Golden opportunity: Inside 4BC’s raid on 4KQ’s popular talent

The closure of top-rating classic hits station 4KQ presented a golden egg for AM rivals 4BC. Here’s how they seized the opportunity in one of the biggest commercial radio overhauls in decades.

Seizing the golden opportunity presented by the closure of 4KQ, AM rivals 4BC were able to raid the popular music station’s evicted talent to bolster their local content.

Despite an increased local focus over the past two years 4BC has struggled to match the consistent ratings success of 4KQ, which commanded a loyal classic hits audience for 75 years until it was switched off on Thursday.

In one of the biggest commercial radio overhauls in decades, 4BC announced on Monday that former 4KQ breakfast presenters Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare and Mark Hine would shift as a team to 4BC breakfast in a change from the traditional shock jock format – pushing Neil Breen to drive and Scott Emerson to a new role as a political contributor.

Mark Hine, Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare ahead of their final show for 4KQ last week. Picture: Richard Walker

It will see the breakfast trio return to the AM airwaves on Monday, just over a fortnight after they finished their 16-year tenure together at 4KQ.

The Courier-Mail can confirm 4BC also signed 4KQ’s music director Brent James in the same role, as well as the breakfast team’s producer Tim Bergh, who will take on a new role as a senior producer.

It comes after Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) acquired the rights to the commercial AM license, formerly 4KQ, in May, in a rare occurrence that would switch off a top-rating station and leave its loyal classic hits listeners in limbo.

With the sale going through last week – SEN launching its dedicated sports station on Friday – Nine Entertainment were able to pull the trigger on the new line-up, undoubtedly hoping the former 4KQ talent will replicate their success under the 4BC banner.

“4BC is proudly Brisbane and there is no team more in tune with this city than Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare and Mark Hine. An award-winning show with a 16-year chemistry on breakfast radio doesn’t become available often and we are thrilled,” 4BC Content Manager Max Dudley said.

Neil Breen in the 4BC studio in Brisbane in June 2020, after taking over Alan Jones' breakfast radio program. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

“Neil Breen has done a tremendous job in breakfast over the past two years, re-establishing 4BC as live and local. We’re delighted Breenie is staying on in drive.”

In May 2020, Breen took over the timeslot previously occupied by shock jock Alan Jones in what was the first locally produced breakfast program on 4BC in five years.

By mid-year Nine appointed Dudley as content manager, having shifted from Triple M Brisbane, and secured former politician Emerson for drive as the station continued to focus on building a local presence.

Breen improved on Jones’ average audience share of 7.9 per cent in 2019, lifting breakfast to an average of 8.3 per cent in 2021.

In the 15 radio surveys since joining 4BC, Breen’s average audience share is 8.5 per cent.

Despite the improvement, 4BC couldn’t match the consistency of the longstanding panel format on rival 4KQ, with Laurel, Gary & Mark recording an average audience share of 10.4 per cent across the same ratings period and 11.2 per cent in 2021.

4KQ’s music director Brent James, pictured in 2011, will also switch to 4BC in the same role. Picture: Campbell Scott

Overall this year 4BC has sat behind rivals 4KQ and ABC Brisbane across the four surveys, with an average audience share of 6.8 per cent.

In the latest radio survey results, released on Tuesday, 4KQ remained the most listened to AM station in Brisbane and across the board, with an average overall audience share of 9.9 per cent this year.

In drive, 4BC has not beaten 4KQ since survey 7 in 2020, shortly after Emerson joined the program. This year 4BC has dropped to an average audience share of 4 per cent in drive.

Ahead of his final show for 4KQ last month, Clare said: “We say the station is closing and that has happened to other radio stations, 2CH in Sydney ran for 90 years; the difference is this is still a successful radio station, this is still a number one station and they are closing it. The others had their day and were no longer rating.”

RADIO WINNERS

Overall FM: Nova 106.9, 12.6 per cent (+1.4)

Overall AM: 4KQ, 10.2 per cent (-0.5)

Breakfast: Nova 106.9, 13.1 per cent (+1.6)

Mornings: Triple M, 13.9 per cent (+1.1)

Afternoons: Nova 106.9 (+1.6) and B105 (+1.8), 13.1 per cent

Drive: Nova, 15.7 per cent (+1.3)

BREAKFAST

1. Nova 106.9, 13.1 per cent (+1.6)

2. B105, 12.0 per cent (+0.3)

2. Triple M, 12.0 per cent (+2.1)

4. 4KQ, 11.1 per cent (+1.5)

4. KIIS 973, 9.9 per cent (0.0)

6. ABC Brisbane, 8.9 per cent (-2.0)

7. 4BC, 8.0 per cent (+0.5)

(Source: GfK)