For discussion of the Grant stations that weren’t sold to ARN in January 2022
I’ll start. Great idea for the thread @bacco007.
I’m curious to see if ‘Grants’ will still exist in the coming years. I have a feeling they’ll offload BayFM/K-Rock (to who? Maybe ACE?).
Also 6IX is a great point of discussion. Because there’s a high chance they will be granted a FM conversion in 2022/2023. Will they sell their 50%?
As for Canberra, has Kevin from Capital already done a deal to take 100% ownership off Grants?
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Ace can’t have them for the same reason ARN couldn’t have them
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I just realised that after I posted. Who would be a contender? Maybe you’ll see an investment group form to purchase Geelong. I think from memory they own the local paper too?
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There’s always a chance or splitting them up but then it’s harder to rationalise as a purchase
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Would WIN be in any position to purchase more radio stations?
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Would actually be quite a smart buy for WIN, it’s about the biggest “regional” market they aren’t an operator in, and other than waiting to be swallowed by Nine, it’s about the only kind of media investment they could make is to expand their radio network.
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I agree. This would be a great buy for WIN. They could have have the two outskirt Melbourne stations on top of their two outskirt Sydney stations. They could be a premium regional network with this. If Nine were to buy them, that would unfortunately cause another trigger to sell.
I don’t think you’ll see WIN interested in the 50% if 6IX. I would say Nova would be top contender there. I know it’s not part of Grants but 4KQ being sold as a result of the takeover. I also think Nova would be top contender there if they can sell their 50% of 97.3 to ARN.
Well, if Nine were to buy WIN, they can keep i98 in Wollongong, as it doesn’t overlap with the Sydney radio licence area. But in any case, I think Nine would probably sell off i98 anyway, probably to either SCA or ARN.
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I think from memory SCA tried to get their hands on i98 a few years back. Does ARN now own Wave in Wollongong?
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They did, back in early 2017.
Yes.
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I wouldn’t mind Capital buying the Geelong stations, not sure if they would be interested though
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Capital would burn the place down
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It would make sense for ARN to own both Wave and i98 In Wollongong, iIf that was to happen i98 would most likely join the KIIS network as they have the most younger listeners, and Wave would skew much older and join the Pure Gold network. They can then have different formats as they are no longer fiercely competing.
In Nowra ARN could launch The Edge 94.9, and 2ST could either join the Pure Gold Network or take the Power 100 log while keeping the 2ST identity.
Most likely scenario if ARN owned all stations in Wollongong and Nowra, each KIIS station and Gold station would share logs.
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Their Forever Classic and CHR music stations ate very good, would be a point of difference on the fringe of Melbourne.
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Yes and Capital already have a presence in the outer eastern suburbs so outer west is a good fit
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Was thinking probably Capital might be the best candidate, otherwise I see it as a hybrid arrangement where Grant family would technically own the station but programming would be purchased from ARN so it would still sound like the other regionals that were previously in the same group.
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Isn’t this how it’s currently being operated?
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Yep, that’s the current plan, and is an absurd thing to allow, just because they shuffled which family member owns what. Not that the regulator ever has teeth, but you may as well let ARN own them if you’re willing to let them have almost operational control.
Hopefully some of the competitors in Melbourne will jump up and down if the ACMA won’t act on their own, especially if it’s very obvious format wise that they are programming away from KIIS and Gold.
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