Nine Radio (Talk)

So middawns in Melbourne… would 131 873 go to 3AW or Magic? Or would 13 13 32 at middawns go to TL?

If 3AW takes Michael McLaren, they will use 131 873, just as they do for Steve Price.

If the existing 3AW overnight show stays, I’d imagine they’ll keep 13 13 32.

If the current 3AW overnight show moves to Magic/Talking Lifestyle, my expectation is they would change phone number to the number currently used by 2UE/Talking Lifestyle (13 12 83) to keep it in line with every other show on the station. What would happen if people dial 13 13 32 in this scenario? Who knows! It could ring out or Macquarie could route the calls to one show or the other. It’s entirely possible that Macquarie could dump the 13 13 32 number entirely and make 3AW use 131 873 for all shows and perform location-based routing on it like Fairfax did when 2UE and 3AW used 13 13 32 simultaneously.

2 Likes

I just checked https://www.talkinglifestyle.com.au/shows/ (2ue) takes 3aw’s overnight shows so that might change

1 Like

There is an oddity at the moment in that the number for overnights on 2UE Talking Lifestyle remains 13 13 32 as the show comes from 3AW. That was of course 2UE’s number for many many years. They are trying to wean people off it and get them to dial 13 12 83 for all other shows, then they tell people that for overnights you still dial 13 13 32. I don’t know why they couldn’t simply re-route 13 12 83 for overnights and use split links when giving out the number.

I understand that dialling 13 13 32 in the Sydney area still gets you through to the 2UE Talking Lifestyle Sydney studio outside of overnights although they no longer mention the number on air other than for overnights.

1 Like

Until recently I thought that the significant time difference between the east and west coasts would rule out any major networking on 6PR other than syndicated pre-records like the House of Wellbeing. However, I now agree networking on 6PR is the logical next step, certainly overnights along the lines you set out. Macquarie is clearly intent on driving maximum cost savings through networking.

As you say, there would be some practical issues to resolve but none of them are insurmountable. Perhaps something like “another chance to hear” an Alan Jones interview/editorial from the previous day could fill the 10 minute breaks alongside the national news prefeed?

As an aside, I’m a bit surprised that something like the ‘Alan Jones Hour’ that is on 2CC at 11am weekdays hasn’t already appeared on 6PR.

Agreed that the lack of Alan Jones Highlights on 6PR seems unusual. It could easily slot in to the 9am hour between local breakfast and local mornings, which would equate to the same time of day the eastern regionals run it outside of daylight saving.

Maybe they are waiting for Alan to return before trying out anything like this?

2 Likes

I don’t know when the changes were made or if they’ve already been mentioned on this forum, but it appears that they have phased out/are now phasing out the very few remaining references to 2UE (online, and I suspect on air too) from the branding in anticipation of Talking Lifestyle expanding to Melbourne and Brisbane.

We can probably now safely say RIP 2UE - The station where Sydney didn’t miss a thing for little over nine decades. :cry:

1 Like

Yep. No longer does the website nor app mention 2UE or 954AM.

All we do now is wait for the listeners to drop off, then the clients, then the paid programs, then the format hopefully.

2 Likes

Yes the final on air references to 2UE seemed to disappear the week ‘normal’ schedules resumed after the summer break.

2UE deserved a better farewell than this, quietly being dumped after more than 90 years. RIP 2UE - many of the greatest names in Australian broadcasting have graced your airwaves over the years. It shouldn’t have ended like this.

1 Like

I did hear George and Paul say 2ue a few times last weekend. It might be gone for now but it might come back.

Old habits die hard I guess. But any remaining on air references to 2UE will definitely have to stop the week after next. The name 2UE has now been removed from the station’s logo and branding

I really can’t see this being the complete end for 2UE. All it takes is for either MRN to cut their losses and sell it off, or for something bad to happen to 2GB.

You saw how hard it was to get them to sell off 2CH. They’re surely not going to let 2UE go even if it turns over a loss. They’d rather hoard it, even at a loss, than sell it to someone who might actually do something practical/competitive/profitable with it.

4 Likes

I can’t see 2UE ever being sold by Macquarie, not willingly anyway. I think times would have to be very hard indeed before they even contemplated it. As I said in a post the other day, if they were going to sell 2UE, they would have done so at the beginning rather than selling 2CH. Despite 2UE having been in the doldrums in recent years, it still has a semi-iconic status attached to it as Australia’s oldest commercial station. I doubt Macquarie would want to see anyone else getting hold of it.

The Google Play app is still 2UE Talking Lifestyle, and it’s still 2UE on iHeartRadio and RadioApp.

I agree.
Worst case scenario their only expense is keeping the transmitter running, which should be easy to cover even just from supplementary advertising from 2GB.

The only reason that 2CH made a loss was because they basically stopped selling it as a stand alone station, and all the advertising revenue that was pakcaged with 2GB got internally allocated to 2GB instead of 2CH. I was just a classic trick to try to devalue to 2CH so that no one would want to buy it and the ACMA would let them keep it.
Obviously it didn’t work though. There was in fact no shortage of interest in 2CH, Macquarie just didn’t want to entertain any offers that involved them losing control.

1 Like

Walking home from the gym last night I felt like listening to some talkback or news. Miranda Devine on 2GB was quite good as she was sparring with Andrew Bolt. 702 was its usual good quality. Radio National was engaging.

Then I switched to 2UE before making a final decision. 2UE had a half hour ad on for a camera. They were discussing the pros (but not the cons) of some new camera. You could even ring up to ask a question about the camera.

It was talk back about a camera. Who would listen to that?

I imagine that 2UE is now shedding listeners every day. It’s a pity as there is talent at the station (including John and Garry)

It’s actually quite weird as with Alan Jones on leave from 2GB I imagine that this would have otherwise have been quite an opportunity for 2UE.

4 Likes

Seems that Talking Lifestyle is coming from Melbourne this morning but just who is DD??

“Dee Dee” Dunleavy?

1 Like

[quote=“TelevisionAU, post:807, topic:108”]
Dee Dee" Dunleavy?
[/quote]Thanks, there was some technical problems in the Sydney studios this morning. Hopefully there is a chance that some Talking Lifestyle segments will come from Melbourne and with a bit a luck maybe Donna Lynch in Brisbane will also contribute.