ARN Regional (formerly Grant Broadcasters)

Is KT&M going to be broadcasted on all Grant stations? 98.1 Power Fm are taking it as a “drive” in 2018.

Magic is taking Kate Tim and Marty and not SCA’s content afaik

According to their website, Hot 91 on the Sunshine Coast is airing it at 5pm. I can’t find any info for other Grant stations on whether they’re taking it or not.

With that in mind, it will be interesting on whether 7HO in Hobart will air “Kate, Tim & Marty” up against “Hughesy & Kate” on hit100.9 & “Kennedy Molloy” on Triple M, leaving the Tasmanian capital with not having a single local drive program on any of the local commercial stations.
This would lead to an interesting situation in which Launceston, Tasmania’s 2nd largest city, would still have at least one local drive program on a local commercial station (LAFM), whilst its sister station (Chilli) would take “Kate, Tim & Marty”.

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It would appear that Nova are syndicating KT&M as a delayed 5-7pm shift, probably on all of the Grant, ACE and Super Radio CHR stations

Waste.

So not only networked, but not even live and unable to take live callers.

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I reckon that’s bs, why can’t they do it live for? I can only think of advantages to both the regional station and Nova having the show live.

Going live might be achievable for Grants but there’s no way BOG could do it. It would require them to take Nova’s playlist and not their own “Best Music” format.

BOG enjoy having K&J interview Bieber then playing Cold Chisel. It won’t be any different with KT&M.

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Not going live would also be a technical limitation that the regionals are too cheap to pay to overcome.
Nova only use IP links for connections between their stations, and that wouldn’t suitable for a lot of regional stations.

Grant Broadcasters don’t have any way of transmitting a live program to multiple stations - they best they have is ISDN/Tieline links which are really only good for distribution to a small number of stations. All their networked shows are recorded and then inserted as voice tracks into local playout systems.

That really shouldn’t be an excuse though - Macqauire’s satellite system is easy to use, but it would come with a cost of about $52,000 a year ($10 per hour per downlink site capped at $100 per hour).

I also don’t see how music is much of a factor. All these stations do have a CHR skew even if it contains more 80s and 90s - so 2 hours of CHR during a show they only plays something like 8 songs shouldn’t be that big a deal.

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Having just looked at their website and 7HO are indeed airing “Kate, Tim & Marty” from 5-7pm weeknights, followed by “Fitzy & Wippa” from 7-9pm weeknights.

Nova must be giving away this content for next to nothing simply to build a footprint. Camerons are well known for not spending money if they don’t have to.

So does that mean 7HO will have to change its slogan from ‘100% Hobart’ to 'About 75% Hobart"…:crazy_face:

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Well, when Triple M announced that “Kennedy Molloy” will do national drive from this year, this would’ve been the best opportunity for 7HO on proving themselves on being “100% Hobart” by having a point-of-difference on being local compared to the other two commercial stations, even if it was only for the 5-6pm hour.

But instead, they went down the same route as its SCA rivals, leaving the Tasmanian capital without having a single local drive program on any of its commercial stations after 5pm, whilst Launceston & North-West Tasmania still have their local drive programs on their commercial stations until 6pm. As a result, ABC Radio Hobart is now the only major radio station in Hobart to be local, in which its local drive program airs until 6:30pm.

The comments on 7HO’s Facebook page are worth a read:

Hello Team, just wondering why you have changed the drive home format and are no longer 100% Hobart.
I was very disappointed this afternoon and not at all happy within the first 10 minutes of the Kate, Tim and Marty show.

Why do we have a mainland radio station doing drive home? What was wrong with the previous format. I thought 7HO FM was supposed to be 100% Hobart.

Don’t like Kate,Tim and Marty drive home show. I WANT LIVE AND LOCAL DRIVE HOME NOT SOME MAINLAND RUBBISH. Bad enough having to put up with Fitzie and Wippa before. WE LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT LOCAL STUFF NOT CRAP FROM THE MAINLAND.

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Shows in the production quality of the station… poor

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I 100% agree, local programming is what has won 7HO multiple ratings over the last few years.

Look at ABC Hobart, local and live (out of Hobart) in key shift’s and they continually lead the ratings pack.

The reality is 7HO haven’t been ‘100% Hobart’ for some time. They carry programming such as ‘20/20 retro countdown’ and a Saturday morning sport show (the name of which escapes me) which I am guessing is played out locally but is produced at a network level.

I wonder if 7HO/Grants could have taken a different tack, and produce a Tasmanian based drive show for all its non-hit music stations. Tackle Tasmanian issues, interview the news makers of the day etc.

Brian Carlton’s ‘Tasmania Talks’ program, based in Launceston, seems to be hugely popular in the markets it serves, maybe a statewide drive News/Talk/Music show on 7HO could replicate that success.

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Off The Bench? If so (and I believe 7HO does take it), it is produced externally by Crocmedia.

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Grant Broadcasters managing director Janet Cameron has received a Medal of the Order of Australia in this year’s Australia Day awards list for service to broadcast media.

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Is that setting a precedent for Bill Caralis or Bruce Gordon to get one :scream:

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I don’t think Gordon would appreciate the medal awarded to Cameron. Being named a Knight in the Bermuda Queen’s Birthday honours sounds more elegant - I’d say he’d be clamouring for one of those.

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Janet’s the Queen of counting her pennies, the awarding panel must value this highly.

Agreement with 9 to simulcast Brisbane 6pm bulletin seems to have ended with River 949.

It leaves only 7 News simulcast via 965

9 News Bris and GC news remain simulcast on the Gold Coast on Christian community broadcaster, Juice 107.3.

It is a shame 9 haven’t found another partner to simulcast their Brisbane bulletin. The audio simulcast provides great brand leverage for 9 or anyone doing the same and with River’s fortuitous coverage area, very helpful to tune in.

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