Yeah, it’s kind of a natural progression I guess.
WSFM isn’t playing as much 80s as it used to either.
Makes me feel OLD knowing I’m too old for “gold” now.
Commercial music stations, for example WSFM target a certain age demographic. We’d always like to think radio stations continue to play the earlier music we enjoy as we age, but they don’t. They adjust their playlists to suit their usual fixed age range demographic over time.
It’s little wonder that many region based community stations have both older aged presenters & likely older listeners, as their filling a void left by commercial music broadcasters.
Over across the ditch in NZ the two major broadcast companies have enough radio spectrum in each market to offer a huge assortment of radio brands & target demographics re ages & music genres. Something I like, but miss here in Australia.
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Yes community radio and the likes of 2UE will fill that void.
And i think they’ll do well out of it given we have an ageing population and 80s music is still popular.
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The only station that has gone against the trend is 2ST, they play 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s and some 2000’s. 80’s music is the core of their playlist.
Even Wave / Power fm advertise the Awesome 80’s flashbacks they play.
So regional ARN is not looking at modernising their playlists at this stage. I wonder if this will change if the SCA deal goes through and they build a national KIIS / Triple M network.
Will the KIIS stations be hybrid stations like KIIS in Brisbane?
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I had a good listen to Hitz Fm in Bundaberg the other week and I actually didn’t mind it. A good variety from the 80’s to now.
I am in my late 40’s and I personally find the regional ARN Classic Hit stations a little bit too old for my liking… Each to their own I guess.
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I am a similar age and agree, 60’s music is way too niche. I think they should focus on 70’s- 2000’s
XL / GN Fm nail it with their playlist, 80’s music makes up the biggest portion of their playlist.
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I don’t mind a smoking oldie from the 60s. I find the 60s music stations like 2ue play can be a bit safe.
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Yes 4BH is better in that regard. And I assume Magic in Melbourne is too.
I was just looking through the Star 104.5 log from today on Lava, and it appears that 80s music has now been dropped from their playlist, as there’s not a single track from before 1990 being listed.
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I couldn’t put my finger on it but you nailed it. I was on the Central Coast a month back for a week and really tried to give the new breakfast show on Star 104.5 a go. I can’t. It’s just blah blah. I know they’re new but it’s cringeworthy, bland and boring. I listened again online yesterday and today and nothing has improved.
The station has lost its edge and point of different. Curious to why they didn’t stay with Rabbit? Or do a music breakfast show with a really good announcer?
Also what’s the go with Star 104.5’s music now? Sounds like KIIS and Nova.
Same. Not a fan of Triple M Central Coast but I have to hand it to them with Paddy and Maz. It’s a good local show. I didn’t get a chance to listen to Hit 101.3 enough but if it’s the same as Newcastle I know it would also be a good show (although not local).
Going back a coupe of years. Everywhere I went had Star 104.5 on. Now it’s Triple M or even KIIS Sydney.
I wouldn’t blame residents of the Central Coast listening to Sydney or Newcastle stations. It’s not the premium sound it was a couple years back.
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A music breakfast show would be no good on Star.
What talk content would they then have for the rest of the day or weekend?
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Valid comment. Although it has worked for SmoothFM. But their audience is a lot older. I guess you would never know until someone tries it.
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Well it had to happen eventually… 80s music has died on Star.
I was just looking at the Lava logs for the past few days, and not a single 80s track was played at all. Seems like the few remaining songs were removed from the playlist on 25 March.
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Fortunately, the Central Coast still has some great community stations like Coast FM and 93.3FM who do play some great 80s music, Triple M plays some as well.
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Seems like the last ever 80s song to be played on Star 104.5 was
Bust A Move - Young MC
At 1:01am yesterday 31 March.
Nothing since.
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It should have been “The Final Countdown” 
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I saw on RDS today that Sarge hosts afternoons on Hit101.3.
Is that NewFM’s Sarge now at SCA?
And isn’t Hit101.3 regularly networked from midday? Only local 9-12 weekdays?
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No - George Sargeant, based in Rockhampton. Covering network arvos after Harry left for Sea FM Gold Coast (mornings/breakfast producer)
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I had a listen to Star yesterday morning around 830-930am and didn’t hear an announcer on air at all during this time. I know it’s a public holiday but New FM and Hit Newcastle had local announcers on air.
The “more music variety” was a little lost on me. It was pop, pop and more pop.
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Yeah not much variety anymore.
Anyone remember the “Time Tunnel” segment during the drive show, when they played a series of songs from a specific year in the '80s or '90s? That was cool.
Even earlier (perhaps during the rockstars years), I vaguely remember they had a segment in the afternoon called “Local List” (or maybe “Local Lounge”) where Central Coast artists were invited to play two songs, an original and a cover, live on air.
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