ARN acquisition of Southern Cross Austereo (pending approval)

Radio, Print, and Online
61

The would still be a breach. The rules are more about control of content, with ownership being just one the things which gives control.

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62

Interesting regarding steaming being held in a JV company. This could be a great outcome in terms of ARN and ACP launching a new global streaming app housing all of ARN and SCA stations , to compete with BBC and Global.

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63
64

I think I’m more excited about this prospect given it is 2023 and digital is king. However I suspect it will be more like goodbye LiSTNR and hello to an expanded iHeart app.

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65

Do you think SCA will go for it???
If they don’t accept the offer the status quo will prevail.

66

ACP appears set to retain the digital audio business of SCA so LiSTNR may not go?

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67

Are SCA’s podcasts and Triple M DAB stations part of the deal though?

68

LISTNR was growing on me. It had some good stations like Easy Hits,Guilty Pleasure and Yacht Rock. iheart is good as well but it was (is) good to have competition especially when Listnr was (is) an Aussie app.

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69

I got sick of hearing it spelt every time though!

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70

I must say the most appealing part of this whole thing for me is the prospect that ARN might be able to fix Triple M. It’s a lost opportunity currently. It might do ok in Brisbane and Adelaide but that’s largely due to a lack of competition. I really hope they de-bogan it and just get back to the basics of a great music station. If they broaden Triple M’s appeal in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth it will allow them to move the KIIS stations in those cities a little closer to a Hot AC format. They will have their work cut out for them though to get a lot of the audience to even give Triple M a go given it’s current image.

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71

Perth will be an interesting one. Will ARN keep pursuing 96FM as its current format? Rebrand (back to) Triple M Perth? Or keep 92.9 Triple M Perth as is?

Or would ARN hand 96FM over to ACP as a ‘Pure Gold’ station?

I’m sure ARN would easily be able to tweak & fix Mix94.5.

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72

This current ARN/SCA merger/acquisition and all of the various broadcasting outsourcing arrangements out there all just sound like a high-flyer’s MBA assignment.

That’s the only thing SRN and WIN have going for them - they don’t pay high enough for the MBA’s to come in and work their magic.

73

Yeah it’ll be an interesting one. I kinda think they might hand over 96fm to ACP for a pure gold station, along with their 50% of Nova. And keep 94.5 as a KIIS station and 92.9 as Triple M. Actually they might not change the format of 92.9 too much and instead meet somewhere in the middle with the east coast Triple Ms.

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74

Surely either 92.9 or 96.1 goes KIIS, and the other skews Gold with the sports that goes with it. 94.5 stays Mix with the Hit Network

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75

I’d suggest they keep 96FM & Mix94.5. They’re the stronger two stations to gang up on Nova93.7.

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76

Isnt the proposal that the Hit Network keeps a 5 station network in the metros? Mix will stay with Hit alongside Fox, 2day…?

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77

Yeah true. I forgot about a Hit station for Perth. So they’ll want a Hit, KIIS and Triple M station there somehow with 92.9, 94.5 and 96

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78

Everyone seems to be talking about Hit, KIIS and Triple M networks, but let’s not forget how well Gold in Melbourne and WSFM in Sydney rate. Why would they get rid of those for stations that don’t rate half as well as them? If anything, I think they’d be more inclined to rename those as Triple M (they’d be buying the brand) and adjust from there.

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79

And who really wants 1323AM? Yes it rates, but it doesn’t really align with either network anymore.

80

Probably SEN…

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