I thought they would use Magic for all 3 cities
I’m a proponent of heritage brands, or more specifically heritage call-signs. I think it’s great having 4BH and 2UE returning. In particular, Australia" s oldest commercial station deserves a 100th birthday in 2025 and now that’s possible.
I just question whether Magic is a heritage brand. Sure it has a heritage but one very narrowly fixed on playing easy listening hits from the 50s through to the 80s (and as Magic 693, it started off with a big band forties feel, having been at first focused on the 40s, 50s and 60s).
So yeah, if you were going to grab a blast from the past, as well as having a matching “call-sign” to what 4BH and 2UE are, whilst not encroaching meaningfully on the heritage of another radio station, perhaps learn from the experience of 3XY Radio Hellas taking on an abandoned brand name and call the new station 3DB.
Because 3DB was part of Melbourne’s airwaves for 61 years.
I personally loved the station that took over it - Classic Hits 3TT - which went okay
on FM well into the 1990s but never retained the mix of modern and retro that made up 3TT’s energetic sound. From memory, the TT call-sign possibly stood for either Ten Twenty-Six or Toward Tommorow - branded in such a way I believed was always intended to pay homage to the call-sign it replaced.
This in contrast to the modern branding which usually couples a word and the frequency - Gold 104 was the first to assemble such a brand name and it took them to number one within just a year. Sadly, this gave stations like 3UZ, 3LO and TT-FM the impression that word and frequency brands will work for them too (since it worked for Gold).
And so it somehow came to be that heritage only matters at 3AW, which has held it’s number one ranking in the ratings for 25+ years, in contrast to TT, 3UZ and 3LO, all of which have had several name changes or amendments.
I’m also a bit suspect about the range of music that’s been chosen. While the format is changing (for a third time), I expect the temptation to network this awkwardly paired bunch of stations remains. More than a few times now it’s been suggested Melbourne needs an old time rock station like 4KQ while a revived 4BH may as well copy the Smooth formula. Instead, these stations appear to be programmed to the need for 2UE to find it’s way.
Just feel it would have been better if this new station (or network as the case appears to be) was to pick up where FM is just dropping off - so that’ll be 60s and 70s - then go deep into what those decades had to offer.
Really, the 90s? Expect Barnsey and Farnsey rather than MC Hammer and Sir Mix-a-lot. And i therefore wonder if thats too bland.
I hope I’m wrong, but this sort of reminds me of Vega’s “rock legends” phase, which led them into the Classic Rock branding phase. It was okay but ultimately went nowhere because it was not distinguishable enough. It makes you wonder what took them so long to take a chance with Smooth, given the presence of similar stations overseas like London’s Magic, New York’s LITE and Los Angeles’ KOST.
An imperfect switch for 9Radio, but understandable they’ve had to start to rebuild with some familiar coats of paint.
Look forward to the detail. Yes, bring back Pete Graham.
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A few thoughts on The New 2UE:
- Sydney’s 2DayFM is struggling to compete with music in then Sydney market and they offer FM stereo sound.
- I think a “safe” sounding music position is not going to rate very high. Many of Sydney’s FM stations already offer that “safe” sound
- I hope 2UE does not sound as “boring” as 2CH. I always thought that 2CH plays older music and the station sounds older as well. 2CH sounds very “nursing home”.
- The new stations should have different playlists in each market. 4KQ’s success in Brisbane is due to the fact they don’t use the WS playlist.
I was looking at some old ratings last night. I always assume that AM music stations should aim at an over 40s audience. This is a basic rule of radio. Yet I am not sure why I think this. In the first survey of 1988 2SM (its last survey when it punched out the hot hits) had control of 41% of 10 - 17 year olds. The 20 - 40 year olds had largely moved to FM but the teens had stayed on AM. I suppose 15 year olds want very specific sound to their radio station - it’s a pity they don’t have much money to spend or 2SM, 3XY and Radio 10 could still exist today. I am not suggesting that 2UE aims at teens but it’s interesting that they only moved to FM when AM Top 40 music stations ceased to exist.
