A couple of thoughts.
-
There is talk that ALL AM.stations will get the chance to move to FM in the future, perhaps ARN are hoping for that?
-
SEN 1323 has already been tried and failed in Adelaide.
4 Likes
It might not be that profitable but I doubt it costs that much to run either. A national Gold network, even if it includes stations on AM/DAB (Adelaide) and DAB only (Brisbane, Perth and Gold Coast - Hot Tomato Gold just drop the Hot Tomato bit) would have to add incremental revenue to Gold 104/WS. Even if they networked it completely in the other cities. Monetizing DAB only stations isnât easy but it helps with a national footprint. Look at Smooth on DAB in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
It just seems like such a no brainer that wouldnât cost much at all. Sometimes I really wonder whatâs going on at ARNâŚ
7 Likes
I was recently in Perth and I was listening to 96FM. I donât understand how that station isnât part of the Gold Network. It has the exact same slogan as the other Gold stations - âBetter Music and More of Itâ and has basically the same format of music too.
They also take the absolute most minimal possible versions of Will and Woody and Kyle & Jackie O - I listened a couple of days in a row and they typically only played about 2 short talk breaks (so maybe a total maximum of 5-7 minutes of talk) and for each show they didnât play the first talk break until at least 30 minutes into the hour, the first half hour of each show was just music.
The only networked show where they played a regular number of talk breaks spread across the entire hour was: The Christian OâConnell Show - a show from the Gold Network.
Everything about how that station is programmed screams the Gold Network and yet itâs part of the KIIS network. 
I know thereâs xyz technical sales department reasons why itâs better in the accounting booking to be branded as a KIIS station (that I donât understand because Iâm not in the industry), but yea - it does puzzle me haha.
6 Likes
For sure - I think they could easily make a decent number of national music formats to create a well rounded digital offering, using their regional and streaming formats. A Power 100 based rock format, a Cruise based Classic Hits format, Gold/KIIS into the markets without them, and then reworking Cada and iHeartDance into stronger stations for those niches.
But for whatever reason their digital radio strategy is a long way behind SCAâs - and their recent results with boosted performance for Listnr shows they are probably getting a lot right in that area.
What would make sense for ARN and what they do seem to often differ wildly, hence assuming the worst outcome for Cruise.
4 Likes
It wonât happen, but wouldnât it be interesting if 2MMMâs big surprise is that Jonesy & Amanda are doing Sydney breakfast, with the newly rebranded Gold101.7 taking Christian OâConnell from Gold104.3 MelbourneâŚ
3 Likes
No. No. No.
2 Likes
Thanks ARN for confirming that WSFM is becoming Gold101.7! 
1 Like
would sorta explain why they would want to suddenly rebrand if that was the case
2 Likes
Hopefully something happens to 973 here in Brisbane.
5 Likes
Agree, but probably wonât given how hellbent they seem to be on taking Kyle and Jackie O nationally.
Itâs not happening.
I tthought ARN would of learnt from Adelaide with SEN. They should of sold 4KQ to ACE instead of SEN. The only reason ARN went with SEN was SEN offeried more money than ACE did. The downside was the death of 4kq which looked like ARN did not care for.
They should of gone for less money but the upside 4kq would of been still online and laurel gary and mark would not lost their jobs
ACE would of kept 4kq as a Classic Hits station inline with Magic 1278 in Melbourne and 4bh as a Easy Music Station inline with 2ue Sydney and 3mp Melbourne
Hopelly Craig Hutcherson enjoyed wasting his money turning a top rating classic station into a low rating Sports Station
Maybe soon Craig hopelly sells the 4kq License to ACE when he relizes he is losing money with it, same with the 2ch license in Sydney
4 Likes
Selling 4KQ to SEN also eliminated effective competition in the market - at least, that was the thinking at the time. I donât think anyone saw 4BH, which is run on the smell of an oily rag, rising to its current heights.
8 Likes
Thatâs usually how sales work. Go to the highest bidder. Itâs a business transaction, not an emotional one
Why should they? Would you go for less money if you were selling something?
They were selling an asset. What SEN do with that afterwards is not ARNâs concern.
7 Likes
I donât think thatâs really comparable to the current SEN. The original SEN 1323 was virtually a 100% feed of SEN Melbourne which was still establishing and wasnât do too well in Melbourne either.
SEN now already have an Adelaide station, with local programming in breakfast and drive thatâs supposedly making money. If anything theyâd benefit from having a licence further down the band where they can reach a wider audience.
4 Likes
Yet the logo is yellow
7 Likes
Who had money on WSFM rebranding before 2Day?
I donât see why they didnât just do Cruise too.
4 Likes
That logo looks so dodgy
6 Likes