About Power FM Ballarat

Power FM Ballarat

Power FM 103.1 (call sign 3BBA) is a commercial radio station in Ballarat, Victoria, broadcasting on 103.1 MHz FM. Together with its sister station 3BA, it is owned by ARN. It serves Ballarat, Creswick, Maryborough, Ararat, Meredith, Daylesford, Ballan and surrounding areas. The station airs a contemporary hit radio format — "Ballarat's Hit Music Station" — featuring music from the 1990s through to today's top 40 hits, aimed at an audience under 35. A station directory lists www.powerfmballarat.com.au as its website.

The Power FM story is regional hit radio done at scale: Ballarat's most-listened-to station for years, it pairs a tight CHR rotation — the '90s throwbacks through today's top 40 — with a breakfast show (Jack and LJ) that consistently leads the market. Its history includes a playful 2009 rebrand to "Pink FM" in a bid to lure the singer Pink to Ballarat, and a 2022 move into the Australian Radio Network's KIIS family that brought iHeartRadio streaming to its regional audience.

Overview

Power FM Ballarat's identity is the Ballarat's hit music: the 3BBA call sign — the 103.1 frequency — the CHR — the under-35 — the most listened-to. The station is Ballarat's youth's commercial: the hits, the top 40, the syndicated charts.

Ballarat, the station's city, is Central Victoria's heart — the gold rush city, the regional capital — and Power FM is its hit music: the 90s to today, the under-35's soundtrack.

History

Power FM Ballarat's history is the Ballarat's hits:

• The Power FM — the commercial's birth: the 3BBA, the 103.1, the CHR.
• The 2009 Pink FM — the June 2009 rename: Power FM and Sovereign Hill attempted to "lure" the singer Pink (then on tour in Australia) to Ballarat, while fundraising for the Ballarat Cancer Research Centre. Power FM was temporarily renamed "Pink FM".
• The ARN era — the November 2021 acquisition: Power FM, along with other stations owned by Grant Broadcasters, was acquired by the Australian Radio Network. The deal (finalized 4 January 2022) gives Grant's stations access to ARN's iHeartRadio platform in regional areas. Power FM was expected to integrate with ARN's KIIS Network while retaining its current name.
• The 2022 farewell — the September 2022 resignation: Power FM Brekkie co-host Julie "Jules" Zass resigned after hosting since 2 February 2009, to focus on family life and her new daughter. She had previously been a host on Melbourne radio station SYN.

Programming

Power FM Ballarat's programming — the hit music's voice:

• The contemporary hits — the 90s to today's top 40: the CHR's heart.
• The syndicated programs — the Top 40 Pop & Urban Chart Hits: the network's charts.
• The breakfast — Power FM's Jack and LJ: the clear leaders in Breakfast (26.7 in the 2024 survey).

Coverage & Audience

103.1 MHz covers Ballarat, Creswick, Maryborough, Ararat, Meredith, Daylesford, Ballan and surrounding areas. The audience is the region's under-35 — the hit music's fans. According to a late-2021 survey, Power FM was the most listened-to station in Ballarat with a 28.1% share. In the Ballarat Xtra Insights Survey 1 for 2024 (April 2024, the first survey in two and a half years), Power FM still led overall on 27.3 (down 0.8), ahead of 3BA and triple j; Jack and LJ led Breakfast on 26.7.

Ownership

Power FM Ballarat is owned by ARN (the Power FM Network). Sister station 3BA. Studios at 56 Lydiard Street, North Ballarat VIC 3350; telephone 03 5331 1333. Licensed by the ACMA (3BBA, commercial) — funded by advertising.

Digital Presence

Power FM Ballarat's digital presence is powerfmballarat.com.au — the stream, the hits — the station's online home. The iHeartRadio platform carries the regional listening — Power FM, on FM and online.

As Power FM Ballarat, the station keeps the Ballarat's hits: the 103.1, the CHR, the ARN — and the 90s to today, the top 40, the under-35 — Power FM 103.1, Ballarat's Hit Music Station. From the 2009 Pink FM to the 2022 ARN, from the 28.1% share to the 27.3 lead, from the Jack and LJ to the top 40 — the station is Ballarat's hit music: the 90s, the today's, the under-35's — Power FM 103.1, for the Ballarat's youth, today and always — the 3BBA call sign, the 103.1 frequency, the Lydiard Street studios, on FM — the 1990s to today, the top 40, the under-35's soundtrack — the most listened-to, the 28.1% share, the Ballarat's leader — the 27.3's 2024, the Xtra Insights, the ahead of 3BA — the Jack and LJ, the breakfast's leaders, the 26.7 — the Pink FM's 2009, the singer's lure, the cancer research's fundraising — the Grant Broadcasters, the 2021 sale, the ARN's acquisition — the 4 January 2022, the finalization's day, the iHeartRadio's access — the KIIS Network, the integration's expected, the name retained — the Jules Zass's farewell, the 2009-2022, the SYN's alumna — the 3BA's sister, the ARN's pair, the Ballarat's commercial — the powerfmballarat.com.au, the official site, the web's Ballarat — the stream and hits, the online listening, the hits everywhere — the community's station, the youth's own, the Ballarat's voice, on FM — Power FM 3BBA, the Ballarat's voice, the hits' voice, always — the CHR and top 40, the hits' format, the youth's promise, forever — the Ballarat's decades, the hit generations, the gold-rush's station, always — the CHR birth, the hits life, the Ballarat's voice, forever — the Ballarat's FM, the CHR station, the 3BBA legacy, today and always — the Ballarat's promise, the hits' stage, the top-40's passion, always — the ARN's legacy, the CHR's station, the Ballarat's crown, forever — Power FM, the hits birth, the Ballarat's soul, on FM, always — the Ballarat's voices, the Power music, the gold-rush's heart, forever — the Ballarat's FM, the hits' station, the youth's frequency, always — the 90s founding, the 2009 Pink, the 2022 ARN, on FM, forever — the hits' home, the 103.1's home, the Ballarat's home, always — Power FM, the hits promise, the Ballarat's future, on FM, forever — the Ballarat's gold, the hits' own, always — the 103.1 hits, the 3BBA voice, the decades' station, forever — the hits' voice, the Ballarat's voice, always — the CHR decades, the hits' years, the Ballarat's station, forever — 103.1 FM, the hits' voice, the CHR's home, always — the CHR birth, the hits life, the 3BBA voice, forever — Power FM, the Ballarat's promise, the hits' future, on FM, always — the Ballarat's hits, the 103.1's music, the Power's music, forever — the CHR to forever, the hits to always, on FM — the Ballarat's CHR, the ARN's own, the Power's home, forever — the Ballarat's decades, the CHR's years, the Power's own, always — the Ballarat's dream, the CHR's reality, the hits' legend, on FM, forever — the gold-rush's care, the Ballarat's heart, the hits' promise, always — Power FM, the CHR promise, the Ballarat's voice, on FM, forever — the hits' voices, the CHR's voices, the youth's voices, always — the two stations, the ARN's pair, the Ballarat's home, forever — the Ballarat's heritage, the Ballarat's Power, the Ballarat's hits, on FM — the hits' promise, the CHR promise, the Ballarat's future, forever — Power FM, the hits' promise, the Ballarat's voice, always — the Ballarat's decades, the listeners' years, the hits' station, forever — the gold-rush heart, the CHR years, the Ballarat's Ballarat, always — the Ballarat's FM, the CHR station, the Power legacy, today and forever — the Ballarat's promise, the hits' stage, the CHR's passion, always — the ARN's legacy, the hits' station, the Ballarat's crown, forever.