4GG Gold Coast: The Showbiz Radio Station of Australia

Radio station 4GG’s thrilling ride to success

By Andrew Potts
Gold Coast Sun – Central
January 2014

It has been more than 46 years since the Gold Coast tuned in to its first radio station but strong memories of 4GG remain.

The station was founded by former Gold Coast Bulletin owner John Rootes and went to air for the first time on the evening of September 30, 1967, with an initial staff of 16.

Future television news reader and weatherman Frank Warrick was the first voice heard on the AM band when he announced ‘Good evening and welcome to 4GG’.

From that moment, radio on the Gold Coast would change forever.

Future station managing director Barry Ferber was the second voice broadcast to the Coast’s then 70,000 population, which soon became hooked on the novelty, as well as its famed bumper stickers and Gold Coast shirts.

Radio 4GG Gold Coast jingles from the 60’s on YouTube

In the early 1970s, 4GG became known as ‘the showbiz radio station of Australia’ because of its growing list of high-profile international celebrities appearing on the airwaves.

Station guests during the early years included stars such as Tom Jones, Liberace, Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller and Robert Goulet.

Comedy legend Graham Kennedy hosted a show on 4GG during the late 1970s during his work on Blankety Blanks with ‘ugly’ Dave Gray, which was syndicated across Queensland.

Then-Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser also hosted a one-off program at the end of the 1970s while sitting with his speechwriter and future radio star Alan Jones.

4GG remained on the air until March 1989 when it became 4GGG after moving to the FM band because of the creation of Sea FM.

It was rebranded K-rock in 1990 by then-owners Hoyts Media and moved from its long-time Bundall Road site to Surfers Paradise.

In 1992, Sea FM’s owners bought the station and it became Gold FM.

4GG’s staff reunited to celebrate the station’s 40th anniversary in 2007 and 45th anniversary in 2012.