Zinc 927 - History

History

In the 1990s 4CC was a top 40 youth-orientated station "Hot Hit's 4CC" playing mainly 80's and 90's pop music to counter-act the 'classic hits' demographic 4RO existed for. At the time, 4RO and 4CC were the only commercial stations broadcasting in the Rockhampton/Gladstone market. Most of 4CC's programs were live and locally produced.

When DMG Regional Radio purchased 4CC in 1998, and were successful applicants of an FM license, 4CC's slogan became "The Best Songs Of All Time", and had an identical classic hits format and imaging to its sister stations 4HI Emerald, 4ZR Roma, 4LM Mount Isa, 4GC Charters Towers, 4MK FM Mackay, 4CA FM Cairns, 4AM Mareeba and 4TO FM Townsville.

This move preceded DMG's launch of Hot FM in 2000.

4CC's local programs dwindled down to just one breakfast show, with all other programming syndicated out of the Townsville hub.

This format remained the same until 2004 when DMG Regional Radio merged with RG Capital to become Macquarie Regional Radioworks, and as a result there were some program changes.

The overnight Gold Coast produced programs that had originally aired on 4RO such as The Nitemix, Nelly at Night (later to become Talking Back The Night), the Partymix and Sunday Night At The Groovies were all transferred over to 4CC, which enabled 4RO to begin taking talkback programs out of Sydney.

In 2005 Maqcuarie Southern Cross Media acquired DMG Radio; however, due to conditions placed upon the takeover, Maqcuarie Southern Cross Media had to sell several stations to other parties. Many of them, including 4CC, was sold to Prime.

In 2008, the station trialled a local afternoon show but was eventually replaced with the networked "Jonathan Coleman Experience".

In April 2009, the station ceased broadcasting under the 4CC callsign, though it remains its legal calls. Prime decided to rename the station Zinc 927 and revamp the format for it to become a rock station, based on their Sunshine Coast station Zinc 96.

A similar change took place up the east coast of Queensland for various other Prime stations. 4CA FM Cairns, Sea FM Towsville 4MK FM Mackay all became Zinc. 4CA and 4MK retained their callsigns by taking over the AM Easymix stations in Cairns and Mackay and becoming more talkback-focused similar to what 4RO in Rockhampton had already become.