ABC Local Radio

Probably then, plus no cricket on terrestrial radio.

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The cricket has been on 774 during Summer Grandstand including today.

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That’s correct, 2CO only cuts away from the NSW feed when there is AFL on so for the first few weeks of the NRL season 675 takes every NRL game.

This also means that on a Thursday night, if it’s a week without an AFL game on Thursday, you’ll get the NRL on 675. Likewise with the first half of the 6pm Friday game.

There was a curious period of a few weeks last year where they stopped taking AFL, however by about May this was back to normal with the AFL once more pre-empting the NRL.

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Virginia Trioli has taken personal leave from ABC Melbourne.

Edit: Rafael Epstein is currently hosting mornings until Virginia returns. Warwick Long is hosting drive on ABC Melbourne.

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Listen up footy fans! ABC to stream all live footy games on the ABC listen app

ABC Sport

The ABC is excited to announce that this season footy fans will be able to listen to every match of AFL and NRL live and commercial free on the ABC listen app.

ABC’s footy coverage is now even more accessible for footy fans with the introduction of AFL match streaming to ABC listen, and all ABC digital platforms, alongside existing NRL streaming.

Featuring the best commentators and experts in the business, ABC SPORT will bring audiences all the action from pre-game to post-match analysis, including every goal, try, mark and tackle of the AFL and NRL seasons, as well as the Rugby League State of Origin.

The ABC SPORT AFL team includes the biggest names in the game including Cameron Ling, Mick Malthouse, Jason Akermanis, Sharrod Wellingham, Matthew Primus, Lauren Arnell, Rod Jameson, Marc Murphy, Adam Ramanauskas, Brendon Goddard, Brett Deledio, Shane Woewodin, Kara Antonio, Brad Sewell, Nathan Burke, Brent Harvey and Ebony Marinoff, along with the best AFL callers Clint Wheeldon, Corbin Middlemas, Quentin Hull, Matt Clinch, Kelli Underwood, Brett Sprigg, Aaron Bryans and Ben Cameron.

The ABC SPORT NRL team has the most respected experts including Luke Lewis, John Gibbs, Ruan Sims, Michael Carayannis, Matthew Elliott, Dene Halatau, Connor Watson, Billy Moore, Grant Bell, Alan Tongue, Sam Williams, Ryan Hoffman and Clinton Schifcofske, with Andrew Moore, Quentin Hull and Brett Sprigg providing unrivalled play-by-play commentary.

Head ABC SPORT, Nick Morris, says “I’m delighted footy fans can now stream both major footy codes via ABC listen, and while they are there, they can access a range of top-notch sport programs, interviews and podcasts, including Roy & HG and ABC SPORT DAILY.”

Listen to all broadcast matches of AFL and NRL on your home of live sport ABC listen. For NRL, select the ABC SPORT button. For AFL, select the AFL or AFL EXTRA buttons.

For a complete list of where to find Grandstand AFL and Grandstand Rugby League coverage on ABC, visit ABC SPORT FAQs.

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Yes, interesting. Sort of debunks the view held by some that the ABC doesn’t care about ratings. They do, and they should. They’re publicly funded and need to provide a service that people want to hear. In my opinion they need to be much less timid about not offending the commercial operators. I think that’s their downfall. They need to look at the BBC and how they operate their radio stations. They aren’t shy about catering for a more mainstream audience (e.g. BBC R1) while still offering content that the commercial operators would be unlikely to offer (e.g. BBC R2). Obviously ABC Local is the immediate focus along with RN. Both need immediate scrutiny. But it’s across the whole offering. I think Triple J is fine but as I’ve previously stated my opinion is that Double J is a missed opportunity to go more mainstream and try to combat the perception out there that the ABC is a bit elite and pretentious. I know that offends some people but there is that perception - much more so than for the BBC for example.

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I totally agree blow up Double J and turn it into Australia’s version of BBC R2.

Triple J could also go slightly more mainstream, the listeners are requesting mainstream songs on Requestival so I don’t think it would offend to much of the listener base.

Reading the comments on the SMH online article it is the bias to the left and the wokeness that is the issue. If the ABC had more balanced journalism they would have a wider appeal other than the leftie’s and the elites. The BBC does it very well, I never feel like I am being preached to when listening to BBC R1, I do when I listen to Triple J.

The ABC will do all these reviews but like a leopard it won’t change it’s spots.

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Sadly, I agree with you.

I’m actually a centre-left voter and I find the ABC too far left on certain social issues. I try to avoid the ‘woke’ word but I must say I find them preachy at times too. As you say I never feel like that when listening to the BBC. I do find Triple J too preachy and Double J too pretentious and trying too hard to be “cool”. It’s off-putting to me and probably others. I also think you’re right that Triple J could move a little more mainstream - just a little. I think times have changed and that’s what the younger demographic seem to be demanding. They’re not as hung up on appearing alternative as Triple J listeners in the 90s were.

I think RN is reasonably balanced for the most part though, I think for RN the problem is the overall sound of the station and some of the content. It sounds disjointed and “not live” or “national” somehow.

