If you could create the perfect radio station...

Radio, Print, and Online General Radio and Digital
61

I’ve been thinking about Macquarie Sports Radio over the Christmas break and given the recent change in ownership due to the Fairfax/Nine merger there’s opportunity for a complete format change of the stations 954/1278/882.

Rename the network with Nine branding: Radio 9

Weekdays:
0600-0900: Wide World of Sports Breakfast (same format as current MSR breakfast show with localised versions into Melbourne and Sydney)
0900-1130: 90s at Nine (Good use of the 9 in the branding, 90s music at work)
1130-1200: Simulcast of the 9 Morning News
1200-1400: Lunchtime music programming with interviews and flashbacks to old top 40 charts. Hosted by Barry Bissell and Keven Hillier.
1400-1600: Wide World of Sports Drive (mix of music and sport talk back hosted by Mark Allen and David Schwarz)
1600-1700: Simulcast of the local 9 News at 4pm
1700-1800: Talkback of the day’s news events hosted by a 9 News presenter. Good opportunity for cross-promotion on 9 News.
1800-1900: Simulcast of the local 9 News at 6pm
1900-2200: Replay “best of the day” content from 2GB/4BC/3AW/6PR with a mix of music.
2200-0000: Replay of Money News with Ross Greenwood
0000-0600: Overnight music and live sport (eg. EPL)

1 Like
62

I can’t say I’d listen, but it does meet the criteria of being relatively low cost and hopefully the lunchtime music session wouldn’t fall foul of the rumoured 2CH sale clause of “no music”.

The two main challenges - I don’t see how it would drag in new listeners and many sports rights broadcast deals are multi year contracts and therefore the dollars may already be locked in.

63

I’d suggest it would still provide live sport on weekends and over night. For example just like in 2018 - 2GB’s call of SOO and the NRL grand final into Melbourne, AFL Nation into Sydney and Brisbane and Test Cricket and Big Bash Nation in all markets. It would just not be 100% sport as it is now.

I forgot about this. When does the rumoured clause end I wonder? As the station is not 100% music maybe they’d be exempt anyway.

64

An intriguing format you have there!

My only thoughts are:

Probably a 70s or 80s music format would be a better fit than 90s as the likely sports audience would be 40+ males

The 5pm 9 News talkback program could erode the 9 News 6pm audience, unless maybe it’s a big news day.

I’m not convinced about the 7pm “best of the day” segment though. An evening talk/music program along the lines of the “Australia By Night” program that SCA does in regional markets might work?

(nb. Assumes that there are no music format restrictions applicable as many here suspect are in force for 954, including moi).

1 Like
65

Any restriction on format would have to have a time limit to be enforceable - most likely 2 or 3 years - so it probably won’t be in force for much longer if it does indeed exist.

2 Likes
66

I feel it is almost a restraint of trade in my view to restrict a format. Once you buy a station it should be no strings attached. Like the old days you buy a radio only listen to one station?

67

That’s why it can only be for a “reasonable” short period of time, and the conditions are essentially paid for by the purchaser in the sale price.

For example, if you were to sell a pizza shop the contract would probably say something like you couldn’t open another competing store within 5kms in the next year - with such a clause, the shop sell for more money than without it.

With specific conditions that have an end date, it’s more selling the right to avoid that competition than restraint of trade (which in most cases is illegal).

4 Likes
68

Thanks thats a good way of putting it.

However, I guess if you open a pirate station would agree with this, but not a big city like Sydney, as the market is not just restricted to a small area in Sydney, like a pizza shop would be. And no music stations are exactly the same.

But lots of gentlemans agreements between media giants, like the one Seven did with Foxtel (or vice versa), with coverage on mens international one day & T20 cricket only being on pay tv. I think this was similar. It might not be legally binding.

69

I feel the trouble with the FM stations today (and to a limited extent am stations) they want to restrict the format. One thing why I am fan of SWR they most play the full spectrum of “popular music”. You might want not much extreme heavy rock for example , or rap but they should not restrict too far the other way, where for example you only play a couple of the Elton Johns “flogged” songs.

So my ideal radio station is to play some new and old with a more diverse list of the songs from the 60s to today of both pop and rock. SWR is my favourite and I think commercial radio should learn from them :slight_smile:.

3 Likes
70

NOW FM

6:00am Breakfast with Kyle and Jackie O
9:00am The Freshest Hits (songs from only the last few months would be played)
12:00pm continuous music
3:00pm After Hours with Shura Taft (a chat show, networked)
6:00pm New Music First on Mondays-Wednesdays, Throwback Thursday on Thursdays and Flashback Friday on Fridays
7:00pm Your Countdown with Ash London (count down the top 30 or so as voted by you, also include celebrity interviews on an intermittent basis)
10:00pm Best from Abroad
12:00am-6:00am continuous music

News updates
Between 7:00am-12:00pm - Michelle Stephenson
Between 1:00pm-7:00pm - Clinton Maynard

3 Likes
71

For people who love music, variety is the key. 20 years ago country or regional stations were the best for this. Today it all to narrow and “safe” and more about “content” than a good announcer and a good playlist.

Back in the day it was a good breakfast show, then a live announcer every 3 or 4 hours thru to 19:00 for a rock 30 or like night show.

7 Likes
72

Hahaha that is a joke right :rofl:

2 Likes
73

:rofl::joy:

1 Like
74

You are absolutely right, but the same can be said about NXFM (sorry can’t bring myself to call it HIT106.9 that name change is horrendous. Radio stations need to go back to basic programming with older presenters, ones that don’t sound like 16 year olds.

