Digital Radio - Content

Was down on the GC for a few days this week and was looking forward to sampling the DAB options, particularly Hot Tomato Gold… Must say I was very underwhelmed with HT Gold. Seemed uber safe and boring. Maybe I was unlucky but I found myself back on Breeze and Rebel on FM instead.

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They blast into Pakenham at least on my car radio. The flat terrain toward the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas from there helps, though. Any car radio worth its salt should be able to pull them in adjacent to those Melbourne community stations.

Will be interesting to see the dynamics when/if Geelong, Ipswich, Wollongong et. al get on DAB.

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I wonder if ARN will launch River Gold DAB+ or KIIS Gold DAB+ in Brisbane?

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Listening to Blender Beats Brisbane on RadioApp and it’s firing off ID’s saying, “The Central Wheatbelt’s Classic Hits Triple M”.

Hmmm. Interesting hearing Triple M ID’s amongst all the blended beats and mashups.

Somewhat ironically refreshing. Just imagine if Triple M did play pop dance beats……

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For me the best classic hits stations are WSFM/Gold 80s, Smooth 80s, Easy 80s, Magic, 3MP and 2UE. Triple M 80s has also a good playlist. Pretty much all of them are good.

HT Gold has the same playlist as River, Zinc, 2ST, is that right?

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With Zinc & 2ST, yes. As for River, no, it has a different playlist to that of the other aforementioned stations.

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I find Golds / WS playlist far to “safe” and general. I actually prefer Triple M regional as they throw in some new music to mix things up a bit

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I just noticed that Buddha Hits is gone in Perth :disappointed_relieved:, will have to listen to the Sydney version now then.

The difference between Blender Radio on DAB and Listnr is that the DAB version has ads, the Listnr version does not have ads (there’s 2 back-to-back sweepers at the ad break positions).

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Me too - nothing at all jumps out as a “wow” song on Gold/WS. Very rarely anyway. Smooth used to have a lot of originality but they too are now mostly safe and narrow.

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Most hours are near to the entire log of the ARN Regional stations that air the classic hits schedule. Including the tracks not played on analogue due to commercials, news, talk breaks.

There are pre recorded breaks for AJ/Adrian Johnston at breakfast, news on the hour and the ARN syndicated programs from the metro Gold stations.

The station would be easy to maintain as using an existing log. It was launched during the testing phase, probably to demonstrate a local commitment to digital.

I’d say most available resources are directed to research/programming/scheduling music for 102.9.

Agree @Brianc68 that the log lacks much wow factor, a safely researched schedule for smaller, regional markets that more variety wouldn’t harm most listening; an attraction for most.

It is a schedule that would appeal to much of the former long term Gold 92.5 audience as that music would have tested well for them. Fills a gap for audience choice.

Hot Tomato Ripe is a log built from scratch. Unique to the market and on the app.

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For my 2 cents worth, I applaud ARN Regional for at least having a crack at doing something different on DAB.

Hobart has 7HO River, and 7HO Classic Hits, and CADA plus KIX on DAB.

ARN could have scrapped that, day 2 after they took over, and just streamed in another station from their metro network, or worst sold/leased space to SEN.

But they didn’t, so hats off ARN.

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What format is 7HO River? And why the name “River”?

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I think,

Its the same log as Ipswich, hence River…But Hobart is a river city too, so works on a few levels.

7HO Classic hits is the Classic hits stream that most of the ARN stations in Tassie seem to take.

7HO takes the Hot Tomato log…I think.

Other will be able to 100% confirm, but I think that’s what is pumped out. All carry local ads, and local news.

KIX and CADA are national feeds that from what I can tell take no local input at all.

HAPPY TO BE CORRECTED…

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I am curious why Kix is chosen instead of iHeart country. Perhaps more investment in Kix programming whereas iHeart country just automated music without added content.

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That’s a bit odd taking the Hot Tomato log, yet having a DAB+ station with the River log.

I would’ve thought both River94.9 and Hot Tomato were quite similar.

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I guess Lava will compare all to answer that. Purely observational, it’s a relief the HT schedule is different to River.

@Brianc68, many and myself all feel the best era of River’s music was some years ago. Until MD Woody finishes up shortly, both him and PD Drew have been there throughout, yet music has changed. Perhaps a group programming decision beyond their control?

When Hot Tomato’s log was shared to then Grant stations, its focus moved a touch younger. Again, group programming demands perhaps? I guess necessary gradual evolution so as not to drift older the average audience age. Some 80’s tracks in each hour were dropped. A few 80’s track remain and rather than a a positioner mentioning specific decades, more general positioner adopted.

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I’ve been trialing 90s Soft Pop again as a pre-set in the car. There are a few lost classics popping up here and there but overall I have to say the 90s was a wasteland when it came to “pop” music. Many of the songs are bordering on cringeworthy and it’s easy to see why they’ve had no airplay since then. The 90s might have been a pretty good era for rock, grunge, alternative etc. but as far as pop music goes it was a giant step down from the 80s. Just my opinion.

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i think it depends on your age. the 90’s were my teenage years so its when i discovered music, buying tapes and going to gigs. Objectively, i know that 90’s pop wasn’t great but i don’t listen because the music is great - its nostalga for me. 97.3 90’s is one of my main presets in the car and it takes me back

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There was a lot of good pop music coming out of the UK that the Australian commercial stations just weren’t interested in playing at the time. It was a different story in NZ as the radio industry there, was much different.

The logs were terrible here, pre-nova, and it was just mainly soft-rock on most of the stations, with bland playlists.

To be fair 97.3 and River 94.9 played some good 90s and new pop songs when they launched in 2001. River actually played Dance and R&B music, which was unheard of for a commercial station at the time, during the workday and weekends, obviously with the exception of Nova.

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The early 90s were the best of it, though I too am looking through rose coloured glasses as it was when I first got into music (as a 4-6 year old)! Most of what I play from the mid to late 90s leans towards the alternative.

The early 90s did have a bit of carry over from the late 80s in any case, though.

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