The regional stations that were sold late last year and 2CH together lost about $1 million last financial year. There is no clarity if 2CH lost money or made a profit
If Iâm not mistaken, 2CH usually gets around 4% mark in the Sydney radio ratings and is one of the lowest rating commercial stations in the city. I canât imagine that itâs exactly been making record profits latelyâŚ
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If you rated 4% and your audience was all 25-39 year olds you might have a shot at making some money as long as your costs were contained (and I use the word some reservedly). But an AM music station with an audience that is basically 65+âŚno one wants it. The majority of ads are bonus spots from 2GB clients.
As per post #84, the key likely buyers include Grant Broadcasters, the Capital Radio Network (Iâd imagine that you and other radio enthusiasts here are hoping theyâre the ones who buy 2CH!), ACE Radio and EON Broadcasting (hello EON Sports 1170?).
Weâll probably hear some sort of formal announcement from MRN regarding the sale of 2CH (and 2UEâs rebrand to Lifestyle Radio, wonder if theyâre holding off the rebrand until the start of the next survey period?) sometime in the next week or so.
As Iâve said before, if anything I wouldnât be surprised if Melbourne and Brisbane eventually get to hear some Lifestyle Radio on 1278 and 882 respectively with 2UE essentially being the âguinea pigâ for this format (like so many other radio stations, I reckon Lifestyle Radio will eventually go to other markets after about 6-12 months as a Sydney only thing) but of course only time will tell how right/wrong I am there!
An automated format from Grantâs office in North Sydney, with a simulcast of some shows from 2CA may be a cheap format they could do, I think.
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Iâd be certain theyâll just sell it to as close to a holding company as they can get - someone who would own the station, but then let Macquarie sell ad time and network the Magic feed.
Itâll be more or less like EON with Sea/Mix - a change in ownership but nothing changing for the listeners or in the content.
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and also as theyâve already gutted both 1278 and 882 in terms of programming and ratings.
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Yes, I guess there will be an opportunity for 954 Sydney to be networked to 1278 Melbourne / 882 Brisbane once 1170 is sold.
Still a chance though that Magic will just remain as Melbourne and Brisbane stations on AM, and perhaps on DAB+ only in Sydney.
I think it would be good if Capital Radio buys 2CH, there would be an opportunity to reformat 2CH (without the Magic name) along the lines of 2CA Canberra or 6IX Perth and share some programming there.
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Pacific Star (3mp/Sen 1170) could buy 2CH and network 3mp into Sydney. The music format of Magic and 3mp is silimer at the moment.
I think this is unlikely. Pacific Star arenât in a strong financial position and would most likely struggle to find the $6m or whatever that 2CH would cost. They are also basically unable to make money from 3MP, running it on minimal staff and voice tracking most of the time, so it would be an unusual move from them to try to expand that part of their business, especially at a cost that could see them go under very quickly if 2CH didnât turn a profit quickly.
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Iâm not sure on the technicalities, but if ACMA donât give another 6 - 12 months or it doesnât get sold quickly, 2CH could go dark & Macquarie Media could hold the licence until they get a buyer at the price they want?
2CH is on the market as licence only, there are no studios or studio equipment & no transmitter equipment included in the sale.
Personally I think we will most likely see the station sold by the end of this month. Failing that, I really donât think ACMA would deny MRN another six month extension while they continue to decide who would be the best owner of 2CHâŚor wait to see if a removal/relaxing of the âtwo stationâ rule would be part of that long awaited media reform.
I strongly doubt that 2CH will go off air, the 1170AM frequency and space on the DAB+ multiplex would be far too valuable in a large media market like Sydney for it not to be used.
Would Macquarie lease the transmitter to a new owner?
MRN want roughly $10 million for 2CH, theyâve had offers of about $4 - 5 million for the licence, the 1170 frequency is obviously not worth much otherwise it wouldâve been snapped up or a bidding war happening.
Iâm not sure, but I donât think the DAB+ spectrum is part of the 2CH sale, the space was given to them initially, but now the spectrum is an open market, if youâve got the money you can buy as much as you want, thereâs no guarantee any station has to have any DAB+ spectrum.
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Possibly for a period?
The 2CH transmitter site is leased from Broadcast Australia.
From what Iâve heard, MRN owe BA about $100,000 for site upgrades when they replaced the Earth Mat there last year, but Singo wonât pay.
MRN also want to move the 2CH & 2UE transmitters to the 2KY site along with 2GB if they get to keep them all, as they donât want 3 leases with 3 different companies, (Broadcast Australia, TAB Corp/2KY Sky Sports, Sydney Olympic Park Authority at the 2SM site).
Unless ACMA have granted MRN another six month extension, Iâm guessing that we should expect an announcement of a new owner of 2CH this week?
any day.
Expecting Capital to take over.
Would be shocked if it was BOG
I hope itâs Capital. 2ch forever classic. I put on 2ca via streaming in the car. The variety on the 70s at 7 was great.
Whoever buys the station, lets just hope that they breakaway from the Magic network and make 2CH, 2CH again (if that makes sense)! 
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I hope they dump the 2CH name and start fresh. Itâs never been a top rating station, and I doubt many people will miss the old name
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