When NEWFM started on the 14th April 1989 that’s what they did and they quickly established themselves as a rock station. And around 2008 they were so big their broadcast could be heard from the NSW/Victoria border in the south, north to the Sunshine Coast in QLD and West to Broken Hill, with an audience size of 7 million people.

The downfall of NEWFM started in 1999 when Broadcast Operations Group bought the station. And it went downhill VERY FAST in both quality & ratings, and has just continued to decline ever since.

NEW-FM remained the city’s top station for its first four years, keeping about 30% of listeners. While NX couldn’t break the 10% mark.

The Mobbs & Fletch Show weeknight show is still (I believe) the most listened to radio programme in Newcastle EVER. Nightly it’s estimated they had 80% of available listening audience almost every night.

The rest of the programming was pretty basic like, Gavin Morris’ Desperate & Dateless. Rick Mansions 105 Songs in a Row which aired from late afternoon every Saturday. Party Hard later on Saturday night. Oz Made Sunday, The Complete CD on Sundays. But it maintained it’s rock format and didn’t flip flop formats.

They could do it again very easily if they wanted to. A Rock format, basic but fun shows, great music. And play on the fact NEWFM is still the original 105.3 NEWFM that’s been rockin’ Newcastle since 1989.

Sorry for the long rant.

8 Likes
75

With the mess that is the SCA rebranding of the Hit Network (and the thread thrown into chaos), I’ll just throw a few ideas out there of what I feel personally should happen.

Strand 1; Hit Network (for CHR’s, in complex markets or ones with lots of competition or coverage overlap, town’s hit music station)
Fox, B105, Townsville/Cairns, Sea CC/GC, digital/online in other markets as (station name) Hits
Basically just runs modern pop music with limited pre 00’s, things that fit the current style of music, and trending music.

Strand 2; Sunny Network (That sunny feeling, or your/town’s feel good station)
SAFM, Mix 94.5, TTT, Most regionals other than above mentioned, digital/online in other markets as (station name) Sunny, replaces Hit Easy.
Pure Hot AC, based off Heart FM UK, Lite US, etc, positioned as a more upbeat and diverse Smooth, similar to the former Mix, or present Hit Network. Basically those that run 80’s-now playlists.

Strand 3; HitNRG Network (NRG Powering up your day, Station name the rhythm/NRG of suburb name)
2Day, FM104.7, digital/online in other markets as (station name) NRG, replaces Hit Dance.
Pure rhythmic AC, plays limited rock/pop, more high energy music 80’s-now, high energy jocks, basically trying to take Edge head on, with a hybrid approach. George FM would be a good example.

Strand 4; HitStory (HitStory takes you back, Songs you thought were HitStory)
Digital/Online only, replaces Oldskool.
80’s-10’s, wide freeform pop based playlist, revolves around a certain year per hour/2hrs. Based off the Cold 30 and the like. Carries AT40, old episodes of Hot 30, etc.

Strand 5; SunnyKids. (Sunny music for sunny kids)
Digital/Online only, replaces Little Fox.
Slightly more kid friendly music, Radio Disney but older.

A tentative strand 6 could be either HitRocks (Rock based 00’s-now, basically MMM Modern Rock), or CalmNRG (Hit Buddha rebranded), depending on market.

6 Likes
76

Love it, but I wouldn’t use the name “Sunny”. Maybe reintroduce it as the “Today Network” stations?

2 Likes
77

Yeah, I was debating on positive yet generic names that didn’t require having to use Today. (which implies current rather than a mixture of 80’s-now.)
I figured Mix is still most likely ARN trademarked outside of Perth, so that’s out, Blend is too close to Bland (Bland network would be painful), Heart is probably too overused, Star would also have potential usage, however that would be possibly having issues with NE.
Sunny is a name that hasn’t been used in Australia, and has a nice bubbly connotation with it, very similar to the energy I’m sure that the stations would be trying to convey.

1 Like
78

True that Mix is probably taken. So too is Mixx.

Maybe Mixxx? :rofl:

2 Likes
79

Not enough stations branded Mixx. Hopefully Ace re-brand TRFM, Edge FM and Coast FM all to Mixx sometime soon.

I also expect to see 3MP become “Easy Mixx 3MP”.

</sarcastic rant>

4 Likes
80

To avoid clogging up the ratings thread with suggestions, I’m just going to move this here.

Best advice I can say to Gemma, just go looking at trends in the US/UK before you flipflop between old-school and CHR for the nth time… What is making waves there and showing something new and exciting? What doesn’t Sydney have, that has potential?

Moving 104.1 to an Alt/Indie format, close to FBI but a bit more mainstream, basically a commercial JJJ, or Nova during the early days, mightn’t be the worst idea, leaving 104.9 the opportunity of being more classic rock based.
Or an LGBT-based format, with dance/chill for something more unique, as has started popping up in the UK/US. Whilst it may not be as advertiser friendly, being less safe is something you need to do.

Thinking outside of the square isn’t the worst idea, and now is the best time to do it. Your cumes are low, your ratings are low, and you’re the lowest commercial FM. Experiment whilst you can, try new things, because clearly something isn’t working, and whilst K&J are around, you’re better off just letting Kiis and Nova duke it out, rather than trying to compete or become the next WSFM.

Just think different. Make a different sound. Push the boundaries. Be unique and the people will come.

6 Likes