OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/
612 ABC Brisbane (callsign: 4QR) is an ABC Local Radio station in Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of the largest stations in the network, serving as a base for Queensland programming - many programs are broadcast across the ABC Local Radio network in regional and rural areas of Queensland when those stations are not carrying local programming.
The 2010 on-air team includes former member of the anarchic 1980s/90s comedy trio Doug Anthony All Stars Richard Fidler, former professional footballer Warren Boland, Steve Austin, Kelly Higgins-Devine, Courier-Mail columnist Madonna King and Spencer Howson. Past presenters have included Peter Dick, Rod Henshaw, Andrew Carroll and Susan Mitchell.
History
Main article: History of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Radio broadcasting began in Brisbane in 1925 when the Government of Queensland commenced its own broadcasting operations with the callsign 4QG - 4 denoted the state of Queensland; QG stood for Queensland Government. 4QG became a part of the ABC's radio network at its inception in 1932.
The ABC started a second Brisbane station on January 7, 1938 using the callsign 4QR - the new station carried national programming while 4QG aired mainly local content. 4QG is now part of the ABC's Radio National network - as such it now has the callsign 4RN, in common with all other Radio National services in Queensland.
Until December 2006, 612 ABC Brisbane's studios were located on Coronation Drive in the Brisbane inner-city suburb of Toowong (a location severely damaged by water in the 1974 Brisbane floods).
A number of breast cancer cases at the ABC's Toowong studios led to the permanent evacuation of the entire site in December, 2006. 350 staff, from ABC television, radio and online, were relocated. The station broadcast from the ABC's Gold Coast studios during the relocation period.
In September 2006, 612 ABC Brisbane was "host radio broadcaster" for naturalist Steve Irwin's memorial service at Australia Zoo, Beerwah. Breakfast announcers Spencer Howson (from 612 ABC Brisbane) and John Stokes (from the ABC's Sunshine Coast station Coast FM) were chosen to host the broadcast, made available to radio stations around the world.
Programmes
All programmes are produced for a local or statewide audience unless marked National. All times are in Australian Eastern Standard time (UTC+10). Queensland does not observe daylight saving.