90.1 Chilli FM

Chilli 90.1fm
City	Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Broadcast area	Launceston RA1 [1]
Frequency	90.1 MHz FM
Programming
Language(s)	English
Format	Contemporary hit radio
Ownership
Owner	ARN ; (Bass Radio Pty Limited)
Sister stations	89.3 LAFM
History
First air date	1938 (as 7EX)
Former call signs	7EX (1938–2011)
Former frequencies	1008 kHz AM (1978–2011); 1010 kHz AM (1938–1978)
Call sign meaning	Variation of final AM call sign 7EX; station was set up by (The Examiner)
Technical information
Licensing authority	ACMA
ERP	5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	41°26′23″S 147°08′17″E / 41.439743°S 147.137945°E
Translator(s)	101.1 FM Launceston CBD (328 watts)
Links
Public licence information	Profile
Website	Chilli 90.1fm

Chilli 90.1fm (call sign 7EXX) is an Australian radio station in Tasmania. Owned and operated by ARN, it broadcasts a contemporary hit radio format to Launceston and surrounding areas. First broadcast in 1938 as 7EX,^[1] the station currently broadcasts from studios in York Street, alongside sister station 89.3 LAFM. Chilli90.1fm also has a Scottsdale version called ”Chilli99.7FM“ which has repeat frequencies of 99.7mHz in Scottsdale and the North-East of Tasmania and 94.5mHz in Weldborough and St Helens, Tasmania.

History[]

The station was set up in 1938 by The Examiner newspaper and shared a fierce rivalry with rival 7LA, splitting the city's audience through to much of the 1980s. Eventually, the station changed hands numerous times, before forming the horse racing radio network.

In 2002, television station ABNT-3 vacated VHF channel 3, opening up space for further FM radio services in Launceston. In 2005, it was announced that 7EX, along with 7LA and ABC Northern Tasmania were to move to the FM band - 7LA on 89.3, 7EX on 90.1 and ABC Northern Tasmania on 91.7.^[2] In 2010, Grant Broadcasters purchased the 7EX licence from TOTE Sports Radio^[3] - who in turn purchased a narrowcast licence on 7EX's old AM frequency - before relaunching in 2011 as contemporary hit radio-formatted Chilli 90.1fm.^[4]

Today, the station networks the majority of its programming to Scottsdale-based Chilli 99.7.

On November 2021, Chilli FM, along with other stations owned by Grant Broadcasters, were acquired by the Australian Radio Network. This deal will allow Grant's stations, including Chilli FM, to access ARN's iHeartRadio platform in regional areas. The deal was finalized on January 4, 2022.^[5] It is expected Chilli FM will integrate with ARN's KIIS Network, but will retain its current name according to the press release from ARN.