Discussion:
4SO 1593
(too old to reply)
The Listener
2003-09-29 03:41:27 UTC
Permalink
This station was on air until 91.7 ABC Coast FM started and I think
was a mere 200 watts.

Where was the TX site? What was daytime coverage like - how far? At
night?

Did it have any local programming?

When did it start?

The Listener
Peter Tate
2003-09-29 07:21:51 UTC
Permalink
4SO was the local ABC for years!!!

The coverage was not too flash!

Exact dates from and too elude me!

TX site was not far from the current 91.7 studios in Mermaid Beach. The AM
stick was very short too and closer to the beach than the studios are...

May be some older NG people can fill the gaps for you Mr Listener

:)
Shaun Stapleton
2003-09-29 09:47:50 UTC
Permalink
Wasn't 4SO only on air in the holiday periods on the coast? Not sure why
but I just remember it that way.

Coast FM started around 1988.
Post by Peter Tate
4SO was the local ABC for years!!!
The coverage was not too flash!
Exact dates from and too elude me!
TX site was not far from the current 91.7 studios in Mermaid Beach. The AM
stick was very short too and closer to the beach than the studios are...
May be some older NG people can fill the gaps for you Mr Listener
:)
Shaun Stapleton
2003-09-30 11:03:30 UTC
Permalink
Thinking about my post why would they have 4SO on air only in the holiday
periods. It's what I have been told by a Gold Coast source who has been in
the area for a long time. A website also said the same details.

All a little strange to me as well.

Shaun Stapleton.
NSW (Missing Qld already)
Post by Shaun Stapleton
Wasn't 4SO only on air in the holiday periods on the coast? Not sure why
but I just remember it that way.
Coast FM started around 1988.
Post by Peter Tate
4SO was the local ABC for years!!!
The coverage was not too flash!
Exact dates from and too elude me!
TX site was not far from the current 91.7 studios in Mermaid Beach. The AM
stick was very short too and closer to the beach than the studios are...
May be some older NG people can fill the gaps for you Mr Listener
:)
Liron Lightwood
2003-09-30 12:02:19 UTC
Permalink
Back in the 80's and early 90's, for some reason, 4QR Brisbane on 612 came
in a lot stronger than it does now, so perhaps there wasn't really that much
need for a Gold Coast ABC station, which may explain why it only broadcast
on holidays, if that was the case.

When I was in the Gold Coast over Christmas 1985-early January 1986, the
station started off broadcasting its own programs, but from Christmas day
onward broadcast a straight relay of 2JJJ. This was in the days when 2JJJ
was a Sydney-only station, so it was pretty sydney centric. The signal
strength at Surfers Paradise was slightly strong, but only outdoors, when
you went indoors, the signal was weak, significantly weaker than 4GG.

Over the same period in late 1986-early 1987, the station broadcast pop
music non-stop. I don't remember hearing any announcers.

Liron Lightwood
Post by Shaun Stapleton
Thinking about my post why would they have 4SO on air only in the holiday
periods. It's what I have been told by a Gold Coast source who has been in
the area for a long time. A website also said the same details.
All a little strange to me as well.
Shaun Stapleton.
NSW (Missing Qld already)
Post by Shaun Stapleton
Wasn't 4SO only on air in the holiday periods on the coast? Not sure why
but I just remember it that way.
Coast FM started around 1988.
Post by Peter Tate
4SO was the local ABC for years!!!
The coverage was not too flash!
Exact dates from and too elude me!
TX site was not far from the current 91.7 studios in Mermaid Beach.
The
Post by Shaun Stapleton
AM
Post by Shaun Stapleton
Post by Peter Tate
stick was very short too and closer to the beach than the studios are...
May be some older NG people can fill the gaps for you Mr Listener
:)
bearcave
2003-09-30 11:07:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Shaun Stapleton
Wasn't 4SO only on air in the holiday periods on the coast? Not sure why
but I just remember it that way.
Coast FM started around 1988.
Learn something new everyday......I've never heard of 4SO.

Coast FM commenced early 1989, a few weeks before Sea FM, which launched the
same day 4GG switched to the FM band.

So is Coast FM a continuation of 4SO?

Or was 4SO already closed by 1989?
The Listener
2003-09-30 03:59:49 UTC
Permalink
Thank you all, Pete and LMN especially. But Peter, I thought you were
the "godfather" of GC radio

Interesting to think where their TX was - they would've been better
off back in swamp of where Pac Fair and all the canal estates now are.

