Beyond doing their “day job”, they carry broader influence, whether through their community involvement or directly impacting people’s purchasing decisions.

Today The Courier-Mail reveals the state’s most influential radio stars who have made the full list of Queensland’s most power people in arts, entertainment and celebrity.

Tomorrow we reveal where they rank on the full list.

POWER 100: Queensland’s most powerful people 100-51

SPORT: Queensland’s 65 most powerful sporting identities

BUSINESS:Queensland’s 60 most powerful business leaders

TOMORROW: Celebrity, entertainment and arts

NEXT THURSDAY: Queensland’s Top 50 Most Powerful

Scroll to the bottom to read how we selected the list.

SUSIE O’NEILL

Nova 106.9 Breakfast radio presenter

She was first known as Madame Butterfly, the golden girl of the 2000 Sydney Olympics who went on to achieve eight Olympic medals during her swimming career.

Relatable and down-to-earth, Susie O’Neill is almost an accidental success story.

She began co-hosting Nova’s breakfast show in 2013 but, buoyed by her popularity, station bosses convinced her to join the program full time in 2019. The show won 10 of the following 13 radio surveys.

In March this year, she was invited to speak at the Future Women Leadership Summit, along with the likes of Josh Frydenberg (then treasurer), his successor Jim Chalmers and Queensland’s industry and business leaders.

Still a key voice in sport, O’Neill was appointed deputy chef de mission for the Australian Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2022, she was elevated to become its 34th legend of Australian sport in 2012.

In 2018, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to swimming at the elite level, as a mentor and role model, and to the community through support for charitable organisations.

STEVE PRICE

Triple M Townsville breakfast radio presenter

When you’ve survived 30 years in breakfast radio – the most notoriously fickle slot – it doesn’t get much better than receiving a congratulatory message from the prime minister or the local mayor to mark the career milestone.

Steve Price, a legendary voice on the airwaves of North Queensland, got both – from Scott Morrison and long-serving Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill.

But notching up those 30 years of early starts in 2021 wasn’t all.

In 2018 “Pricey” was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to broadcast media and the community of Townsville in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Pricey is the undisputed king of Townsville radio, and has been in the business since he started in Melbourne at just 17. That’s just over 51 years.

When he speaks, people listen.

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ROBIN BAILEY

KIIS 97.3 Breakfast radio presenter

Robin Bailey is known for wearing her heart on her sleeve. She feels deeply about issues and isn’t afraid to broach sensitive subjects.

Her on-air sharing of the loss to suicide of her first husband (the father of her three sons) and of the death from cancer of her second husband just a few years later won her a legion of fans, as well as a national profile.

Bailey made her mark on the scene firstly by spending nine years with Jamie Dunn and Ian Skippen on the B105 Morning Crew, dominating the Brisbane market during the 1990s and early 2000s.

She then hosted 97.3 for a decade before contract negotiations turned sour and she was axed from the network. In a testament to her power in radio, she jumped ship to launch a new breakfast show on rivals Triple M before a struggling 97.3 reinstated Bailey in a bid to boost their ratings.

She was able to name her terms and bring her long-time producer with her. ​Bailey is well-connected and one of the rare few in Brisbane media who draws attention with every topic she chooses to discuss.

DAVID ‘LUTTSY’ LUTTERAL

Nova 106.9 Breakfast radio presenter

First hired as the sports guy for Nova’s foundation Brisbane breakfast team in 2005, David Lutteral was quickly promoted to co-host and has now presented on Brisbane radio for more than 15 years.

The Ash, Luttsy & Susie O’Neill show is the most listened to in town, although it’s Lutteral and O’Neill who are considered to have the broadest influence of the trio off the airwaves.

While high-profile relationships and ambassadorships have undoubtedly boosted Lutteral’s profile, his impact is greater than it might seem on the surface. He has served on the board of the Queensland Academy of Sport and hosted events at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, travelling to Tokyo to MC the Rugby Sevens competition.

He now co-hosts the podcast Toward The Games in the lead up to Brisbane’s hosting of the global event and is tipped to be among the creative taskforce for the Games.

ABBY COLEMAN

B105 Breakfast radio host

Abby Coleman’s career began when she finished runner-up on the first season of reality TV show The Mole when she was just 18. She leveraged her new-found fame to launch a successful career on TV and radio, presenting Couch Potato, weather on Weekend Today and The Hot30 Countdown.

In 2011, she moved to Brisbane and joined B105 to host the breakfast show which she has now been presenting for more than a decade, sharing all facets of her life as a mother of three, as one of the most influential names on Brisbane radio.

Coleman is also a sought-after host for events around Brisbane and a regular TV guest.

SOFIE FORMICA

4BC Radio afternoon host

Although relatively new to radio, starting in October 2021, this former TV presenter has secured her place in a cutthroat market.

Formica’s introduction saw the ousting of Deb Knight’s Sydney-based Afternoons program, sending a clear message that local talent matters in the Brisbane market.

When 4BC announced a major reshuffle of presenters in July – resulting in the acquisition of axed 4KQ trio Laurel, Gary and Mark for Breakfast and the redeployment of Neil Breen – Formica was left untouched, a clear sign her talkback format has influence with her demographic.

BIANCA DYE

Sea FM breakfast radio host

Despite being back where she started on Gold Coast radio, Bianca Dye has been a stalwart identity in the Australian entertainment industry for two decades. She has interviewed the stars as a TV host, been a panellist on Channel 10’s Beauty and The Beast, and served as music and entertainment reporter on Mornings with Kerri-Anne Kennerley.

MARGAUX PARKER

Triple M Breakfast radio host

She might be a former WAG as the wife of Bronco legend Corey Parker, but this mum of four has nailed a career in radio, returning to Triple M in 2019 after Robin Bailey left to look after her cancer-stricken husband.

Margaux Parker has a candid manner, which has endeared her to listeners, and having a keen insight into the world of rugby league doesn’t hurt her popularity either.

HOW DID WE DETERMINE THE LISTS?

Firstly, The Courier-Mail senior leadership team engaged the newsroom – reporters on the ground and in the know, those whose job it is to cover these sectors every single day.

The leadership team then used its combined years of experience and extensive contacts to brainstorm more names, adding and culling – all the while consulting with external experts and trusted sources in relevant fields.

We have excluded current executives and editors of News Corp, The Courier-Mail, Foxtel and Fox Sports. That is because News Corp Australia is the publisher of The Courier-Mail, and owns 65 per cent of Foxtel.

We understand that any such list is bound to be subjective, and is by no means exhaustive – but this list is as accurate a one as possible to produce in terms of where things are right now.

It is a unique insight into who calls the shots in Queensland. And as a subscriber it is yours exclusively.

But remember that power is more often than not temporary. Who plays large in 2022 might not be so powerful in 2023. Watch this space.