Onya Pricey

Legend of North Queensland radio calls it quits on glittering radio career

IT’S easy to say he’s the voice of Townsville, but anyone who doesn’t recognise the face behind this booming baritone has been living under a rock for the past 40 mango seasons.

Steve “Pricey” Price is hanging up the mic at the end of the year on a radio career that actually spans five decades when you factor in the radio work he’d already clocked up in Melbourne before moving to North Queensland in 1982.

But don’t think for a second that you’ve seen the last of Pricey’s floral shirts, fluro Crocs or panama hat. This guy’s going nowhere when he flicks the switch to “off-air” at the of shift on Christmas Day.

Pricey’s as a part of Townsville as the Fire or the Cowboys, The Strand or The Commonwealth and his love for this place is only outloved by the locals’ love for him.

He described his role as a “real personal thing”, unlike any other job, sharing “a part of life” with his listeners.

“The experiences I’ve had in this city from a radio point of view are unbelievable … you go through all the gamuts of emotion,” he said.

“I’ve heard the newborn baby cry of listeners who have taken the phone in, (and) I’ve said goodbye to people as they pass away.

“Everything from traffic to kids’ celebrations at school, right through to cyclones, and in radio, I’ve had the absolute blessing of doing it in real time, or as I call it, ‘the precious present’.” p

SCA General Manager of Townsville Shane Jurgens paid tribute to Pricey saying he had been part of the community’s fabric for a very long time. t

“Over this time Pricey has h educated me on the importance of connection to this amazing community with everything we do on and off the air,” Mr Jurgens said.

“He has played a huge part in our lives when we needed a laugh, when we needed a friend or when we needed someone in our time of need.”

Well played Pricey.