The Listener
Post by Peter Tate
4SO was the local ABC for years!!!
The coverage was not too flash!
Exact dates from and too elude me!
TX site was not far from the current 91.7 studios in Mermaid Beach. The AM
stick was very short too and closer to the beach than the studios are...
May be some older NG people can fill the gaps for you Mr Listener
:)
Des
2003-09-30 11:57:45 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Listener
Thank you all, Pete and LMN especially. But Peter, I thought you were
the "godfather" of GC radio
Interesting to think where their TX was - they would've been better
off back in swamp of where Pac Fair and all the canal estates now are.
The Listener
Post by Peter Tate
4SO was the local ABC for years!!!
The coverage was not too flash!
Exact dates from and too elude me!
TX site was not far from the current 91.7 studios in Mermaid Beach. The AM
stick was very short too and closer to the beach than the studios are...
May be some older NG people can fill the gaps for you Mr Listener
:)
John Stokes at Caost FM on the Sunny Coast could fill you in Marcus as
he was with them as 4 SO, shifted to Coast FM on the GC and then Coast
FM Sunshine Coast since then.
Des
Peter Tate
2003-09-30 18:30:29 UTC
Permalink
This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.
LMN
2003-09-29 07:31:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Listener
When did it start?
According to my musty, trusty old reference book, 4SO Southport commenced
service on
11 October 1952, a National (ABC) station.
Paul Mech
2003-09-30 05:39:23 UTC
Permalink
Post by LMN
According to my musty, trusty old reference book, 4SO Southport commenced
service on
11 October 1952, a National (ABC) station.
What book would that be?
--
Paul
Hawkesbury Radio 89.9FM
www.hawkradio.org.au
LMN
2003-09-30 08:35:05 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Mech
What book would that be?
Ian K. Mackay, "Broadcasting in Australia", Melbourne University Press,
1957.
Walking Wounded
2003-10-02 01:46:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by LMN
Post by Paul Mech
What book would that be?
Ian K. Mackay, "Broadcasting in Australia", Melbourne University Press,
1957.
Radio 4SO, when I saw it back in the late 80's was a little radio
station facility in the basement of the ABC SouthPort centre. It had
one small studio, ran some 2JJJ programs, some Radio National
programs, some local stuff and god knows what else. I am sure it also
ran Take 40 and some commercial syndicated material, along with RAGE
Simmulcasts etc etc !

It might have been used as a Training station or something - what ever
its purpose the ABC didn't really care too much about what it did !

Is this still the style of station it is today as COAST FM ?
Post by LMN
Post by Paul Mech
NC <<
Peter Tate
2003-09-30 13:43:28 UTC
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This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.
Tim Gaynor
2003-10-01 01:41:52 UTC
Permalink
G'day,
I think 4SO would have gone off either late 1988 or early 1989,and
yes,I can remember it being on only on holiday periods with
JJJ.Coverage was quite poor.
Did Coast FM come on before the commercial FM'S?

73
Tim
Des
2003-10-01 11:35:58 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tim Gaynor
G'day,
I think 4SO would have gone off either late 1988 or early 1989,and
yes,I can remember it being on only on holiday periods with
JJJ.Coverage was quite poor.
Did Coast FM come on before the commercial FM'S?
73
Tim
Sea FM started in March 1989. I'm not sure when Coast FM and Gold Fm
(ex 4GG and initially KROQ) started but it was around the same era. I
remember the story doing the rounds in the media that frequencies were
allocated so that if you wanted to switch from Sea (90.9) to KROQ
(92.5)you had to go past Coast FM on 91.7. The "conspiracy theory" was
to try to snare more listeners for the ABC station. Not sure if there
is a skerrick of truth but its a good story!
Des
Frank
2003-10-01 20:30:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Des
Sea FM started in March 1989. I'm not sure when Coast FM and Gold Fm
(ex 4GG and initially KROQ) started but it was around the same era. I
remember the story doing the rounds in the media that frequencies were
allocated so that if you wanted to switch from Sea (90.9) to KROQ
(92.5)you had to go past Coast FM on 91.7. The "conspiracy theory" was
to try to snare more listeners for the ABC station. Not sure if there
is a skerrick of truth but its a good story!
Des
They all opened in either February or March 1989.

Frank
John Edwards
2003-10-01 22:00:11 UTC
Permalink
sea and gold (ex 4GG certainly commenced operation at the same time. I
would have thought ABC services at lower Beechmont were slightly later, but
may be wrong.

JE
Post by Frank
Post by Des
Sea FM started in March 1989. I'm not sure when Coast FM and Gold Fm
(ex 4GG and initially KROQ) started but it was around the same era. I
remember the story doing the rounds in the media that frequencies were
allocated so that if you wanted to switch from Sea (90.9) to KROQ
(92.5)you had to go past Coast FM on 91.7. The "conspiracy theory" was
to try to snare more listeners for the ABC station. Not sure if there
is a skerrick of truth but its a good story!
Des
They all opened in either February or March 1989.
Frank
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