Yes exactly. The existing 6iX listeners have to move to FM anyway so just as easy to direct them to 96 as it is to 91.3 or 104.9. And this way you donât risk losing the current 96FM audience by going KIIS. Better to start from scratch with KIIS on 91.3/104.9
Of course if any of that happens ARN would have to sell out of Nova 93.7
The submissions have now been published: FM broadcasting services band in the Perth RA1 licence area - consultation 17/2021 | ACMA
Some light afternoon reading thereâŚ
You bet me to it. 
Have been reading through several submissions past 20mins.
At this stage of reading, option 1 would most likely be adopted.
The Western Sports submission is hilarious! So badly written and full of errors.
The submissions are all so very predictable. Apart from Alan Hughesâ assertion that the only way forward is to switch off all AM and FM stations and rely on DAB+ to save electricity.
Oh, and the idea of opening FM up to 76 to 87.5 at they do in Japan, and more recently Brazil.
Allow me to summarise ARN, SCA and Novaâs arguments against the options.
Is always interesting reading Alanâs thoughtful submissions.
Community broadcasters are often hit hardest financially when frequency & transmission changes are required & then thereâs planning & organising within a given time frame. Hopefully their community & the CBF come to their rescue if & when the time comes.
The same âalanhâ of DTVForum infamy I assume 
, in which case itâs absolutely predictable. Heâs had far crazier ideas in the past.
The one and only! 
I personally think Option #1 (all ABC & commercial AM station converting to FM) is the one weâll most likely see adopted.
The âshut down all AM/FM and rely on DAB+â proposal from Alan Hughes is laughable. Unless Digital Radio services are transmitted at bitrates that allow sound quality equal to or better than FM (the audio quality of some DAB+ channels is more comparable to AM than a CD), then Iâd probably be totally against the idea of FM services ever being switched off.
CBAA has a pretty good idea in its submission, allowing the community radio sector to transmit their radio services via next generation digital television licencing/multiplexing. With the ABC and SBS now transmitting most of their radio channels via Digital TV, I wouldnât be against the idea of community & commercial stations in each city being allowed to transmit via terrestrial TV in the future. But realistically it probably wonât happen as TV licence areas donât quite cover the same area as radio licences do, especially in regional areas.
LOL, as if the five stations which could possibly receive an FM conversion arenât already broadcasting via these means!
One could perfectly understand why SCA arenât happy, but youâd think ARN and Nova Entertainment would see the 6IX/6PR FM conversions as an opportunity to potentially buy these stations and form Sydney/Melbourne-like duopolies (with stations in both the Nova/Smooth and KIIS/Pure Gold networks) once Capital and Nine have done all the hard work of converting them.
My comments on some of the submissions:
Sport FM - It would be fair that the commercial service moving onto that frequency shares some/all of their costs of moving them off that frequency, and a contribution towards helping their promotion of their shift.
SEN - Interesting that they have taken the approach of arguing that they should also be on FM, rather than instead trying to leverage a commercial AM license out of the situation. I think itâs a bit much trying to claim itâs unfair that a narrowcast license is treated differently to a commercial or national license.
Mollo - The FM band extension is something Iâve advocated for in the past on here - thereâs no alternate usage proposed for it, so would be very good for expanded DRM+ trials or LPONs and HPONS. Indeed if SEN want to switch from AM, it should be into the top end of an expanded FM band.
SCA - well what would you expect. If they canât operate economically having one of a tiny number of commercial radio licenses in one of the biggest cities in the country - sell it to someone who can. Thereâs no âcurrent economic climateâ that theyâd ever say âsure, more licenses are fineâ.
6IX - I like the exactly one mention of DAB in the whole document. That bad AM or the tiny FM translators are their listeners only choice. Should they get a conversion just because they are bad at communicating the benefits of Digital to their listener base?
Nova - I like that their argument in favour of not expanding FM contains a table showing that of the 4 FM commercial stations, thereâs only two unique formats in their eyes, âGreatest Hitsâ and âRock Musicâ. Unlike SCA, they donât even consider the minimal change option for the ABC getting 1 conversion as okay. I somewhat agree 6PR/6IX should have to pay a fee to convert - perhaps this could be suspended for 10 years and only triggered by a change of ownership?
6PR - I like that they concede that the ABC needs to be converted and object to the options that leave the ABC on AM. I suppose itâs enemy of my enemy stuff.
KCR - I like that theyâve asked for access to DAB as an alternative/supplement. They make a good point.
CBAA - It is absurd how low the bitrates are for cramming in the community stations, they are right to ask for a second DAB+ frequency to fix that.
Nice summary. In short NOBODY wants AM, everybody wants FM (except the FM incumbents), and DAB is in the too hard basket for both the major/national AM and FM operators. The Option 1 will only make sense if: a) Nova and ARN are playing the self-interest card to avoid revealing their true intent: pounce on 6iX if it gets a free AM-FM conversion, and b) Filling up the FM slots will prevent any future new FM commercial licenses to be auctioned off. The devil may be in the cost for the community stations complaining about changing frequency (how expensive is that??) and transmitter site (yep, that will kill the bottomline I agree). If they canât relocate then the new high powered FM stations will not happen (or be hobbled).
Another Option is DRM+, in which the AM Transmitter gets Converted into Sending Long Digital Signals.
Itâs not so much the cost of changing frequencies itâs the fact theyâve built up an audience on that frequency but Community Radio have effectively been given their frequency for free so should be the first to move in a shakeup.
Perhaps Sport FM could shift to Perth RA1 and become an AM station (using an existing AM transmitter). SEN could also go full power on AM and whoever wants to stay on AM can be there too.
If ARN was to buy 6IX, I reckon they should move 96FM more towards KIIS, given thereâs already KIIS elements on there. 96 could operate in a similar fashion to 97.3 and Mix 102.3. They have already softened their format since the launch of Triple M Perth. Just get rid of the 60âs and 70s and focus on 80âs to now. Leave the oldies to the new 6IX on FM.
6IX could become Pure Gold alongside WSFM and Gold 104.3, not too distant from what theyâre airing now. Would be too bigger change to blow up 6iX and have a full KIIS station, there would be too much backlash.
SCA would be nervous about a potential ARN duopoly.
I can see pros and cons of blowing up 6iX. But donât forget those 6iX listeners have got to move anyway from 1080 to somewhere on FM. I also think itâs unlikely ARN would retain the 6iX name on FM.
I really hope they leave 6IX as is. And just convert to FM. 2WS had great success with this is the early days. 2UW changing names to MIX I donât think really had the immediate success they hope for as I felt it was very low key. I think it worth just saving money keep 6IX as is and see if it climbs the ratings with a little bit of promotion. A bit like what they have done with 2XL. Give it 12 months if is still a âlow rating stationâ then sell it/change the format. I believe if WSFM stuck to hits and memories today I think it would still be still successful (similar to itâs success today).
I completely agree thatâs what they should do. But knowing them I doubt thatâs what they would do.
I agree. 6IX needs the chance to prove itself on FM. Would be a waste to see the brand disappear in the conversion process.
In a parallel universe if 2UW persisted with 2UW it would be interesting where it would be today. I am sure if the Kyle and Jackie O show was on 2UW it would still rate. Not sure if the golden oldies format would be work though. I would love if 2KA was still on air up in the mountains even if it is name only.