This is the online stream. I can’t get 2ca in Sydney. It’s stereo but no where as good as a community station like SWR.
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2CA has always sounded very muffled
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Replying here so as to not go wildly off topic in the Hit Network thread:
Mix 106.3 would probably benefit from becoming a Pure Gold-aligned station regardless of whether Hit 104.7 eventually adopts the new Hit Network branding/format, I think.
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It is way closer to Pure Gold then KIIS in its present format.
If they dropped the few current songs they play it would be a Pure Gold station.
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I would rather a pure rock format on 106.3. Classic Hits is done well by 2CA, so there’s no need for Pure Mold’s watered down version.
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Given that both Perth and Canberra have a similar issue with Mix branding and previous Hit branding, I wonder if Canberra’s solution would be as extreme as Perth’s rumoured solution?
That is, to have 104.7 Triple M Canberra and have Mix106.3 align to the Hit network (which would also mean their playlist would double up as being more aligned to the rest of the KIIS Network).
The only problem is that listeners would probably still be readjusting to the Hit branding in Canberra.
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I cannot see that happening in Canberra, With Hit and Mix staying the same. Hit is now throwing in the odd 80’s song here and there but nowhere as extreme as the fully owned regional stations.
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That would mean a KIIS 106.3 would have a similar playlist to KIIS 106.5 / 101.1, take Will and Woody and highlights of Kyle and Jacki O.
104.7 Triple M would drop Carrie and Tommy and Hughesy Ed for Mick Molloy. These are popular shows that would cease to exist in this market. Will and Woody would be completely foreign to this market.
These huge changes would disrupt the listening to both Hit and Mix in Canberra just because SCA changed their positioning statement for the Hit network and added in some 80’s songs.
I can understand potential changes to 92.9 in Perth as it is rating poorly, but Hit and Mix in Canberra are rating well by default of lack of competition on the fm band.
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But SCA has programming control over both Canberra FM stations anyway. So I’d say it’d continue to be Hit drive on Mix and Triple M drive on 104.7.
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Anyway it will be interesting to see if any changes take place.
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Given the addition of Triple M Gippsland and Triple M Dubbo, here’s hoping they’ll be looking to grow the brand further.
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This problem of format convergence is all the more reason for the Canberra JV to invest in local music scheduling 24/7. It’s shown up the foolishness of reducing local music scheduling.
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When in Canberra this morning Hit 104.7 was Hit’s and old School first up. By mid morning they were taking the Hit regional feed and became, Get that feeling with your favourite songs from then to now.
Hit 104.7 then sounded very similar to Mix 106.3, with 80’s to now music with exception of the odd 70’s song played on Mix 106.3.
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I could see SCA rebranding Hit 104.7 to Triple M, returning the station to its rock roots (it’s callsign is 2ROC), and it would fit with what they seem to be doing (including downplaying the Hit brand).
But Mix 106.3 (1CBR) is trickier. Apart from the crazy & pointless confusion rebranding it to Hit would cause, despite SCA programming both stations, their JV partner won’t want SCA branding on 106.3.
If Hit 104.7 becomes Triple M, SCA could still have some Hit programming on it (they - on Hit 104.7 & the regional Triple M stations - already have some inconsistent music and branding, especially on the [former] Hit network), so that’s not necessarily an obstacle, but it would mean 106.3 losing the Triple M content, and that would have to be replaced with something.
I’d like to think 106.3 would be a good place for more local programming, but no company volunteers to spend more money than they have to.
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Agreed. Just have SCA switch Hit to Triple M (104.7FM) and keep much of Mix106.3 as is - apart from introducing Carrie & Tommy/Hughesy & Ed instead of Kennedy Molloy.
The most noticeable change would be switching the Mix Raiders Call Team over to Triple M (unless they want NRL on both stations).
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How do you feel they’re downplaying the Hit brand at the moment?
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I agree that this is what it would look like. While 104.7 could go full Triple M, I think Mix’s music would remain the same, as would the name and logo. It would just adopt several of the Hit programmes.
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A while back SCA were pushing the Hit brand, but recently they’ve stepped back/away from it, not only with 2DayFM Sydney (rebranding that to Hit was always a questionable idea, so it was more of a co-branding thing there), but Hit 105 Brisbane is back to being B105, also SAFM Adelaide, and SAFM Limestone Coast.
And there’s the recent rebranding of several Hit stations to Triple M.
And of course looking on www.hit.com.au the Perth & Canberra stations still showing the old Hit logo really suggests they’re not going to be Hit-branded for long (otherwise they’d have the new logo).
So there’s some logic behind the speculation here that some other regional Hit stations may take on the branding from their nearby metro station instead of the national Hit brand.
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If Hit 104.7 becomes Triple M, there would be too much overlap with the rock songs and older songs played on Mix 106.3, so Mix 106.3 would need to make changes to their music too.
Hit 104.7 would be practically changing target markets from 18-39 to 34-54 males. Mix 106.3 would have to go younger and become more KIIS with the Hit network programming, or introduce KIIS network programming, but both options would disrupt the local market and cause massive confusion to listeners.
I still cannot understand why they would consider flipping the stations when Hit 104.7 is rating the highest it has in years and Mix 106.3 rates second.
But if you are going to do it Canberra is your city as there is no other commercial stations on the fm band, it might make Triple J a more serious threat to joint venture.
Easiest option bring Hit 104.7 inline with the changes across the regional Hits.
Change the music on Mix 106.3 to be similar to 96fm in Perth, minimal overlap in the music.
Is Canberra still a rock city as much as it was in the past?
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Good points. You’re right that it doesn’t make sense to change either station without shifting the other too.
Obviously there are more listening options than just radio so how many people of the target demos actually listen to radio?
Even if SCA & ARN want to change things (perhaps ARN want to rebrand to KIIS & take on a younger demo? Just speculating), I don’t know if they’re willing to take a (they’d hope temporary) hit to ratings by mixing things up that much? (
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