Sea FM
| Company type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Radio |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Gold Coast Broadcasters |
| Fate | Rebranded and integrated into Hit Network (most stations) |
| Headquarters | Gold Coast , Australia |
Area served | Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria (historically) |
| Owner | Southern Cross Austereo (formerly) |
Sea FM was an Australian radio network operating stations across Queensland and New South Wales, under the ownership of Southern Cross Austereo. To adhere to media ownership regulations, certain stations were divested: Prime Television Limited acquired the Sea FM station in Townsville, while Grant Broadcasters took over stations located in Devonport and Burnie, Tasmania. Presently, all Sea FM outlets owned by Southern Cross Austereo—excluding those in Cairns, Mackay, and Rockhampton/Gladstone—have been integrated into the Hit Network following the merger between Southern Cross Media and Austereo.
History
The Sea FM brand and its logo were initially created by Gold Coast Broadcasters for 90.9 Sea FM, established after the Gold Coast was granted a new commercial FM licence. Launched in 1989 with programming advice from Austereo, the station employed seasoned presenters drawn from major metropolitan radio markets. Concurrently, Gold Coast’s AM station 4GG transitioned to FM as 92.5 4GGG (which was later rebranded as KROQ).
During the early 1990s, Gold Coast Broadcasters acquired KROQ and subsequently expanded by purchasing Sunshine Coast Broadcasters’ 92.7 Mix FM in 1995. The Sunshine Coast’s 91.9 Sea FM was introduced as an additional licence. Gold Coast Broadcasters evolved into RG Capital, financially supported by media magnate Reg Grundy.
RG Capital broadened the Sea FM brand throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania via acquisitions and new licence grants. In 2004, RG Capital divested its regional stations to Macquarie Regional RadioWorks (currently Southern Cross Austereo). Following this transaction, RG Capital’s Victorian FM stations were rebranded under the Star FM name.
In 2013, Grant Broadcasters renamed its 99.7 Sea FM Scottsdale as Chilli FM to align branding with its Launceston counterpart. That year also saw Southern Cross Austereo selling Sea FM and Mix FM on the Sunshine Coast to EON Broadcasters for $17.7 million due to regulatory constraints arising from the Austereo-Southern Cross merger which created overlapping market presence.
In February 2016, Southern Cross Austereo rebranded Hobart’s 100.9 Sea FM to Hit 100.9 as part of a strategy to unify stations under the Hit Network identity. By December that year, all remaining Sea FM stations were scheduled to adopt Hit branding; however, flagship stations on the Gold Coast and Central Coast retained the Sea FM name while incorporating Hit Network visual elements.
Branding adjustments varied among other stations: Maryborough replaced Sea FM with hit101.9 Fraser Coast; Bundaberg maintained the Sea FM brand to prevent confusion with Grant Broadcasters’ Hitz939 serving the Wide Bay area. The Sunshine Coast station continued using Sea FM branding after exiting Southern Cross Austereo’s portfolio.
On 29 July 2019, Southern Cross Austereo declared that Gold Coast’s Sea FM would transition to Hit90.9, bringing all remaining Sea-branded stations under a single Hit brand umbrella. Nonetheless, in August 2021, Hit90.9 reverted back to using the Sea FM name.
Programming
The network primarily appeals to listeners under forty years old by focusing on Top 40 hits and contemporary popular music. Most Sea FM stations provide locally produced breakfast and daytime shows in addition to a range of syndicated network programs.
Queensland
- 4SEE 91.9 MHz serving Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast region (owned and managed by EON Broadcasting)
Tasmania
- 7DDD 107.7 FM – broadcasting in Devonport, Tasmania (under ownership of ARN)
- 7SEA 101.7 FM – located in Burnie, Tasmania (part of the ARN portfolio)
New South Wales
- 2CFM 101.3 MHz serving Gosford and the Central Coast area (operated and owned by Southern Cross Austereo)
Queensland
- 4SEA 90.9 MHz covering the Gold Coast (currently known as 90.9 Sea FM)
- 4RGC 99.5 MHz based in Cairns (rebranded to Triple M Cairns)
- 4CEE 101.9 MHz broadcasting to Maryborough (now operating as hit101.9 Fraser Coast)
- 4RGK 101.5 MHz in Rockhampton and 95.1 MHz in Gladstone (presently Triple M Central Queensland)
- 4RGM 98.7 MHz located in Mackay (currently known as Triple M Mackay & The Whitsundays)
- 4RGD 100.7 MHz serving Toowoomba, which shifted from Sea FM to Hot FM in 2013 before adopting the Hit South Queensland brand in 2016
- 4RGR 100.7 MHz based in Townsville, now owned by ARN, transitioned to Zinc following acquisition by Prime in 2009, then rebranded as Power100 in 2016
- 4RGB 93.1 MHz broadcasting in Bundaberg, now operating under Triple M Bundaberg
Tasmania
- 7TTT 100.9 MHz located in Hobart, Tasmania, currently branded as hit100.9 Hobart
Victoria
- 3SEA transmitting on 94.3 MHz and 97.9 MHz across Gippsland (previously Star FM, now part of the hit94.3 MHz and 97.9 Gippsland)