Over the past 50-odd years, Bundaberg has enjoyed momentary bouts of fame in mainstream media, including the 1977 film The Mango Tree and Judy Nunn’s 2013 novel Elianne. Local writers like Vance Palmer and Mary Hannay Foott attracted the attention of big capital city publishers. But no national media outlet has been loyal to Bundaberg quite like Kix Country.
The niche radio station, run out of studios in little old Bundy, has not only gained a cult following across Australia and an expanding audience overseas, but it continues to bag interviews with the world’s biggest names in country music.
Continuing the debate about what is ‘country’, Kix masterfully melds the old-school with the coming-of-age country rock of the 1990s and the boundary-pushing country pop being produced today.
Starting out broadcasting to a predominately Queensland audience in the early 2000s, the station cemented its national status around 2015 with the merging of a number of country music stations across Australia. It was around this time Luke ‘Crossy’ Cross picked up the breakfast microphone. Just a few months ago he was joined by Megan Hopkins (pictured).
“I’ve interviewed Shania Twain a few times, which is very exciting as a boy of the ‘90s, as well Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Kelsea Ballerini, to name just a few,” Crossy said.
In 2019 the station launched ‘Kix Live’ on Facebook, quickly becoming a must-watch event for fans, featuring performances from global acts.
Kix’s dedication to Bundaberg and willingness to attend major country music events across the country has only deepened the radio station’s connection to fans, artists and the industry.
“Country music fans are so loyal – they live and breathe it. As an audience, they differ so much from those listening to mainstream music and talk stations,” Crossy said.