It’s pretty much the same as last year, one minute they sound like a genuine AC then the next minute it’s more of a CHR. There is really nothing special about their playlist considering they sound exactly the same as Nova and Fox.
1 Like
I’d agree. KIIS101.1 is my 2nd most favourable music station behind Triple M Perth.
IMO The Fox only wins in the ratings due to its heritage.
2 Likes
CHR stations are typically built around familiarity, and the current trends in music consumption have annihilated the old model. You only have to roll back a decade or so to remember a time where there so was little musically to differentiate between an Austereo CHR and a So Fresh Hits of Winter 2008 CD.
In 2023, all three CHRs are identical: every second song on KIIS, Nova and Fox is either a recurrent or a gold track (90s or 00s). What positions KIIS differently to the other two stations is their gold selection - only digging as far back as the early 2000s. It just happens that said these tracks were also played back in the Mix days, only as currents (or recurrents).
As an aside, remember too that Mix went Hot AC for a few years prior to the KIIS relaunch (the ‘Widest Variety of Music from 2K to Today’-era). The KIIS of 2015 is definitely closer to Hot AC than the KIIS of 2023 - not just because of the music, but through content.
3 Likes
Fox was very strong even only a few years ago with far superior music selection to almost any other CHR station in the country.
That’s declining now as Fox is required to adapt to fit the flawed older demographic model of the Hit network. I wouldn’t call them a ratings winner any more. They may still be ahead in key demos, but the numbers are declining.
KIIS are now replicating what Fox were doing 3-4 years ago. It’s not surprising though - there’s a lot of ex Fox and SCA staff at ARN Melbourne now. The biggest challenge at KIIS is to remind Melbourne that 101.1 actually exists - it’s been an also-ran station for 25 years so most people don’t consider it worth trying. That is changing though.
5 Likes
Not sure how you have come to this conclusion?
Have you ever thought that it might be because they have better talent in breakfast and drive and are pretty consistent so listeners know what to expect when they tune in?
They have the same playlist as their two closest competitors so do they also come in second?
I agree with all of your post except this… how exactly are they replicating?
Incorrect, they play one 90s song every hour weekdays in what they call ‘Kisstory’ meaning they are identical to Nova and Fox or in some cases older.
Yes and they didn’t play a song older than 2000, where as after the relaunch suddenly they went older by introducing one 90s track every hour, a pretty odd move considering they were trying to skew younger.
I understand this however I find it baffling as to why we have three stations targeting exactly the same audience.
You are right! Interesting that this is contained to weekdays between 9-3 and at night (although this may now change with Zack and Dom’s late night show starting).
Also worth noting that these tracks only seem to go as far back as 1996/97, which musically is very similiar to 2000/01. It is certainly a fresher rotation than when KIIS launched, in which it played two 90s tracks at the bottom of every hour (or to split hairs, one at the bottom and one at the top - either way, two 90s songs in a row).
Fox will often go back into the early 90s for its RnB throwbacks, which I think is part of the reason for its current decline - the RnB Fridays tactic itself is dated, as are the music selections. Likewise, Nova is crticised here for having a small, yet frequent rotation of gold songs: even if the clocks are identical, the depth and scope of a playlist can make a station feel more or less stale than its competition.
For exactly the same reason you highlight - differentiation. In 2015, Fox and Nova were really hot: this is a day before RnB Fridays or Nova’s ‘best of Capital FM’ throwbacks. Matt Tilley, Jane Hall, Hughesy and Kate were not young skewing shows, and the Mix brand was being phased out: there’s an alternate history where ARN bit the bullet and rebranded all four stations as KIIS in one hit.
The perceived gap in the market wasn’t to go younger (like The Edge) but to fit the Adult CHR market. It is only now that the competition has followed suit that KIIS did the reverse.
Where Fox was a solid #1 or #2FM, I can’t blame them. 101.1 is certainly on a positive trajectory right now - you can’t say that about any other CHR in the market.
5 Likes
Snappy Tom is set to leave as producer on the Kyle and Jackie O show.
2 Likes
Leaving ARN completely?
1 Like
Zach and Dom adding Saturday breakfast, 6-8am across the network (excluding Perth) from tomorrow.
5 Likes
Perhaps a return to SCA, he was great when he was working with Ash London
3 Likes
It didnt say which network he will go but he wants to be an announcer not on KIIS.
3 Likes
Word is that ARN are upgrading their metro playout systems to Zetta from Nexgen. 96FM will be the first station to go live later this month.
This will bring the metro stations in line with the regional network and most other commercial stations (SCA, Nova, SEN, ACE, Capital, West Coast)
5 Likes
Sydney not herring Zetta for another year at least. They are last on the installation list.
3 Likes
Kyle and Jackie O producer New Nat on air at KIIS 1065 today
2 Likes
An absolute nightmare of a process from what I’m hearing too.
2 Likes
She’s been on air at KIIS for nearly three years
1 Like
2Day FM were advertising for a new daytime announcer about a month ago.
3 Likes
That’d be insane going from KIIS K&J to 2DayFM workdays.
If so, well done to SCA. I wonder what Kyle would think.
2 Likes
Not if they paid more.
4 Likes
KJ Producers are on about 80-100K a year. I doubt a workday gig at 2Day is going for that much.
2 Likes