In March 2022, Australian singer-songwriters including Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke and Deborah Conway wrote to then Federal communications minister Paul Fletcher asking for Double J to be granted an FM licence as they felt the ABC station played more female 30+ music (against the more male skewed Triple M) and this might be a way of addressing the balance and expanding into regional areas of Australia. In his election campaign future Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suggested that he too wanted “more people in regional Australia to experience the joy I have of listening to Double J, singing along to songs they love or maybe discovering something new.”

Double J turned 10 on April 30, 2024 (I wonder if Albo sent a card?) with an all day party. They’ve now announced that they are slowly increasing their station reach beyond the metro areas with a DAB+ launch to the Gold Coast.

From 9am on Wednesday morning Double J and Dylan Lewis will celebrate the launch with a nod to the Big Day Out, which was held in QLD on the Gold Coast for 18 years, including live performances from New Order, System Of A Down, tales from the event and more.