There are a lot of comments on this post from listeners who say they don’t have a digital radio, and some of those don’t have a computer or smart phone.
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I have to say that 2CH has a pretty good listenership via their online stream.
So people are listening.
Source: http://shoutcast.macquariemedia.com.au/index.html
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2CH seems to have confused a lot of people already judging by the Facebook commentary.
People who don’t even live in NSW are saying that they won’t be able to listen anymore because there’s no digital radio coverage in their area. Obviously they’ve been listening via the net either by app or online. Which is not going anywhere. They need to say that “you’ll also be able to keep listening via…”
I also don’t understand that if the complaining listeners are using Facebook, then surely they can work out how to listen to 2CH via their PC, phone, tablet, or whatever they access Facebook with.
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He was right about DAB, it’s DOA.
Strange someone mentioned Wodonga in Vic, maybe they listen to it at night on 1170 am?
BTW I entered in the comp. If I win, I plan to give to my 98 yo granny (soon 99 yo) if it is easy to use. I was widely criticised on mediaspy ( slight exaggeration 
) for not getting her a DAB radio but resisted , due to most DAB radios suck up too much batteries and not very “easy” to use with people who have limited vision and the decent ones are a bit more pricey. If you spend the same money on an Analog radio it is more solid.
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Just out of interest, how does the audio quality of 64kbps MP3 compare with a 48kbps* DAB+ stream?
*Well, probably 32kbps soon because SEN are planning to provide their listeners with four stations: SEN 1170, SEN Track, some variant of their Melbourne station and (at least for now) 2CH.
I suppose there’s a small chance these listeners could’ve been tuning in via 1170AM (How good is nighttime reception of 2CH on the Eastern half of this country?), but yeah it would be best if there’s some promotional emphasis on how people will still be able to listen online and via the app.
Agreed.
Who are these people commenting on 2CH’s Facebook page which don’t have a computer or smartphone?! 
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I am wonder isn’t Radio Italia meant to get a slot too?! They really need to open the chequebook and buy some spectrum from Bill.
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Indeed, perhaps Radio Italia will get on Sydney DAB+ when 2CH becomes Sydney radio history on all platforms?
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I noted on Facebook, 2CH will carry the same team, so it won’t be wall to wall music. It would be nice to see a successful (or at least “as successful” as 2CH is today) Sydney station on DAB. I know I am dreaming. I know there is a separate survey for DAB but I wonder if they can pay a bit extra and be included in the “analog” survey too.
While it’d be good if 2CH became a successful DAB+ only station, realistically I don’t think their listener base is high enough to pull such a switch off.
I’d be willing to predict that much of the station’s demographics are the type who’ve had 2CH as their main station for 40+ years, unlikely to embrace DAB+ en masse since it was a struggle enough getting them to embrace Digital TV when analogue was switched off seven years ago!
If I’m not mistaken, the DAB+ surveys are usually held at the same time as the AM/FM station surveys these days.
I’d be incredibly surprised if 2CH were to continue in the “analogue” surveys, but along with the new SEN 1170 it actually wouldn’t overly surprise me if SEN Track are in there (despite 1539AM being a narrowcast frequency if I’m not mistaken) since they’ll want to see how they perform against Sky Sports Radio.
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It would surprise me if SEN Track AM was reported in the survey. Presumably all of the Sydney commercial radio stations would have to agree to another station being added. So far in the history of Sydney AM/FM radio ratings no non-Sydney/Western Sydney commercial, non-BSB, narrowcast, and community stations have been included in the results.
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AAC+ has roughly double the efficiency of MP3, so 48kbps AAC+ would be comparable to a 96kbps MP3 stream.
There is no need for either station to be in the analogue ratings. 2CH is digital only, SEN Track will (probably) be listed in the digital survey but I’d also expect their ratings to be reflect in part by SEN 1170, in much the same way that in Melbourne 1116 is listed while 1377 was not.
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That’s a pity seeing as it’s 99% of my radio listening.
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Yes sounds like a bit of a clusterfck. Communication fail 
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It’s just not going to catch on like AM or FM it’s already been superseded by easier technologies and will be replaced by streaming and analog is still working fine for FM. It’s AM that’s in trouble.
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Yes FM is ‘working’ fine but it’s not providing enough variety of formats or quality of content to keep listeners when compared to the streaming options - or the DAB options. DAB might certainly lose out to streaming but in my opinion it’s the only hope terrestrial radio has to survive in the longer term. If it’s only FM vs the choices available on streaming then radio is already dead. I think the Europeans have realised it but I don’t think the Australian operators or regulators have yet. Most Australian operators meanwhile seem desperate to move their audience online which is absolute insanity - move them online where there are literally thousands of better options than their own stations. Getting back on track I guess at least SEN are giving it a go by trying to get 2CH listeners onto DAB.
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Does anybody else think Tim Webster will remain with Crocmedia post DAB switch?
I’m thinking he’d be good for 2CH Mon-Fri and then pop up as a floater/weekend announcer on 1170 SEN.
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Well he was Ten News Sydney’s Sports Presenter and hosted ‘Sports Tonight’ for a long time. You’d think he’d be a shoe in for a sports radio station. Better than maybe someone like Bob Rogers 
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Whether he wants to do sport again only he knows, I guess. His time at Talking Lifestyle and Macquarie Sports Radio were a waste of his talent.
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This is a perfect indication to go in the online listening discussion, we’ve all had over time.
I know some of you keep saying online listening is the biggest thing, & is/will kill AM/FM listening.
I’ve said previously that no, it’s actually quite small & insignificant, & this actually proves it.
2GB can have just under 4100 listeners at the same time, the SCA, ARN & Nova metro stations would have the likely capacity for around the 5000-7000 concurrent listeners, 10,000 at extreme max, the regional stations would have around the same as 2CH, but probably less than 1000 concurrent listeners online.
Online listening of any station would at absolute best be, 10% of that who are listening at the same time on AM or FM. so if you have absoulute maximum 1000 listeners online at any one time, you likely have another 10,000 plus listening on air via AM/FM, it’s more likely to be in the general area of 1-2% of total listeners at any one time listening online over the on air AM/FM broadcast.
Also Spotify for example, has around 138 million premium subscribers worldwide, but then that doesn’t mean everyone is listening at the same time, & in the grand scheme of things there’s more than double that population in the USA alone, so they have a small percentage of total worldwide music listeners.
Broadcast TV may well transition to being fully online over the next 10-15 years, But I’m sure broadcast radio over the air will still be the predominant way of listening in 25 years plus.
Back to 2CH, I can’t see 2CH being on DAB+ at this time next year in any real capacity, even with just automated music, with no voice tracked or live presenters, unless SEN can get a lot of revenue out of their SEN stations to cover costs. 2CH only has a small listenership base over both AM, DAB+ & online now, so when they go DAB+ & online only, that’s going to become a micro audience.
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