1. Moreton Bay Radio FM 101.5MHz
- 101.5FM is a community radio station, which based in Moreton Bay. It is transmitted from Caboolture Local Council Buildings. I highly recommend this radio station because it plays more variety of music, which is far away better than Malaysia based Mix FM (in terms of music selection and repetitive). For your information, 101.5FM covers Moreton Bay, Caboolture, Bald Knob, Sunshine Coast and North Brisbane. From my listening experience, 101.5FM is receivable in North Brisbane, but reception goes worse when enter Brisbane City, meanwhile 101.5FM started suffering co-channel interference when enters Logan City (where is Southern Brisbane, on the way going to Gold Coast). 101.5FM plays more music from 1970s till now, even it has specialized music programme on weekend. If you travel from Brisbane to Sunshine Coast frequently, 101.5FM is the best choice.
2. River FM 94.9MHz
- A radio station based in Ipswich, known as River FM 94.9MHz. This radio station is also almost same music content with Moreton Bay 101.5FM, the difference are just only the service area, and music selection. River FM 94.9MHz plays music from late 1980s till today, another recommended radio station in Brisbane after 101.5FM. In addition, River FM 94.9MHz is transmitted from Ipswich, but due to high effective radiated power, this radio station can be heard in many areas outside Ipswich such as Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Beaudesert, Logan, Harbour Town, Springwood, Caboolture and Brisbane. Due to the coverage, River 94.9FM gains more advertising revenue. If you travel from Brisbane to Gold Coast frequently, but wants more variety music in the car, River 94.9FM is the best choice.
3. The Breeze
- If you want to listening to nostalgic, easy listening and relaxing music, as well something "light and easy", but don't want mix with hot contemporary music. The Breeze maybe suitable to your listening taste, this radio station plays the songs from 1960s till 1990s, but it also features some latest and 2000s easy listening music. Although The Breeze is based in Gold Coast region on FM 100.6MHz from Mount Tamborine, but you still can listen to The Breeze via Logan/Beaudesert frequency on FM 92.1MHz which transmitted from Mount Dunsinane. Because The Breeze FM 92.1MHz is not transmitted in Brisbane (Mount Coot-Tha), so the reception of The Breeze FM 92.1MHz may not be clear in Brisbane, especially when you listen in the city. In my opinion, due to its music selection by emphasizing classic hits and easy listening, The Breeze is better than Malaysia based Lite FM because Lite FM repeats same music over again, somewhat Lite FM plays new songs where already exists on its sister radio stations Mix and Hitz.
4. Rebel FM
- If you want to listen to "The Rock", Rebel FM can become your choice. Rebel FM is sister radio station to The Breeze. Same as The Breeze, it is based in Gold Coast on FM 99.4MHz from Mount Tamborine. If you want to listen to Rebel FM in Brisbane, you still can tune to FM 90.5MHz from Mount Dunsinane where covers Beaudesert and Logan, but reception may not be clear enough. Rebel FM is likely the competitor of Triple M 104.5.
5. ABC Classic FM
- For people who like classical, opera and symphony, ABC Classic FM is the recommended stations. In Brisbane, its frequency is on FM 106.1MHz from Mount Coot-Tha. Meanwhile in Malaysia, Astro Radio has Opus, but it is only available on Syok app, and Astro DVR player.
6. 4ZZZ FM 102.1MHz
- Brisbane version of Malaysia BFM 89.9.
- If you want to listen something serious such as current affairs, politic and other talks, but you want a radio station other than ABC News Radio AM936kHz and ABC Brisbane AM612kHz, 4ZZZ FM 102.1MHz is the choice. This radio station is transmitted from Mount Coot-Tha, it does not only serve Brisbane metropolitan areas, but 4ZZZ 102.1FM also can be received in Gold Coast, Logan, Beaudesert, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and part of Sunshine Coast/Toowoomba.
Other than these six recommended Brisbane radio stations that I list out, there are some radio stations that I would like to introduce.
- If you're not English speaking listeners, but you want listening to expat radio stations, 4EB FM 98.1MHz and SBS Radio FM 93.3MHz are the recommended radio stations.
- For Chinese community wants to listen to Brisbane Chinese radio station, you need radio receiver with AM band from 531kHz to 1710kHz, so you will be able to tune to VAC Radio on 1656kHz.
- If you want to listen something hot, I would recommend Nova FM 106.9, ABC Triple J FM 107.7MHz, 97.3FM, Hit 105.3.
In conclusion, if I choose to compare Brisbane radio stations with Malaysia music radio stations, seriously Brisbane radio stations (regardless outbound areas of Brisbane or within Brisbane), the content of Brisbane radio stations such as 101.5FM, River 94.9FM, The Breeze are far way better than Malaysia based radio stations such as Mix, Lite, Hitz and Fly FM.
The term "MIX" means different things are gathered in one place, it is also making something variety, Malaysia based radio station Mix FM seems unbalanced nowadays, it gradually phased out most of 1980s and 1990s hot pop music (but most of 1990s pop are not available on Lite FM), but Mix FM plays more music which are stick to Hitz FM or something like Triple J or Hit 105.3. Seriously 101.5FM and River 94.9FM have better "MIX" than Malaysia based Mix FM, in terms of the term "MIX".
Although I don't really listen to hot radio stations such as Triple J, Hit 105.3 and Nova 106.9, but three of them are better than Malaysia based Hitz and Fly FM, in terms of music selection and content.
When I'm in Brisbane, I usually listen to 101.5FM Moreton Bay radio station because its music selection is ultra variety, meanwhile River 94.9FM Ipswich radio station reminds me Malaysia defunct Red FM 104.9MHz, back to 2009 till 2011, Red FM 104.9MHz was also same as River 94.9FM by playing variety music from different decades, both of them are mix music station.
Fortunately, if you would like to listen to these recommended radio stations outside of Brisbane, even Australia, you can listen to them via TuneIn app or online streaming. The technology is advance nowadays, you can listen to internet radio station in the car by connecting AUX (most basic technology), Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (most advanced technology).
