2GB and 2CH were heavily involved in the early stage of the DAB trials in Sydney, but then John Singleton decided that digital was a dud technology.
Matched his effort as a radio station owner, sure bungled his exit.
There are a lot of comments on this post from listeners who say they donât have a digital radio, and some of those donât have a computer or smart phone.
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
2CH seems to have confused a lot of people already judging by the Facebook commentary.
People who donât even live in NSW are saying that they wonât be able to listen anymore because thereâs no digital radio coverage in their area. Obviously theyâve been listening via the net either by app or online. Which is not going anywhere. They need to say that âyouâll also be able to keep listening viaâŚâ
I also donât 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.
He was right about DAB, itâs 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 âeasyâ 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.
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 thereâs a small chance these listeners couldâve 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 thereâs some promotional emphasis on how people will still be able to listen online and via the app.
Agreed.
Who are these people commenting on 2CHâs Facebook page which donât have a computer or smartphone?!
I am wonder isnât Radio Italia meant to get a slot too?! They really need to open the chequebook and buy some spectrum from Bill.
Indeed, perhaps Radio Italia will get on Sydney DAB+ when 2CH becomes Sydney radio history on all platforms?
I noted on Facebook, 2CH will carry the same team, so it wonât be wall to wall music. It would be nice to see a successful (or at least âas successfulâ 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 âanalogâ survey too.
While itâd be good if 2CH became a successful DAB+ only station, realistically I donât think their listener base is high enough to pull such a switch off.
Iâd be willing to predict that much of the stationâs demographics are the type whoâve 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 Iâm not mistaken, the DAB+ surveys are usually held at the same time as the AM/FM station surveys these days.
Iâd be incredibly surprised if 2CH were to continue in the âanalogueâ surveys, but along with the new SEN 1170 it actually wouldnât overly surprise me if SEN Track are in there (despite 1539AM being a narrowcast frequency if Iâm not mistaken) since theyâll want to see how they perform against Sky Sports Radio.
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.
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 Iâd 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.
Thatâs a pity seeing as itâs 99% of my radio listening.
Yes sounds like a bit of a clusterfck. Communication fail
Itâs just not going to catch on like AM or FM itâs already been superseded by easier technologies and will be replaced by streaming and analog is still working fine for FM. Itâs AM thatâs in trouble.
Yes FM is âworkingâ fine but itâs 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 itâs the only hope terrestrial radio has to survive in the longer term. If itâs only FM vs the choices available on streaming then radio is already dead. I think the Europeans have realised it but I donât 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.
Does anybody else think Tim Webster will remain with Crocmedia post DAB switch?
Iâm thinking heâd be good for 2CH Mon-Fri and then pop up as a floater/weekend announcer on 1170 SEN.
Well he was Ten News Sydneyâs Sports Presenter and hosted âSports Tonightâ for a long time. Youâd think heâd be a shoe in for a sports radio station. Better than maybe someone like Bob Rogers