Adelaide: 5SSA

Adelaide’s first commercial FM radio station, 5SSA, launched in September 1980.  The station was originally branded Double SA-FM and broadcast on the frequency 107.5 MHz.

After a couple of years the station trimmed its on-air branding to SAFM – a moniker it continues to use to this day – and moved slightly up the dial to 107.1 MHz.  A translator station was established in the Adelaide Foothills district on 91.1 MHz – it has since moved to 90.3 MHz.

The logo above served the station in various forms through much of the ‘80s right through to the mid-2000s.

5SSA was the founding station in what has become the Austereo radio network.  The network first expanded outside of Adelaide later in the 1980s with the purchase of Melbourne’s 3FOX and Sydney’s 2DAY.  It also bought Brisbane AM radio station 4BK and successfully converted it to the FM band – as B105 (call-sign: 4BBB) – in 1990.    Austereo also owns radio stations in Perth (including Mix 94.5) and has interests in radio stations in Newcastle and Canberra.

The Austereo network now also incorporates the national Triple M network which also has a presence in Adelaide with 5MMM.

Website: SAFM

Brisbane: 4BBB

Radio station 4BK was Brisbane’s second commercial station when it launched in September 1930. The station originally broadcast on the frequency 1290 kHz and moved up the dial slightly to 1300 kHz, before moving back to 1296 kHz in 1978.

By the late ‘80s, 4BK had been bought by the Austereo network with the hope of successfully bidding for a licence to convert to the FM band. Up until then the only commercial FM station in the Brisbane market was 4MMM which started back in 1980.

Austereo was successful in gaining a licence to convert 4BK to FM and on 26 February 1990, B105 (call-sign: 4BBB) was born on the frequency 105.3 MHz.

This logo would represent B105 for over a decade:

Within two ratings survey periods of its launch, B105 had taken the old 4BK from a modest rating to be ranked Number One and B105 would continue to top the Brisbane radio ratings until 2004.

In the most recent radio ratings survey for Brisbane, B105 regained the Number One position.

4BBB and 4MMM are both owned by the Austereo network.

Website: B105