Found it, most of my story went into Spiro’s page, (older Newy guys will know who he is & what influence he had around Newcastle Radio/Music).
Checkout “a bit more about 2NX” & “2NX bit n pieces” most or all of that is my contribution.
5 Likes
When New FM launched April 1989 it almost instantly went to number one, and stayed the number one station for it’s first 4 years.
There’s actually very little data available in regards to the ratings.
New FM hovered around 28-29 percent of audience for it’s first four years.
X107 was put to rest I think late 1993? After being sold and re-branded to NXFM.
In 1999 New FM was sold and the new owner really made a mess of the station.
And that’s when NXFM started to catch up to New FM in the ratings but it wasn’t until late 2000, maybe 2001 or early 2003 NXFM hit the number one station spot. But I don’t think it stayed number one for long.
A lot of that is educated guesses. But it wouldn’t be far off I think.
3 Likes
WOW… Sound World, haven’t seen that name for a long time. A friend was manager at the Hunter Street Mall store. And that site has some great info. Shame it doesn’t have some audio. Gonna give it a good read.
4 Likes
With Keven Blyton owning X107 Newcastle and 2XL at the time explained why both stations shared the same positioner “The Beat of the 90’s, All New All Hits… and almost identical playlists.
He would have been copying Kix 106 Canberra for the Cooma market which was then introduced to Newcastle.
Why did he sell X107, was the station loosing money???
Sorry this thread is going more radio history.
2 Likes
Radio Newcastle” which was just a group of local business men, purchased 2KO in mid 1990. They thought it was better to manage multiple stations at once instead of just the one so they purchased X107 FM in early 1993. I think they were going to buy 2GO next, after several board meetings and around mid 90s there was a fair bit of uncertainty of the future of radio so the board decided not to buy 2GO and they sold NXFM and 2KO (which was now KOFM). Early 96 they sold their company Radio Newcastle along with the stations to Austereo Network.
3 Likes
Ah yes, he certainly loves his X stations.
X Digital, “All New, All Hit” on DAB+ in Perth, is a current day clone of X13, so in a way X13/X107 Newcastle lives on.
5 Likes
Ohhh… I didn’t know that. Will give it a listen.
I know it maybe a bit irrelevant here, but there was an X1071 in the US. I got my hands on their complete jingles package and re-worked them into X1071 Sydney (Where I live now lol).
The first one I used the jingle for a digital radio station called “90s 90s” Sounds kinda like our X107 jingle. lol I made about 200 of these. lol
3 Likes
Listened to the stream of it a few months after launch. Not a good format, no wonder it flopped in Newcastle.
2 Likes
I actually loved it at first, because it was different. It was like nothing Newcastle had heard before. But yes, it did get old after a few months. And that’s why I think they went back to the (2)NX branding.
3 Likes
So… I was bored yesterday. And finding this forum (again) after awhile hadn’t been here it inspired me to produce a mock promo- air-check of what the “106.9 NXFM” branding may sound like in 2020 (not the "Always Great Rock N Roll format), lt’s my interpretation.
Features a familiar voice, familiar names, liners as used on 2NX, NEWFM & X107
5 Likes
Not sure which thread to put this in, but apparently narrowcast FM station Classic Hits 87.8FM will become “Newy 87.8FM” in the coming weeks after splitting from the Classic Hits (narrowcast) Network and merging with Hunter TV.
The Drive program with Darren McErlain (as mentioned in this thread when it began back in May) is expected to continue.
4 Likes
Might get some attention from the Sandgate bunker for being a bit too similar in name to 105.3.
6 Likes
3 Likes
Where will this end?
Could this lead to a new Melbourne station called Foxy?
Or even Hot Tomatoes on the Goldy?
5 Likes
I agree and there’s better way’s to identify yourself to the local market than a name that lacks imagination and creativity.
2 Likes
I agree, I recall during Surfest in 1990, NEW FM ran a pop up station on 99.7 called Surf FM, which is reflective of our beach and surfing culture.
Even that would have been a better name, and would appeal to the older demo that 87.8 would be targeting.
6 Likes
what was the content of it?
Events with special event stations were great. When Brisbane’s Southbank opened in 1992?, the UHF 31 allocation was used for a special event television channel pre community TV. Ran for a couple of weeks.
4 Likes
I only really got to hear it in the evening, which had the networked contemporary music “Nightbeat” program with Jon Henry.
2 Likes
I remember 99.7 Surf FM.
2 Likes
Through the day they covered the action of Surfest spoke with the competitors, played music. From memory overnight they had the syndicated national music show that NEW FM were playing at the time and NEW FM had something different. I could be wrong, but they had the syndicated show which was different to NEW FMs.
I hope they play better music.
4 Likes