Star 106.3 is a commercial FM station in Townsville, Queensland, playing today's best music in a hot adult contemporary format, and you can stream it free on Radio Shuffle. It brings you weekday shows from the breakfast slot through to drive time, Friday and Saturday party programming, and local news for North Queensland.
What You Will Hear
According to the station's own site, star1063.com.au, the line-up starts with Adam and Donny on weekday mornings, followed by 20 Songs in a Row, Dannii and The Midday Mix, Jade in the early afternoon and Will and Woody on weekday drive. At weekends there is Star's House Party on Friday and Saturday nights and the iHeart Countdown on Saturdays. The station stresses local content, community events and local business support, with features such as Look Local Townsville and Shop Local.
From Mix FM to Star
The station's past is a tour of Australian regional radio. Wikipedia records that it launched in 1999 as Mix FM under RG Capital, the company headed by Reg Grundy. It was sold to Macquarie Regional RadioWorks in 2003 and to Prime Media Group in 2005, was rebranded "106.3" in 2007 and "106.3FM" in 2009, and passed to Grant Broadcasters in 2013 when Prime sold its radio division. In May 2016 it became Star 106.3 to match its sister stations in Mackay and Cairns, and in early 2022 it joined the Australian Radio Network, with access to the iHeartRadio platform, while keeping its local identity. Its sister station in Townsville is Power100.
A City Built for Summer Sounds
Townsville is a tropical city where life is lived outdoors. Local tourism site Townsville North Queensland promotes the city as a base for Magnetic Island, a short ferry ride away, and the Strand, a beachfront promenade with swimming beaches, bars and restaurants, hosts regular night markets. The North Australian Festival of Arts also runs from late September into early October. That is the environment for a hit-driven station: a soundtrack for the beach, the drive home and the weekend.
Listen From Anywhere
You do not need to live in North Queensland to enjoy it. Radio Shuffle opens the stream instantly with no account, lets you identify songs you like and saves the station for later.
Press Play
Star 106.3 has changed hands and names over the years, but it has stayed the sound of Townsville pop. Load it up on Radio Shuffle and enjoy a slice of tropical Australia.