hit104.7 (call sign: 2ROC) is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, on a frequency of 104.7 MHz, and is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network.

hit104.7
Broadcast areaCanberra RA1 ([1])
Frequency
Brandinghit104.7
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatTop 40 (CHR)
AffiliationsHit Network
Ownership
Owner
Mix 106.3
History
First air date
27 February 1988 (1988-02-27)[1]
Technical information
ERP20,000 watts
HAAT332 m[2]
Transmitter coordinates
35°16′32″S 149°5′52″E / 35.27556°S 149.09778°E / -35.27556; 149.09778
Repeater(s)FM: 100.7 MHz Tuggeranong
Links
WebsiteOfficial website

hit104.7 and sister station MIX 106.3 broadcast from Crace in the Australian Capital Territory.

History

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In 1987, Canberra radio station 2CA was awarded the licence to operate a supplementary FM service. The station was assigned the call-sign 2ROC and on-air branding FM104 (later changed to FM104.7). It commenced broadcasting on 27 February 1988 at 8 am on the frequency 104.7 MHz FM.[3] FM104, along with rival KIX106, were the first new commercial FM radio stations to be licensed in Australia in eight years and were the first supplementary FM licences in Australia. Just a day before the station's launch, on Friday 26 February 1988, then-owner of 2CA, John Fairfax Ltd announced it had sold Macquarie Radio Network to a Queensland-based consortium, Sonance Ltd for an undisclosed sum believed to be in the region of $100 million.[3]

By April 1988, 2CA and FM104.7 were sold to Austereo from Sonance Ltd for $15.25 million.[4][5] In June the results of the first survey since the introduction of the new FM stations gave FM104.7 9.5% of the radio audience with its rock music format, behind its sister station 2CA, with 11.6% of the radio audience with its news-talk format. Station manager of Macquarie Canberra, Greg St John, said the recent sale to Austereo had left the stations in 'financial limbo' and unable to package their product during the ratings period earlier in the year.[6]

In the mid-1990s, due to AM radio's dwindling audience and the increasing popularity of the music based FM stations Austereo - owner of 104.7 & 2CA and ARN - owner of Mix 106.3 & 2CC, merged to form a joint venture ownership of both FM stations - Canberra FM Pty Ltd.[7][8] The AM stations were sold off, moved to other premises and are currently owned by Capital Radio Network and Grant Broadcasters.

In December 2015, Southern Cross Austereo and Australian Radio Network announced that FM104.7 would rebrand to hit104.7 in 2016.[9]

On Monday 18 January 2016, hit104.7 launched with a new breakfast show, Ryan & Tanya, as the station joined the Hit Network. As well as a new name and branding it gives the station even greater access to the network's on-air, online and social content.[10] From 4 December 2017 until 27 October 2023,[11] the hit104.7 breakfast show was hosted by Ned & Josh,[12][13] after Ryan & Tanya left the station and Canberra in November 2017.[14]

On 14 April 2021, it was revealed that the station lost to Mix 106.3 in the Canberra radio ratings.[15]

On 30 October 2023, Ned & Josh's show was reportedly axed by hit104.7.[16][17] Former Mix 106.3 drive hosts, Wilko and Courts joined the station in 2024, after a two-year absence from Canberra radio, replacing Ned & Josh.[18] Wilko and Courts debuted on hit104.7 on 8 January 2024.[18][19]

Skyfire

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Since its debut in 1989, the station sponsors the annual Skyfire event, broadcast from Regatta Point and Lake Burley Griffin.[20] For the 2024 event, its sister station Mix 106.3 also sponsored Skyfire.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Commercial Radio Broadcasting Licences" (PDF). Australian Communications and Media Authority. 6 January 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  2. ^ HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.
  3. ^ a b "Qld consortium buys Macquarie". The Canberra Times. Vol. 62, no. 19, 137. Australian Capital Territory. 27 February 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 23 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ Whitfield, Kathryn (25 April 1988). "Turn on, tune in and win". The Canberra Times. Vol. 62, no. 19, 194. Australian Capital Territory. p. 30. Retrieved 22 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ Neales, Sue (9 June 1988). "MACQUARIE LOOKS TO LISTING FOR EXPANSION". The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ Whitfield, Kathryn (6 June 1988). "2CC races clear of its stablemate". The Canberra Times. Vol. 62, no. 19, 236. Australian Capital Territory. p. 28. Retrieved 24 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Jones, Megan (20 March 1997). "Canberra FM shake-up". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. p. 3. ISSN 0312-6307. Retrieved 22 October 2020 – via Newsbank.
  8. ^ Mathieson, Clive (20 March 1997). "Cuts force operators to pool Canberra FM stations". The Australian. p. 21. Retrieved 22 October 2020 – via Factiva.
  9. ^ Staff writers (15 December 2015). "Canberra's Hit104.7 Arrives". Radio Today. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  10. ^ "New year, new show, new radio station". RadioInfo Australia. 15 January 2016.
  11. ^ Wilson, Zanda (4 December 2017). "Hear Ned & Josh's first break on Hit 104.7 Canberra". Radio Today. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  12. ^ "WA's 'Ned & Josh' head to Canberra". RadioInfo Australia. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  13. ^ Price, Jack (14 November 2017). "Ned and Josh take over breakfast radio slot at Hit 104.7 in Canberra". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  14. ^ Doherty, Megan (30 October 2017). "HIT104.7's Ryan and Tanya to leave Canberra - their last show is on Friday". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory: Fairfax Media. ProQuest 1958822623. Retrieved 30 October 2023. Hit104.7's breakfast team Ryan and Tanya are leaving Canberra, with their last show on Friday.
  15. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (14 April 2021). "Hit 104.7 takes significant hit and tumbles from top spot in Canberra's radio ratings". Radio Today. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Ned and Josh depart Hit 104.7". RadioInfo Australia. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  17. ^ Pryor, Sally (30 October 2023). "Canberra radio hosts Ned & Josh's breakfast show axed from FM 104.7". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory: Australian Community Media. ProQuest 2883718118. Retrieved 3 November 2023. AmplifyCBR management acknowledges and thanks Ned and Josh for the role that they have played in the Canberra community over their time, and sincerely wish them well for continued success in their future endeavours. An announcement regarding the new local show line-up for Hit 104.7, commencing in January 2024, will be made this week.
  18. ^ a b Waymouth, Lizzie (1 November 2023). "Wilko and Courts to take over from Ned and Josh in Hit 104.7 breakfast slot". Riotact. Region Group. Retrieved 3 November 2023. After a two-year absence from the Canberra airwaves, Neil 'Wilko' Wilcock and Courtenay 'Courts' Kneen will begin their new show on Monday, 8 January 2024.
  19. ^ Doherty, Megan (18 January 2024). "New Hit 104.7 breakfast hosts Wilko and Courts are back on air and loving it". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory: Australian Community Media. ProQuest 2915657241. Retrieved 16 March 2024. After being off air for two years doing other things, the pair returned to the airwaves on January 8, hosting breakfast on Hit 104.7.
  20. ^ "The festival is in full swing". The Canberra Times. Vol. 63, no. 19, 519. Australian Capital Territory. 18 March 1989. p. 5. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia. The FM104.7 contribution to the Canberra Festival, Skyfire 1, will explode over Kings Park tonight.
  21. ^ Doherty, Megan (12 March 2024). "Skyfire is back and ready to light up the Canberra night after five years". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory: Australian Community Media. ProQuest 2955406896. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
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