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1197 AM Switch Brisbane (call sign: 4BI) is a community broadcast radio station operated by Brisbane Interactive Radio Group Inc., which is a community-based not-for-profit youth organisation based in Brisbane Queensland, Australia. The station also simulcasts its programming output on DAB+ Digital Radio.

History

Brisbane Interactive Radio Group Inc. (BIRGI) was founded in 1998 by Matthew Boyd, Tim Casey,Andrew Stephens, Steven Mcveigh, Jon Mustchin and Cass Myles, and was granted a series of temporary radio broadcasting licences, allowing shared transmissions with other aspirant broadcasters on 97.3 MHz In 1999 through 2001,then in 2001 the 97.3 MHz frequency was auctioned to the Australian Radio Network.

In 2002, the Australian Broadcasting Authority granted a high-powered FM community licence to Christian broadcaster 96five Family FM on 96.5 MHz, and a high-powered AM community licence to BIRGI on 1197 kHz. BIRGI commenced test transmissions in late 2002 and began full-time broadcasting at 8 am on 7 April 2003, identifying as i-1197. From this period until January 2005, the station broadcast an uninhibited range of music genres and programming, with a slight focus on Top 40 music.

In January 2005, the station was re-branded to the programming format based upon its predecessor, Switch FM, focusing on playing a more Rhythmic format, along with adopting the brand name of Switch 1197. In April 2013, the station celebrated its 10th consecutive broadcasting year on the AM band, by airing daily compiles of material collected both on and off-air over that decade-long period.

In 2017, the station re-branded as Brisbane Youth Radio, with a new callsign of 4YB. In 2019, the station was re-branded once again from Brisbane Youth Radio to 1197 AM.

In 2020, Founding Member Matthew Boyd rescued the station from the brink of collapse after years of poor management, taking its 64,000 listeners up to 203,000 based on McNair Yellow Squares Survey Wave 1 2024

Audio streaming

In 2004, the station was the first radio station in Australia to stream with aacPlus technology and it continues to provide both near CD quality (64 kbit/s) and Mobile (32 kbit/s) compatible streams, as well as a 128k MP3 stream.

In 2007, the station was added to the Internode Broadband Radio Streams that are provided by Australian ISP Internode.

Programming

The stations general weekday daytime programming contains a Better music, Better mixes, with announcers presenting entertaining and informative pieces. Various information segments are also aired, most with a specific focus on Our new Group of announcers some as young as 10 years old (e.g. Local Events, Community Services and News among others).

The stations night-time and weekend programming focuses on more specialist program material including Local Music, Alternative, Totally 90s, as well as specialist talk and information programming.

See also

• List of radio stations in Australia

References

1. "BRISBANE RA1" (PDF). Australian Communications and Media Authority.
2. "New community radio licence for Brisbane". Archived from the original on 20 September 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
3. "Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (Internet Edition, January 2020)" (PDF). Australian Communications and Media Authority. p. 10. Retrieved 1 July 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Switch Brisbane Facebook

• Radio stations in Brisbane
• Community radio stations in Australia
• Radio stations established in 2003