Off-Topic, if ARN hadn’t bought the station & was instead sold to someone like Grant Broadcasters, chances are that it would still be focused on Western Sydney & the Blue Mountains.
1 Like
Probably also 2WS would be in the same boat. From Penrith to Parramatta; Campbelltown to Castle Hill. Forever Classic 2WS FM 101.7.
1 Like
They’re also trying for a different audience on weekends too. They have AIR News just airing on weekends (same as Salt 106.5 Sunshine Coast).
Seven News simulcast is only Monday to Friday as well.
I used to correspond regularly with former One FM announcer Ian Taylor back in the 90’s and I remember him telling me in 1997 around the time Mike Walsh was looking for a buyer that “an Adelaide mob are interested in buying the station”. Not sure who that Adelaide mob was but things would have been entirely different if they bought it and not ARN.
2 Likes
I don’t know who the Adelaide mob might have been, but, yes it could’ve been another Hit or Triple M station now, you know Austereo was originally an Adelaide company, all starting from SAFM.
I can’t remember when they bought FOX & 2DAY, I think it was after '97 when they merged with Triple M also, but that all might have been earlier around '92, it was still all run out of Adelaide though as Austereo.
3 Likes
Starter FM is proud to launch our new 2020 Imaging package (Saturday the 26th, 9AM) and The Hawkesbury’s first local news service (Monday the 28th, 6AM).
8 Likes
I really hope this station takes off.
3 Likes
Same here, if they get a TCL I will be listening.
This could be the best thing since Wild Fm.
I hope ACMA approves their application.
3 Likes
Then challenge it when their licence is up for renewal. Make a submission.
1 Like
I’ll be tuning in. 
1 Like
You’ll hear a familiar voice on Monday at 6am.
1 Like
Yes catch @DJPizarro, every hour 6-9am and 4-6pm weekdays for the latest news from The Hawkesbury and around NSW with Starter News Beat.
4 Likes
Apparently Vision has stopped producing weekend news bulletins so some Christian community stations are taking AIR News just on weekends.
So far it looks like 96Five Brisbane and Salt 106.5 Sunshine Coast but may be more to follow.
2 Likes
I think Juice 107.3 on the Gold Coast also aired Vision News - but they don’t have any significant weekend programming to speak of.
I’m more surprised that Hope Media hasn’t yet expanded their Hope News service onto 96five as part of the ‘co-mission’ strategy. Certainly would be a cost saver I would have thought - and reports could be tailor made to the local market.
I know 96five has had their struggles over the years, but the picture according to last years financial report submitted to the ACNC paints a fairly rosey picture.
They had revenue of over 3 million dollars, with 1.4 million of that from sponsorship, and 1.5 million from donations. At least 1.8 million of that went back to employee expenses. And still had over 330,000 on hand at the end of last year.
It also says they have 17 full-time, 8 part-time and 8 casual staff - on top of 60 volunteers.
2 Likes
2MCR 100.3 Campbelltown seems to be having technical issues, just broadcasting dead air tonight.
2 Likes
A report in the NT News today has indicated Charles Darwin University has Territory FM on the chopping block as it’s running at a loss.
It found that last year childcare, Territory FM, accommodation services at the Casuarina, Alice Springs and Katherine campuses, and the CDU Art Gallery “collectively made a loss of $815,100 (with $406,000 of that allocated to VET)”.
If CDU chooses to scrap the station, would there be any new licensees interested? The only one I could really think of is Channel 9 (they currently do news for the station and the 6:00pm simulcast obviously)
Territory FM’s audience is quite large but Grant Broadcasters Hot 100 is still ahead in the area.
3 Likes
My take on this is that Territory FM is a community station. A community station must not be operated for profit or be part of a profit-making enterprise according to the act. So, Nine can’t purchase the station.
As a community station, it can’t really be sold. It would be a matter of handing in the licence and then it being re-allocated by ACMA. Then the assets could be sold to the new licencee.
6 Likes
Yes, that’s what I meant - apologies.
It’s sad but it was gonna happen anyway.
The station spends way too much so the local content/viability ratio is really out of whack. The majority of hosts in the station are paid unlike other community stations. Territory FM also has very little to no opportunities available for students on campus despite being operated by CDU.
It’s time for a new licensee I reckon.
2 Likes
Nights with Alice Cooper, American Top 40, the same (paid) hosts everyday. How is this allowed to even broadcast as a community station? Appalling. Almost as bad as religious stations.
7 Likes
I had a bit to do with Territory FM back in the late 90s and early 00s. It would be sad to see it go.
Now days it sounds more like a commercial station and it does give a good point of difference to the Grant stations with its Adult Rock format.
The problem in Darwin is the lack of music variety with its commercial stations. Darwin really needs one or two more commercial station’s.
And yes It does need to run like a community station.
3 Likes