4MBS Classic FM is an Australian

community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial broadcasting, commercial and public broadcasting. Community broadcasting, Community stations serve geographic communities and communities o ...

station which broadcasts classical music from

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

at a frequency of 103.7 MHz, as well as on

digital radio Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services. This should not be confused with In ...

and

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...

Operations

Its operations are conducted by about 300 volunteers and a small number of paid staff. Operational funding is principally derived from commercial sponsorship, listener subscriptions, a ticketing service, occasional sales of second-hand LPs, and an annual classical music festival. 4MBS Classic FM has a loose affiliation with a number of similar independently owned and operated stations in other parts of Australia, including

2MBS 2MBS Fine Music Sydney (ACMA callsign: 2MBS) is a Sydney music radio station operated by the Music Broadcasting Society of New South Wales Co-Operative Limited. Launched on 15 December 1974, it is Australia's first fully licensed FM radio stat ...

Sydney,

3MBS 3MBS is an FM radio station in Victoria, Australia, and began transmitting to Melbourne and surrounding areas on 1 July 1975. Since then it has operated successfully as a non-profit community-based organisation broadcasting classical and jazz mus ...

Melbourne, 5MBS Adelaide and

ArtSound FM ArtSound FM (callsign 1ART) is a community radio station broadcasting to Canberra from studios in the suburb of Manuka. Its format is fine music and arts programming. ArtSound was established in the early 1980s under the name Canberra Stereo ...

Canberra.

History

The station first went to air on 1 March 1979 at 10.30am from a small area rented from the

Queensland University of Technology The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public university, public research university located in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. It has two major campuses, a modern city campus in Gardens Point, Brisbane, Gardens Point ...

's Kelvin Grove campus with Handel's '' Ode for St. Cecilia's Day''. In 1994 it was moved to a large house in the suburb of Coorparoo. In later years, a 70-seat performance studio was built next to the house. The transmitter is located on Mount Coot-tha. In the early 1990s it became home to Australia's only archive of original recordings by women composers, donated by the International League of Women Composers in New York.

Key programs

4MBS broadcasts a weekly program titled ''Music Lover's Choice'' with announcer Howard Ainsworth, which previously aired since 1967 on the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

."The 4MBS Classical Music Presenters"
, 4MBS In addition to its FM program of classical music, 4MBS broadcasts since May 2011 on the digital spectrum as MBS Light a selection of lighter classics, crossover music, musical theatre, jazz, and similar. The Silver Memory Service broadcasts to custom designed receivers a program of music from the thirties and forties and music from screen and stage.

4MBS Festival of Classics

Since 1994, the station has staged the annual 4MBS Festival of Classics, which consists of concerts and other classical music related events that take place around Brisbane, featuring predominantly local artists. It is now Australia's largest classical music festival.

Awards

In 2004, 4MBS Classic FM was named Radio Station of the Year by the

Community Broadcasting Association of Australia The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) is the peak body and the national representative organisation for community radio and television stations in Australia. The CBAA provide leadership, advocacy and support for members to ac ...

References

External links

* {{Brisbane FM Radio stations in Brisbane Community radio stations in Australia Radio stations established in 1977 Classical music radio stations in Australia Digital radio in Australia Internet radio stations in Australia