RA Aircheck – 4SB 1963 Tony MacArthur

Historical journey to the South Burnett region and the Station now known as 1071 AM and part of the Macquarie Network and my apologies as I left this off

This guy went on to be part of the “Geoff, Tony and Bob” phenomenon at 4BC” and from the Radio Facebook page thanks to P.S. ” That name rings a bell. Wasn’t he the Tony of the “Geoff, Tony and Bob” team at 4BC in the sixties? 
Also wasn’t the (Alberts co-owned) 4SB mostly on relay from 4BC at the time? 
Maybe this program came from a studio at 4BC – just like 4AK’s Breakfast& late Afternoons (we’d call it Drive now) came from Studio 5 – “the 4AK Studio” at 4BK at the time.
The Geoff was Geoff Atkinson, and the Bob was originally Bob Smith (I think) and later Bob Wills (Wilks).
They weren’t a “team” in today’s sense – as in The Morning Team. They each did their own show, Geoff in Breakfast, Tony in Mornings and Bob in “Drive” (midday to 4 on 4BC most days”

4SB station ID

11 thoughts on “RA Aircheck – 4SB 1963 Tony MacArthur

  1. Geoff Tony and Bob was origionall Geoff Atkinson, Tony McArthur and Bob Wills….Bob Smith hopped into the GTB in the early 70’s after Wiils joined 4BK.

    1. Yes, the first Bob was Bob Wills( the resident Country and Western king at 4BC), when Wills departed for 4BK, the GTand B jingles were too good to discard, so up and coming 4IP dj Graham Smith took over the Bob role ( becoming Bob Smith). He later reverted to Graham, and also reverted to 4IP, before serving long term on 4BC

  2. Atkinson did 4pm to 7pm McArthur the beatles show 7pm to 8pm and Bob Wills did 8pm to midnight. The onlt time change was Sundays when Atkinson was 8am to midday Wills 12 – 4pm. dont know where you got your info from.

  3. GTand B were very important to me as a teenager in Brisbane in the sixties. We felt we were in touch with the wide world through them Tony seemed to have a hotline to the Beatles- he was first to play their latest releases in Australia at the time I believe.

    1. Yes, remember midnight releases of the Beatles new tracks with Tony via 4SB in Kingaroy in 65/66.

  4. I doubt Bob Smith would ever remember me. In the mid 60’s my family had immigrated from California to Brisbane. My dad was employed my Maurice Blackmore (founder of Blackmores). 4BC would have call in give away’s of various 45’s they were given for promotional purposes. I learned how to ring up all the numbers except the last one and as soon as the DJ’s would say call in now, I’d dial the last number and be the first call and thus win the 45. Because of that I’d take the tram into the CBD from Hamilton where we were living. One Saturday morning, The Seekers were to arrive around 10-11a.m. Bob Smith who was relatively new, having replaced another Bob (Wills I think) who had left for greener pastures was at the airport with one of the female staff members that the station employed. All the ladies at the station knew of me because I won all the 45’s and was a Yank. She recognizing me because of collecting so many 45’s, introduced us. We were in the small gated arrival area in front of the TAA terminal as I recall. The three of us got so carried away in chatter that we missed the plane arrival and suddenly Judith Durham is standing next to us asking which way she needed to go to get inside the terminal. I use to listen all 3 DJ’s, Tony MacArthur seemed to be most popular at the time because of looking like a Beatle. I was 14 back then. Because Blackmore’s clinic was right across the street from 4BC, I use to spend hours watching the 3 guys doing the DJ’ing thru a hallway window. Hope everyone enjoyed my little story.

    1. I loved your story, so many wonderful memories and I have a feeling that Tony eventually went to the UK and became Shirley Bassey’s manager.

  5. My friend Stuart & I listened to Tony on 4BC weekday/s (was it Thursday ?) 8-830pm. He had the Brit R & B songs before anyone else. We used to tape the show & listen to these gems over & over. He played obscure, brilliant tracks like “For Miss Corker” ( Animals ) and “Get a Buzz ” ( Pretty Things” ). I still don’t remember any other station playing these kinds of tracks.

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