4BH
| Company type | Radio broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, radio |
| Founded | 1932-01-02 |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Owner | Nine Entertainment |
| Parent | Nine Radio |
4BH operates as a Brisbane-based radio broadcaster transmitting on 1116 kHz AM and is also available via simulcast on DAB+ channel 9B. The station is owned by Nine Entertainment and managed through a lease agreement by Ace Radio. On 8 October 2021, 4BH altered its frequency from 882 kHz to 1116 kHz, with the previous 882 kHz frequency being assumed by its sister station, 4BC.
4BH
The station commenced operations on 2 January 1932, initially broadcasting from Bald Hills with studios situated in Brisbane’s Queen Street. Early leadership featured Walter Pym, and Ivy Ray was among the pioneering female announcers. During the 1960s, under the direction of Norm Llewellyn, 4BH achieved dominance in Brisbane’s radio market by adopting a Top 40 format promoted as "Top Dog Radio." Rugby league commentary was provided by George Lovejoy during this era; he later advanced to general manager and guided the station under the "Happy Day Radio" branding.
Prominent broadcasters such as Bill Gates, Ben Beckinsale, and Don Seccombe were part of the station’s lineup. In response to competition from 4IP, talkback segments were introduced with Ivor Hancock leading this programming. Bob Ackery advanced within the organisation during the 1970s and became general manager in the late 1980s, succeeding Barry Augustus who had overseen a prosperous period that included frequency changes—from 1390 kHz to 880 kHz in the mid-1970s, then adjusting to 882 kHz in 1978—as well as relocating transmitters to Wynnum West and moving studios within Brisbane.
A local consortium took ownership in 1988. In 1975, the station embraced a "Beautiful Music" format except for a brief shift to talk programming in 1994 that directly competed with its sister stations. Although it secured an FM license bid in 1990, financial limitations prevented transitioning to FM; competitors acquired FM licenses instead.
Following receivership in 1995, Brisbane entrepreneur Michael Norris purchased 4BH for just above $2 million and moved its operations to shared facilities in North Ipswich. By 1997, the station had regained strong audience ratings when Norris sold it to Australian Radio Network (ARN) for over $11.5 million. ARN maintained ownership until January 2002 before divesting it to DMG Radio Australia amid strategic plans linked to launching FM services. Subsequently, Southern Cross Broadcasting acquired 4BH in February 2003 after DMG secured an FM license on the Sunshine Coast.
In August 2002, vandalism caused significant damage to the Wynnum West transmitter antenna, temporarily interrupting broadcasts; two teenagers were later found guilty. The attack was reportedly motivated by objections to both the transmitter location and the station’s music format.
By 2004, operations had relocated to newly constructed studios at Cannon Hill. In May 2007, 4BH marked its 75th anniversary with a formal celebration attended by former employees and guests.
Since November 2007, Fairfax Media has held ownership of the station along with other radio assets formerly part of Southern Cross Broadcasting.
Magic 882
On 13 January 2014, the station underwent rebranding as Magic 882 with the slogan "The songs you know and love." This transformation included personnel changes: Moyd Kay transitioned from afternoons at 4BC to host Magic’s breakfast show; Ian Keenan joined from competitor 4KQ for morning shifts; and Greg Victor moved from mornings to drive time.
In November 2015, Magic 882 started incorporating networked content sourced from sister station Magic 1278 in Melbourne, resulting in redundancies among several on-air presenters and some administrative staff.
Talking Lifestyle 882
In February 2017, Magic 882 was rebranded by Macquarie Radio Network as Talking Lifestyle, launching in both Brisbane and Melbourne following an 18-month development period and a preliminary rollout in Sydney during September 2016. The station’s hosts broadcast from studios located in Sydney or Melbourne, featuring personalities such as Ed Phillips, Catriona Rowntree, Nick Bennett, Dee Dee Dunleavy, and Sabina Read.
Macquarie Sports Radio
On 4 April 2018, the trio of Talking Lifestyle stations shifted to a sports radio format under the name Macquarie Sports Radio, aligning this change with their coverage of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Brisbane outlet airs games involving the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns, selected AFL fixtures sourced from 3AW, as well as Thursday night and early Friday night NRL matches broadcast via NRL Nation.
Return of 4BH
Nine Entertainment declared on 21 January 2020 that the Macquarie Sports Radio brand would be discontinued. Consequently, 4BH and its sister stations 2UE and Magic 1278 reverted to a music-only format emphasizing hits from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. This transition began with a "soft launch" on 2 February 2020. In April of that year, Steve Jacobs was appointed as the breakfast show host, commencing his role on 27 April.
Ace Radio Operations
On 28 October 2021, Nine Radio announced a partnership with Ace Radio to oversee operations of 4BH along with Magic 1278 and 2UE starting early in 2022. Ace Radio officially took control on 14 January 2022, relaunching 4BH as Brisbane’s New Home of Classic Hits. The breakfast program More Music Breakfast was hosted by radio personality BBQ Bob Gallagher. This relaunch featured a refreshed presenter roster, new branding elements including logo and imaging, which contributed to enhanced ratings for Classic Hits 4BH.