They also need to get their act together with regards to DAB in the city, when the ABC Local stations are stuck on AM. And also mention the frequency! Older listeners still refer to 702 or 612, but trying to attract new listeners when you don’t list an AM frequency OR mention DAB+, that’s just crazy!

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Anyone who has that view doesn’t work in the industry. It’s well known that the ABC only comments on ratings when they’re doing well, but you bet there’ll be alarm bells ringing in Southbank and Ultimo at the moment with regards to Local Radio.

Bang on the money. The ABC has three speech networks in Local Radio, RN and NewsRadio, yet only two have a clear value proposition (and even then, Local Radio is falling by the wayside).

I’d much rather RN is scrapped, with the resources from its live shows put back into making Local Radio actually local in regional markets.

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i feel like newsradio and RN should be merged and a lot of the long form programming on RN should be scrapped. RN is like listening to podcasts on shuffle. there’s no flow - for example, tomorrow morning they go from life matters at 9:00 am to the stage show at 10:00.

it almost feels like a community station with different vested interests doing there hour.

I know merging could cause issues when parliment is sitting but i feel like the audiance of a merged NR / RN would be the type to listen to parliment anyway

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I am more right leaning so I find some of the stuff on the ABC quite excruciating.
Certainly agree with your comments on Triple J and Double J.

I agree with @AustralianAerial and also feel Radio National has become redundant.
News Radio and ABC Local Radio have everything covered quite well IMO.
News Radio is probably cannibalising 2RN.

If DoubleJ went fm it would probably have a similar impact on Triple J.
A radio 2 format would be the best format for the ABC to launch, and allow local radio, Classic fm, and Triple J to do their own thing.

If done right they could attract a broader audience to the broadcaster, but not with their current offerings, and their strong bias to the left.

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I agree 100%. The best case scenario is a BBC R2 format to replace Double J, but I won’t hold my breath.

Instead they’ll probably push Double J where they can on to FM and just splinter the Triple J audience and attract no new audience.

I’m also open to disbanding RN and beefing up ABC Local in both the cities and the regions, perhaps with some national shows in certain timeslots. Shows like Saturday Extra (which I love) for example.
They could put it on Local as an exception :slight_smile: They could even look at putting an Early Breakfast on as a national program from 5AM and then switch to Local breakfast a bit later. Lots of options.

There is no way they will arrest the audience decline unless they broaden their appeal. But to be honest I’m not sure ABC radio in particular is capable of real change.

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The problem with ABC local radio is weekdays differ vastly to weekends. With so many specialist programs on LR it makes it harder to listen to on a weekend when no sport is on.

Needs to be more consistent and perhaps more local too.

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100%. and please get rid of macca - at least in the capitals. Put on a local show with live hosts and tailor it for peoples weekend, where people are likely to be listening longer in the car

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Given the political interest in expanding Double J’s access and the questionable performance of the ABC’s radio services generally, perhaps its time for a root-and-branch review of the broadcaster’s radio output.

I think that it’s worth questioning whether having a classical music station on analogue radio is a worthwhile output. Local Radio & News Radio make RN possibly surplus to requirements and could open up options for alternate output

Its a shame they’re not pushing for the expansion of Digital Radio more, especially given they could take real advantage of the additional capacity to have wider listening options

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I’m glad you said it about Classic FM. It’s like a red flag to a bull to some people when Classic FM’s place on analogue radio is questioned. But on a congested dial when they have their flagship Local stations stuck on AM in the capitals in my opinion it’s certainly an option to move Classic to DAB and online only, and move Local to FM. It probably wouldn’t be as necessary if they promoted (heck, even acknowledged) the existence of DAB.

The fact they think the answer is to expand access to Double J says to me a root-and-branch review is definitely needed.

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I agree with revamping Double J, the target audience is people who listened to Triple J 20-30 years ago. Quite hard to expand your audience when most people who will tune in have no idea what they are listening to. Going in the BBC Radio 2 direction is a great idea.

I agree also with merging RadioNational and NewsRadio. Half of RN is podcasts and repeats of ABC Local Radio shows, just like half of ABC NewsRadio is BBC World Service.
Some of RN can be pushed onto Local Radio on weekends (replacing the lazy story stream programming) and the rest either made more newsier or moved to overnights (replacing BBC World Service which is virtually the BBC version of RadioNational anyway).

There would probably be a bit of backlash to moving Classic FM to DAB+ only, the fact that it’s available via TV may quell that.

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Regionals already have to put up with Saturday Night Country, don’t make us be the only ones subjected to Macca too!

One thing I’ve noticed over the last week or two though is they’re all plugging the ABC Listen app a lot - by the presenters, in promos, for the AFL and NRL coverage etc… Several mentions a lot of the time now and about how easy it is to use, how easily you can text or call in etc…

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I’d like ABC Local to pick up a bit where some of the SCA/Caralis stations have left off.
Introduce a bit more music during the day/afternoon of the classic hits or easy listening variety but keep the live listener involved breakfast and night programs interspersed with more music than they currently do.

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