I’ve pretty much switched across (do find I’m listening to the 2 combined less and less though) but I’m not a Melbournian. Much prefer Ox/Marko to KB/Doc. Find myself listening to MSR’s EPL coverage too.
Should have stayed with Lifestyle lol
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What a load of c**p the CEO came up with.
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Most of them have contracts with 3AW or 2GB anyway so their appearances on MSR are just a bonus tacked on to the contract I reckon.
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It’s his usual rubbish. MRN simply don’t want to get it. 7 station network, wrecked four stations and close to wrecked the fifth (6PR, shadow of its former self).
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882 Brisbane and 954 Sydney have Six AFL Round 1 Matches, Both Broadcasting Pies Vs Cats, Dees Vs Power, Crows Vs Hawks and Giants vs Dons, While 954 take Blues Vs Tigers and Dogs Vs Swans and 882 takes Lions Vs Eagles and Saints Vs Suns, Both Cities Are Also Broadcasting Friday Night’s NRL Match Raiders Vs Storm with 1278 Melbourne and DAB+ Perth.
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I’m sure we all can’t wait but will anybody be listening?
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Who are the decision makers within MRN responsible for initiating and continuing this costly farce? The board of MRN, Adam Lang, who else?
We get it, certain people here don’t like MSR… It is like a broken record sometimes here.
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I think many of us just share a frustration that there were three radio stations (one in particular) providing a decent service and having an audience, that have now been wound down and gutted and now have an audience that could comfortably fit around an average size dinner table.
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There would be four commercial stations that I never listen to in Sydney:
- Sky Sports Radio (I don’t follow horse racing)
- 2SM (From hero to zero)
- Triple M (Too much talk n sport)
- MSR (and this was after being a frequent visitor to AM 954 for decades).
I agree with you that the frustration is that commercial radio is meant to provide a service and we witnessed 2UE move from a news and talk back alternative to whatever the f*** is going on now. It’s a waste. A total waste. And that makes me mad for the industry and for the 5 million individuals who live in Sydney.
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Sure I personally hate it and want 4BH back. But it’s not that that keeps us talking about it. It’s the fact that it’s completely unbelievable that the owners persist with it with those ratings that causes the ongoing comment. I mean it is just beyond any reason and is surely worthy of discussion until they see sense.
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The only reason I can see Macquarie keeping MSR alive is that it’s cheaper to run than Magic was.
They already have the sports rights, and many of the talent was previously signed to its News Talk stations. Music costs money, and clearly it wasn’t Macquarie’s specialty - regardless how competitive 4BH, and to a lesser extent Magic Melbourne, was under local management.
Remember that under Fairfax, the asset with the best potential was 96FM - a heritage FM brand that remained competitive with a format all to itself. No reason to believe it wasn’t making money, and yet the station was divested to ARN. Much like Crocmedia ditching its music stations for sport, Macquarie is playing to its strengths.
Unfortunately, it’s the listeners that lose out. But as we’re rapidly seeing in the commercial space, you’re only valued as a listener if you’re making someone else money.
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In 2 of the 3 markets MSR is actually up on survey 1 2018. I get people miss an old format, but times change. I think it’s a decent service now, not sure about before. Times change, things evolve.
yes, Commercial is commercial radio to make money. In the 60s I think they were worried radio was dieing with TV, but it “recovered” with talkback and top 40 music. I think in the 70s people were concerned networking and death of the DJ ( I think 2sm brought in the concept of a music director where the announcer lost control on the music they played). In 80s and into 90s I could see that in general radio stations started to trim down on newsrooms . Perhaps prerecorded announcers came in then?
Today , I guess ratings does not matter for Sky sports radio because they make money from advertising, so MSR have similar model for sports too. 2SM don’t bother with ratings too, and are still in business. Not saying I agree with it but it is reality of the media landscape today. They can still get advertising revenue.
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That’s a fact is it? Maybe the owners are happy with the service provided? After all, they put their positive piece out every single rating period.
I agree, worthy of discussion, if only it isn’t the exact same discussion repeated ad nauseam about how the 3 stations need to go back to what they were…
…and in Sydney, 954AM has lost more than 80% of their audience compared to Survey #1 2018 when the “Talking Lifestyle” format and some familiar ex-2UE programs (most notably breakfast & weekends) was last on-air for a full ratings survey.
If Macquarie Sports Radio was a proper sports station with full AFL/NRL coverage in the relevant markets + ratings somewhere around the 2-5% mark, I wouldn’t complain about that. But surely numbers below 1% in all three markets and below Sky Sports Radio (considerably more niche than MSR) in Sydney aren’t going to be sustainable in the long run?
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Being the Sports Alternative (ie RL into Melbourne and Perth and AFL into Brisbane and Sydney) That is the Point of Difference with MSR to SEN and Sky in some parts.
3AK broadcast Melbourne Storm in late 90’s till Early 00’s and then a year or two later, SEN was born. Lot of people do not remember that.
Before Jones and Hadley arrived at 2GB it was a sports alternative, broadcasting the NSL on Sunday night, the odd Sydney Kings game and some rugby union. It never helped the meagre ratings.
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It was above SSR survey 8 2018 but I get the point. I do understand the ratings aren’t what they would like in one market, do think that’s why they have changed a few things around without appearing to increase the output financially. Guess time will tell, I’d hope MSR taking 3AW’s far superior call of AFL into Syd will help, likewise Continous Call into Melb. If the numbers are the same by end of 2019 after these changes, I’d consider altering the format. In all honesty, would be great if they could get it into Hobart on the DAB, I’d listen more.