2CH Sydney

The current 2CH format I think is similar to 2UW before it became MIX. I think she was in control of 2uw back then?

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2CBA (Hope 103.2) played music from the 1920s thru to the 1980s in the 1980s. It was a very boring station to listen to before it later modernized its format. But yeah, I can’t think of any other station that may have played 1920s music in the 1980s.

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Your favourite music is typically what you grew up with. Gary Jaeger (spelling?) 2UW would often say this. In my case it was the 60s with the Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones etc etc. In the 1970s I was working in radio in the US and this was also a favourite period for me but I absolutely hated the disco period. I do worry what will happen if and when 2GB relocates and 2CH is left homeless.

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Has pop and rock music really changed from say the late 90s to 2020’s? I think there is a plateau with real innovation. Sure there will be new catchy tunes and some great new songs but it is still pop and rock. Where before the 50s and 60s it did not exist, due to absence of the electric guitar & the synthesiser (more 70s/80s).

It was more big band/classical music before then. Music did evolve from the 60s/70s/80s but real innovation plateaued in the 90s in my view.

Its like listening to ABC Fine Music, the average listener might not be able to really tell the difference between a new piece of music from this century versas something from the 1600s. I might be a bit naive here. Classic Music lovers can put me in my place here.

So I feel this is the difference. Maybe if there is a new instrument invented which will suddenly create a new Beatles in 2050 which will change it all again. Or people will just watch computer games on youtube and not listen to music. Just listening to music is so early century for people who actually drove cars :slight_smile:. A good example of this in the last 50 years was the good old fashion radio serial. Now there are audio books.

If you read the article carefully, it says that he won’t let go of filling the shoes of Bob Rogers. That means he is still going to do mornings.

Someone should attempt to do a log of 2CH music played during “Reminiscing with Bob Rogers” tomorrow night (or any Saturday they’re able to) - I’m sure some of the music during this show is from the 1950s or possibly even the 1940s!

Magic 693 when it began had music from the '40s, '50s and '60s.

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They still had this ‘nostalgia’ format at least as recently as the late 90s, according to a 1998 Melway I have. Magic had a ‘top hat’ logo back then.

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With the news that Nine is resurrecting the 2UE brand as a music station, I wonder how long it’ll be until a particular member of these forums again calls for 2CH to be relaunched as a Christian talk (or similarly niche formatted) station?!

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Already happened.

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I expect 2CH to continue to lose money. It’s been a dud investment for Oceania Capital. Selling it to Capital/Grant who could network it with 2CA and 6IX might make it profitable, I’m guessing.

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Singleton certainly sold them a “lemon” and he knew it, thus the sweetheart deals when it came to rent, news, technical support etc. One certainly wonders if they are asked to leave the premises. I suppose as a last resort they could just pipe content down from the Sunshine Coast.

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I reckon this move by 9Radio will push 2CH to an older music format. Maybe back to 50’s & 60’s?

Either way, it’s great to have TWO Sydney stations playing music from the 70’s now that WSFM has neglected that decade.

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Similarly I think 4BH will skew younger than 4KQ in Brisbane. This was the case before the Magic/Sport disaster.

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Probably.

In the long run, it’ll be interesting to see if 2CH can retain the services of Tim Webster or if we’ll eventually hear him (and possibly other former 2UE presenters who’ve been displaced in recent years) on 2UE once more.

While I agree, at the same time it seems unlikely that the relaunched 2UE will be a major threat to the ratings of WSFM or Smooth 95.3. Perhaps 2UE will get some of the older WS/Smooth listeners back to 954AM, but I’d probably expect the FM music stations to retain most listeners under 50.

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The 50s and early 60s music that 2CA plays on Saturday night and at some other times during the week is major turn off me. It is terrible music. There are only a handful of songs worth playing on the radio, I think. The rest of the time 2CA has a good playlist.

If 2CH was to play more 50s music it would encourage me not to listen to the station at all when I am in Sydney.

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They might as well sell the station and cut their losses while they can.

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Yeah, it wouldn’t overly surprise me if 2CH is sold again sometime in the next few years.

But at the same time I certainly don’t have a burning desire to see (or more to the point, hear) 2CH turned into SEN Sydney, a full-on Christian station or something else equally niche.

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I know we live in a different era but it might be good to have some music competition on the am band. Like 2ws and 2uw in the 80s and early 90s. Commercial FM in the main don’t play much 70s music.

It will also give DXers something worthwhile/interesting to try for, especially since stations like 2XL have vacated the band. One of my DX goals is to receive a Sydney AM commercial station from the west coast of the US. Tough but possible.

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