Was SEN using more than their allocation allowed? Perhaps this explains why Niche Radio dropped down to 24kbps mono as you observed
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Depends how you think about it - still no idea what’s going on with 3MP - they are only using 64kbps, with SEN/Niche/Rhythmos using up parts of the rest of their 128kbps. Those bits freed up have just done nothing.
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Nova used to be reasonably consistent, but looks like that’s out the window now
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We now have Nova 90’s in Brisbane.
Like you an email will be sent today from me at my anger Smooth Relax is gone.
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Good. It’s the only way they will be aware that people aren’t happy.
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Assuming this is permanent (and not a test), I think I know exactly what they’ll be doing. They’ll be risking losing DAB+ listeners in order to save money.
Given that the existing Smooth Relax offering hasn’t changed outside of Brisbane, I suspect Smooth 80s, Smooth 90s, Nova 90s, Nova Noughties and Nova 10s are designed to be internet/app streams. The downside to this for Nova Ent. is that internet radio stations have to pay higher music royalties to the PPCA, so how do you get around this?
Simple: don’t be an internet radio station. Be a terrestrial radio station.
For the same reason, Smooth Chill is (was?) broadcast in Adelaide, and a few interstate variants of Coles Radio is broadcast at unbelievably low bitrates in Brisbane. (Why Brisbane? That’s where the Coles stations are programmed from.)
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You reckon they could also bring back NovaNation while they’re at it?
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Well, Capital Dance just launched in the UK, so give it 18 months.
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quite appropriate really, people are angry because they can’t ‘relax’.
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I still have Smooth Relax in Melbourne. They have Smooth 80s on Brisbane? I’m jealous.
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Same in Sydney.
Don’t be. It’s indistinguishable from Easy 80s Hits.
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And where they have the most capacity, being the only market where they bought excess capacity.
As I understand it from a contact who used to work in programming some of the DAB+ stations, DAB+ was (possibly still is) classified as experimental so they didn’t have to pay any royalties on them. (And yes, as you said, that extended to the streaming simulcast). It’s possibly that semi-frequent changes are required to keep the experimental status.
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So on top of those, there’s a “Nova Throwbacks” on their website - does anywhere have this on DAB? Seems like a better neutral choice than the 00s station to have as the only one in a market.
Hi, does anyone know what happen to Smooth Chill radio station (aka Koffee)?
I know there was a huge uproar last year when they tried to scrap Koffee in favour of Smooth Relax, then later backtracked and restored Koffee as Smooth Chill.
However, I just noticed yesterday that Smooth Chill seems to have vanished from the website and the Radioapp mobile app. I can only see Smooth FM, Smooth Relax, Smooth 80s, Smooth 90s.
Smooth Relax is fine (I think it’s better than Smooth FM), but I still want Smooth Chill for the more modern chill-out hits.
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You could try listening to the UK version of Smooth Chill on the Global Player app. It is not geo blocked.
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Why is ELF radio just repeating the same stuff over and over again! There are other Christmas songs too!
You’d have to agree that BOG does the best when it comes to offering variety with its DAB+ stations.
If 2SM was owned by one of the Big 3, we’d probably end up with 2SM Country, 2SM Sport and 2SM+.
I much prefer what we’ve got (even if they spend more time off air than on).
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It’s interesting you say that, as none of FUN, Gorilla, ZOO and 2SM have had any DAB issues in the last couple of months, apart from a clicking noise issue that was on 2SM a couple of weeks ago (I haven’t checked lately). Hopefully they have these issues largely sorted out now.
And very true re their different approach to programming.
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Hope BOG keeps it up. Another small player in Melbourne had a good variety of stations on DAB too once. KOOOL and AUSSIE were popular stations.
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