Ratings crisis hits breakfast show as audience share plummets

A cryptic social media post has fuelled intense rumours that Brisbane’s radio scene is about to be blown up as a once popular team faces the cut.

Mark Hine, Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare, the hosts of the 4BC breakfast program. Picture: Supplied

Brisbane’s 4BC radio station is facing a ratings crisis, with its flagship breakfast program featuring Laurel Edwards, Mark Hine, and Gary Clare experiencing a dramatic decline in audience share.

Once a strong contender in the Brisbane radio market, the trio now find themselves at the bottom of the ladder, raising serious questions about the show’s future.

The team as 4KQ's Breakfast hosts (left to right) Mark Hine, Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare. Picture: Richard Walker

When the show launched in July 2022, after the hosts made the jump from 4KQ, it debuted with an impressive 11.8 per cent market share, securing a solid third place in the highly competitive breakfast radio market.

Just two years later, the show’s popularity has plummeted to a mere 4.3 per cent, according to GfK’s August radio ratings, trailing behind all major FM stations, ABC Brisbane, and even youth station 4JJJ (Triple J).

In stark contrast, rival stations B105 and Nova 106.9 have surged ahead, capturing 15 per cent and 12.5 per cent of the market share respectively.

The troubling ratings have sparked widespread speculation that 4BC’s parent company, Nine Radio, may be considering drastic changes to arrest the decline.

Despite the trio’s contracts being extended in April, the persistent slide in ratings has fuelled rumours that the show could be axed before the year’s end, potentially even before the upcoming Queensland state election, according to The Australian.

During last week’s broadcast, the hosts themselves hinted at the mounting pressure, with Mark Hine acknowledging the challenges of maintaining the show.

The trio made the jump to 4BC in July 2022 after their previous station, 4KQ, was sold to the Sports Entertainment Network (SEN). The sale led to a format change from classic hits to 24/7 sports coverage, effectively ending the long-running breakfast show that had made Edwards, Hine, and Clare household names.

Adding to the station’s woes, 4BC has seen a significant exodus of its older audience.

The station has lost nearly half of its listeners aged 65 and over, with many migrating to competitors like 4BH 1116, which has enjoyed a surge in market share among this demographic.

Further speculation about a potential shake-up was fuelled after afternoon radio host Sofie Formica, who stepped in for Edwards on Monday, shared a cryptic post on her Instagram story later that day.

The post featured a brand-new 2025 diary with the caption, “Only thing I know for sure about 2025 is that this will be my diary,” leaving fans wondering what changes could be on the horizon.

Sofie Formica's cryptic post on social media.

Amid the uncertainty, names like Nine News weather reporter Luke Bradnam and mornings host Bill McDonald are being floated as potential successors to the troubled trio.

When approached for comment, Nine Entertainment declined to discuss contract details for its radio hosts.