both 105.3 (B105) and 104.5 (4MMM) to transmit at 5 kW base power on the same array. 4MMM had a 20 kW RCA transmitter moved from the BTQ site and an NEC 10 kW transmitter installed at this site, in an A/B failsafe configuration. One of the original 20 kW RCA transmitters was left in place at BTQ seven as a backup, leaving 4MMM as one of the most redundant ready stations in Brisbane, with three transmitters to choose from and two different transmission sites.
After the official duopoly merger with B105 FM, which had two Harris HT10 transmitters on a separate antenna at TVQ Channel Ten, 4MMM continued to use the same transmitter configuration until 2002, when a new solid state Harris Z10CD transmitter was installed at the newly created TX Australia facility under the TVQ Ten tower. One of B105 FM's existing HT10 transmitters was re-tuned to 104.5 MHz and installed at the Channel Seven tower, 1 km away from Channel Ten on Mount Coot-tha as a backup. Both original RCA transmitters were sold for scrap, and the NEC transmitter eventually went to Broadcast Australia for parts.
As of November 2005, Triple M Brisbane has one Harris Z10CD solid state transmitter as the main, located at TVQ Ten. It has one HT10FM tube transmitter as the secondary, located at BTQ Seven. There is also a spare antenna (the original B105 FM1C) at the TVQ Ten tower if needed.
As of February 2008, TX Australia are under contract to maintain all of Austereo Brisbane's FM transmission infrastructure including antennas, transmitters and combiners.
Broadcast Australia are under contract to maintain the digital radio infrastructure for all Brisbane radio stations.
4MMM's FM base power is 5 kilowatts with an ERP (Effective Radiated Power) of 19 kilowatts at the antenna. The digital radio base power from the Mt Coot-tha site is 1.8 kW with an ERP of 12 kW at the antenna.
FM104 and 4MMM have had several notable breakfast shows in their history. The most popular breakfast show ever on FM104 Triple-M was hosted by Bill Healy and Mr T (Rod Tiley), from the early to the late 1980s. It was the first team to attain number one ratings on FM104 Triple-M. Bill Healy and Mr T's survey results have never been bettered by any subsequent team on the station under any of its titles or liveries. Healy returned in 1990 under Hoyts rein but failed to regain the dizzy heights he attained with Mr T. He left the station in 1991 for a contemporary station. Other breakfast shows were;
The current breakfast show on 4MMM is The Grill Team, which replaced The Cage in September 2011.
The current lineup for 2011 is:-
Former Presenters:
Temporary replacements on the Cage after Sami Lukis finished were:
In August 2005, 4MMM held a weekend long celebration of 25 years broadcasting. Archived audio was played back, including interviews with the likes of former programmer Bill Riner and other former DJ's.
The weekend culminated in a Sunday afternoon broadcast from the station's carpark at 309 North Quay, with drinks, food, and live to air performances from The Screaming Jets, The Choirboys and Glen Shorrock. The single 'Cool Change' from Shorrock's 'Little River Band' was the first song ever played to air on 4MMM.
4MMM broadcasts full call of AFL matches played by the Brisbane Lions, mainly on weekends. The Brisbane AFL call team for 2012 is still to be announced. The call is presented to air by Technical Producer Mark Bono.
Triple M Brisbane covers all Brisbane Lions games and relays it's calls into other Triple M interstate stations as required. Other interstate matches are called by different commentary teams and networked. Triple M Football is produced nationally by Lee Simon.
4MMM also broadcast full commentary of all NRL matches played on Monday nights, known as Monday Night Football on Triple M. The 2012 lineup is still to be announced.
As at September 2011:-
As at September 2011:-
As with most national radio networks, 4MMM sometimes engages in networking of several shows. 4MMM also employs local automation overnight, where the computerised playlist system will play logged events automatically, eliminating the need for an announcer to be present.
Currently the following shows are networked on 4MMM:-
Overnights - locally automated
Triple M is simulcast on Digital Radio in Brisbane.
Triple M launched High Voltage Radio, a "pop up" Digital Radio station that exclusively plays AC/DC for the duration of the band's 2010 tour of Australia.[3] High Voltage stopped being on air on 15 March 2010.
Phil Moroney, Drew Chapman, Corey Kay, Rob Duckworth, Dave Gibson, "BBQ" Bob Gallagher, Barry Drinkwater, Dave Carlson, Rod "Mr. T" Tiley, Mike Goldman, Jamie Meldrum, Mobbs & Fletch, The Toad Show, Bogart Torelli, Ian Strachan, Dan Bradley, Rex Morris, Rob McCasker, Gregg Easton, Clare Blake, Loretta Ryan (news), Sheridan Stewart, Dave Andrews, Rob Doorey, Brendon Jones, Dean Miller, Sammy Power, Colin Mooney, Bill Riner, David Kersten, Bill Healy, Andrew Kilpatrick, Graham "Shirley" Strauchan (deceased), Gary "Badge" Belcher, Rod Lockington, Mark Irvine, Jeff Truscott, Rob Tesararo. Chris (Bomber) Bombolas (news), David Kidd, Bruce McCartney, Alan McGirvan, Al "Albie" Dobie, Michael Price, Jamie Row, Angela Anderson (news), Simone Feiler 'The Long Kiss Goodnight', "Midnight Mick" Newcombe, Steve Haddan, Brett Seeney, David Bond, Ian Skippen, Emily-Jade O'Keefe.
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