If the tip is accurate, the new 3MP logo (bold white uppercase “3MP” - not lowercase “3mp” as before - with “1377 and DAB+” in smaller type underneath - is wrapped in a Channel 10-style circular logo that’s orange. The full colour-set used across the car spotted is white, orange and purple.
This is not the ACE radio colour scheme applied to the logos of all its regional radio stations.
This kills any speculation Ace Radio might use 3MP is a means of supplying talk programming to the regional network independent of 3AW (which unlikely makes any economic sense, even before Covid 19 and the recession it’s causing)
More likely it’s the other way around. 3MP, and maybe a younger-skewed DAB+ station aligned with Mixx/TRFM/Edge/Coast, would have program fed to it from the regional centres.
There’s nothing hugely innovative about any of this except the opportunity for Ace to develop new competencies and for 3MP to be given the attention the previous owner couldn’t provide.
3MP has the potential to be a better targeted station than Magic 1278, which has a pretty good music mix but does little else due to being networked nationally.
Similarly, a companion DAB+ station produced out of Ace Radio’s FM network could be better locally targeted than DAB stations like The Edge (piped in from Sydney) and the litany of automated DAB music stations with names like KIIS 90s, Fox Urban and Triple M Classic Rock.
As you point out, this ‘speculation’ never made any sense. Would cost ACE more to hire network talent in mornings, drive and nights than to network from Nine/3AW.
I would’ve expected that the purchase of 3MP would have included the domains www.3mp.com.au and www.classicrock1377.com.au (along with other registrations such as twitter account @ClassicRock1377) which is currently registered to PNW.
Can anyone find a copy of this new 3MP logo? And I find it interesting that ACE would already have a vehicle with the new logo even though they haven’t yet officially taken control of the station.
I get the feeling “Easy Music” is as important to the branding as “3MP”.
Consider Smooth FM has taken its focus off being an “easy place to relax”. According to a Radio Today article, dated 14 February 2020:
“If you had to target that one person, it’s a female, she’s 38 and has kids and a busy life".
That’s who Smooth FM belongs to now.
While Magic 1278 has got back in the market, I question how close the station is to what’s already heard on FM. Yet there’s also the problem of how reliable music from earlier than 1970 remains to generate a sizeable audience.
I imagine we might get a broad mix of music on Easy Music 3MP. Perhaps some of the oldies Magic play from 1960 onwards yet a bit of Smooth also - such as Alicia Keys
Agree. A good point of difference which is probably something that 2CH could’ve stuck with given that smooth have shifted away from “easy” to “feel good”.
There is definitely a need for an “easy music” station in Melbourne.
