Magic 882
 | |
| City | Brisbane, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Brisbane RA1 () |
| Slogan | The songs you know and love |
| Frequency | 882 kHz AM (also on DAB+) |
| First air date | 25 December 1931[1] |
| Format | Easy listening |
| Language(s) | English |
| Power | 5 watt#kW[2] |
| Transmitter coordinates | 27°27′56″S 153°08′48″E / 27.46556°S 153.14667°E[2] |
| Affiliations | Magic Network |
| Owner |
Macquarie Media (Radio Magic Brisbane Pty Ltd) |
| Webcast | |
| Website |
magic882 |
Magic 882 (ACMA callsign: 4BH) is a radio station in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. Its analog broadcast frequency is 882 KHz AM, simulcasted on digital radio channel 9B, and markets itself for the baby boomer market. It is owned by Fairfax Media.
Programming
Magic 882's main component of programming is presenting an Easy Listening music mix. It also airs News, Weather and Traffic Updates at various intervals.
History
Magic 882 broadcasts from its Cannon Hill headquarters, and is the sister station of 4BC. 4BH (transmitting from Bald Hills) was opened by J. S. Kerr on 2 January 1932.[3]
During the 1960s, 4BH dominated Brisbane radio and, under the management of Norm Llewellyn, promoted itself as "Top Dog Radio" with a contemporary Top 40 music format.In the 1950s and 60s George Lovejoy provided commentary on Brisbane rugby league matches for the station and replaced Llewellyn as General Manager. Lovejoy was replaced in 1975 by Warren Stagg. Some of the announcers of the time were Ben Beckinsale, Russ Walkington, Ken Guy, John Flemming, Jimmy White, and John Kerr. With the emergence of 4IP into the marketplace with a similar Top 40 format, 4BH added talkback programmes led by Ivor Handock and supported by a well known lineup including Owen Delaney, Jennifer Blocksidge and Pat Thompson. Bob Ackery joined the station in the early 1970s and became the "drive time" announcer before moving into the "breakfast" slot, later taking on the role of Programme Manager and eventually General Manager in the late 80s. He took over from Barry Augustus, who led the station through one of its most successful periods through the late 70s and 1980s. This included a frequency change from 1390 kHz to 882 kHz, a relocation of the Transmitter from Bald Hills to Wynnum West and a move from its old Adelaide Street home to purpose built studios at Astor Terrace Spring Hill.
In 1988, the station was sold to a local consortium.
In 1975, 4BH started broadcasting "Beautiful Music", which became their focus except for a period in 1994 when the station converted to talk which was up against 4BH's now sister station 4BC and 612 4QR Brisbane. The station successfully bid for an FM license (conversion) in 1990 but couldn't come up with the cash when it was time to pay. 4KQ was the second-highest bidder but also failed to produce the cash. In 1995, after the disastrous Talk format experiment, 4BH was placed in receivership and bought for just over $2 million by Michael Norris who was a Brisbane businessman and the major shareholder of Unitel and the Ipswich and West Moreton Broadcasting Corp. 4BH was relocated from Spring Hill to shared studios at the 106.9 QFM building in North Ipswich (now River 94.9).
Between 1995 and 1997, 4BH returned to the top two ratings position. In January 1997 Michael Norris sold 4BH to the Australian Radio Network (owners of 4KQ) for over $11.5 million, who owned 4BH until January 2002 after ARN and DMG Radio Australia jointly launched 97.3 FM, so ARN sold 4BH to DMG and in February 2003, 4BH was sold yet again to Southern Cross Broadcasting because DMG had won an auction to set up an FM service on the Sunshine Coast.[4][5][6]
In August 2002, the stations transmitter in Wynnum West was felled by vandals, causing the station to go off air.[7] The station returned to air a few days later on low power. Two teenagers were eventually charged and pleaded guilty.[8] It later emerged that the reason for the attack was due to a dislike of the transmitter site and also of the station's music.[9]
In 2004 the station moved from to new purpose built premises at Cannon Hill in 2004.[10]
Since November 2007, 4BH, and all Southern Cross Broadcasting radio stations, has been owned by Fairfax Media.
On 13 January 2014, 4BH rebranded itself as Magic 882, with a new positioner of "The songs you know and love". The rebrand came with changes to the on-air lineup – Moyd Kay moved from afternoons at sister 4BC to breakfast at Magic; Ian Keenan joined the team from rival 4KQ into mornings; and Greg Victor moving from mornings to drive.[11][12]
In November 2015, it was announced that the station would begin taking network programming from sister station Magic 1278 in Melbourne. The stations on-air presenters and a number of administration staff were made redundant. [13]
References
- ↑ http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib100052/lic022_commercial_radio_broadcasting_licences.pdf
- 1 2 Broadcast Transmitter Data, The Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2013-10-01, retrieved 2013-10-24
- ↑ "STATION 4BH. Official Opening.". The Brisbane Courier. 4 January 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ↑ Cronin, Rhyll (29 January 1997). "ARN pays $11m for 4BH to Increase Radio Interest.". The Courier-Mail. p. 27.
- ↑ Marriner, Cosima (25 January 2002). "FM Partner Buys 4BH From ARN". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 23. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
|section=ignored (help) - ↑ Murdoch, Scott (14 February 2003). "Southern Cross increases its Brisbane radio share.". The Courier-Mail. p. 37.
|section=ignored (help) - ↑ "Vandals halt radio service.". Wynnum Herald. Quest Community Newspapers. 21 August 2002. p. 6.
- ↑ Oberhardt, Mark (11 September 2003). "Teenagers get suspended jail terms for silencing 4BH". The Courier-Mail. p. 11.
|section=ignored (help) - ↑ "Man given community service for felling radio towers". ABC News Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 October 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- ↑ Hele, Michelle (6 August 2004). "Radio stations 4BC and 4BH all set for big move to Cannon Hill". The Courier-Mail (1 – First with the news ed.). p. 39. ISSN 1322-5235.
- ↑ "Fairfax hopes for ratings Magic". RadioInfo. radioinfo. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Welcome to Magic 882". Magic 882. Fairfax Media. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Magic to be Networked Brisbane & Melbourne". Radio Today. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.