4KQ: The final countdown

Reporter

The day has arrived. After 75 years on air in Brisbane, 4KQ will sign off for good at midnight, and emotions are running high.

A week after farewelling the breakfast team of Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare and Mark Hine, 4KQ listeners today say their final goodbye to the classic hits station that’s become as comfortably familiar as their favourite pair of slippers.

4KQ’s demise has been likened to the loss of a family member, and the outpouring of grief that comes with it.

ARN’s Chief Content Officer Duncan Campbell isn’t surprised.

Campbell tells Radio Today “I think we’re seeing the power of radio demonstrated here. People have grown up with that station in Brisbane. It’s an iconic radio station.”

“That breakfast show’s been there for fifteen years. The personalities on the station are well known to the listeners, and they become like family.”

Campbell says that personal connection demonstrates the magic of the medium, and is reflected in the love that listeners have bestowed upon the breakfast team.

“They consider them friends in a way. It’s a very powerful and enduring connection that’s made. So for them – it may seem strange – but it’s like the departure of a family member from the home, almost. They wake up with these people every morning. It is very personal.”

4KQ is a station rich in history, but Campbell says change is inevitable in life.

“There’s a history of radio stations that once were, and are no longer. It’s always a shame.”

“It was a requirement of ACMA that we dissolve ourselves of KQ because of the purchase of Grant Broadcasting. It’s something we obviously didn’t want to do but we had to do. I think everyone understands that. But of course it’s a shame when we lose a station the calibre of KQ.”

As 4KQ transitions to SENQ and 693AM begins its new life as a one stop shop for sport, Campbell expects the performance of SENQ to be consistent with how SEN’s stations perform in other markets.

“Obviously it’s a very different format to KQ. I think you’ll find some audience movement off KQ after it closes … I think there’s 24 percent audience share into 97.3, for example. 4BH will pick up some listeners as well. Stations that offer similar formats will obviously benefit.”

Campbell says as sad as it is to farewell such an iconic station, people adapt to change. Listeners find their ‘new normal.’

And while Thursday, June 30, 2022 will for many go down in history as the day the music died … the memories are being kept alive.

Fans of the station can share their memories of 4KQ on the new 4KQ Friends Facebook Group, with 1500 members having joined since Friday.

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Recent comments (6)
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Jayme Doran
30 Jun 2022 - 11:15 am

I still can’t believe 4KQ is going as a result of ARN divesting 4KQ & selling it to SEN due to the 2 Stations in a market rule in favor of keeping River 94.9 in Ipswich & Hot 91 Sunshine Coast (the 2 Stations are an important part of the regional network under Grant Broadcasters which is another reason why ARN chose to divest 4KQ instead of the Nearby Regional Stations in Ipswich & Sunshine Coast).

I will miss 4KQ greatly (will be listening right through until the end at Midnight Tonight) and will be making to switch to 4BH from Tomorrow. I have listened to 4KQ on and off for a long time, I have enjoyed the music they played as well as the special features they had from time to time The attraction of 4KQ was its local focus. It really was Brisbane’s classic hits that were based on past Top 40 listings from the city. There was also a lot of local flavour from talking about past events, locations, TV programs, cinema etc. Credit must go to Brent James who is and was the Music Director as well as On-Air Presenter at the station whose hard work over the years was instrumental to the station’s success.

To Everyone at 4KQ particularly to to Laurel, Gary & Mark, Brent James, Nick Michaels and Dave D Whitcomb Thank you for everything and wishing you all the very best for the future.

The end of an era in Brisbane Radio.

Dan
30 Jun 2022 - 1:08 pm

“I think you’ll find some audience movement off KQ after it closes …”

Understatement of the year

JASON
30 Jun 2022 - 6:25 pm

THE END OF ONE EARA IN BRISBANE RADIO STARTS A NEW ERA IN RRISBANE RADIO GOOD-BYE 4KQ AND HELLO SENQ

Radio Birdman
30 Jun 2022 - 8:46 pm

To 4KQ, thanks for 75 years of memories and being an integral part of Brisbane’s history. You will be missed and as from tomorrow, there will be a massive black hole in Brisbane radio.

Goodbye to the breakfast show, 70’s lunch break, Jukebox Saturday Night, Sunday Morning 60’s, Sunday Night Living in the 70’s. And especially goodbye to the Easter Countdown of 1000 Hits and feature weekends like All Sorts and Sizzling Seventies.

Brisbane thanks and salutes Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare, Mark Hine, Brent James, Nick Michaels, Murray Shoring, Paul Kennedy, Bob Gallagher, Kim Mothershaw, Paul J Turner (RIP), John Knox, Ian Holland, Ian Skippen, the engineers, the newsreaders, the admin employees and everyone else who has worked at 4KQ.

RIP

Radio Birdman
30 Jun 2022 - 8:49 pm

And it was remiss of me to forget mentioning Dave D Whitcomb, along with the luminaries previously mentioned.

Brisbane salutes and thanks you!

Craig
1 Jul 2022 - 1:25 pm

How Apt!! Final tracks played were American Pie and then The End By The Beatles. Followed by the sound of crickets and then silence. It could be the same noise coming from SEN’s listeners. Goodbye 4KQ. You will be missed.

Jobs

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