Last time 2UE played music it struggled. In the late 80s 2UE become “All Time Greats, All The Time”. It was skewed to the hits of the 50s and 60s and had a great sound with a very catchy jingle package. It did not work as the audience did not shift from 2CH.
At the moment I think that 2CH could be worried about the new 2UE, but the FM stations won’t blink - if 2UE plays the safe hits - most people would rather hear them in stereo (and without a 5 minute Nine News break on the hour, every hour).
Interesting times. I can’t wait to hear the “feel” of the station.
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When I first went to Brisbane, It was interesting to hear 882 pronounced as Eight Eight Two rather than Eight Eighty Two used on 882 6PR.
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4BH always referred to itself as “Eight Eight Two”. I remember 4BH’s peak was just before 973 commenced and ARN still owned it. Nearly every cab in Brisbane was locked to “Easy 882 4BH” as it was then.
I’m excited music is finally returning to 4BH. Now they just need to bring back this logo 
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They probably won’t, but it’ll shake up the ratings after it gets going.
When Smooth started people said it wouldn’t work, that it’d just be just another Vega, I predicted in here (someone can look back & confirm figures & timeline) that Smooth would hit a 5-6% within 2 surveys & would be hitting 10% within 18 months, they hit the first one quickly & blew my 10% timeline away fast.
I think these stations will do better than people think, even being on AM, I keep saying it, the medium isn’t the issue it’s the content.
Like I said earlier, personally I’m getting tiered of Smooth, WS flogs a small playlist, 2CH is too old for me, & I just don’t listen to SCA & I’m 47 probably in their (2UE) target demo.
I’d confidently say, that by the end of the year 2UE will out-rate 2DAYFM, possibly even get it done by mid year, that’s how bad I see 2DAY is & how good I feel 2UE will go.
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There are plenty of safe songs you hear on the awesome 80s show on SWR but you don’t hear on radio too often.
Here is a random song Angel of the Morning by Juice Newton.
If they play John Farnham , they could play some rarer tracks (for Commercial Radio) like Beyond the Call, Simple Life, When Something is wrong with my baby, Everything is Alright etc. This is just scratching the surface.
There are a heap of tracks from “safe artists” that they could play without lots of people switching off as being overplayed on commercial radio .
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I don’t think them being left on the AM band is going to be an issue.
Absolute Radio in the UK is in a similar position - it’s a music station playing 80s to now, yet it was allocated AM frequencies only (as one of three Independent National Radio broadcasters, in addition to the BBC’s national stations).
They successfully leveraged DAB and online to make good headway.
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Agree with most of this, but how many people are actually listening to AM stations on AM these days? Most would be listening on DAB already in my opinion and from what I hear in shops etc. The perceived handicap of AM mono is overblown imo.
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Absolutely agree. These aren’t AM only stations, they are DAB/AM/Online stations.
If they improve the quality of the online stream too, maintain an excellent bitrate on DAB, this will help more than they may think with a traditional mindset.
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I think if they push that it’s a refreshing playlist (no flogged songs or as @Laoma says some lesser played songs from the big artists), less talkback, more accurate news/traffic and weather and push push push to listen online (at your desk at work maybe?) or on DAB (in the car/home) and have the AM simply as a bridge between the 2, it will work. Would love to see them poach Jamie Dunn and Ian Caulder for brekky but doubt that’ll happen.
Brisbane is missing a proper 80’s and 90’s station. Triple M sort of fills the void but it’s narrow in what 80’s and 90’s it plays (ie rock). If Nine/4BH can get it right it will poach listeners away from KQ/973 and Triple M. The latter in footy season in particular.
I hope they are adventurous. Time will tell.
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My argument was that all stations bring back old callsigns, including reviving 6KY for Perth.
Magic is going to have a problem with Perth as there is already a narrowcast station called Magic FM.
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A lot of people are still listening to AM radio on AM, don’t be fooled into the talk about DAB+ listener figures, it’s mostly bull.
In the ratings figures you see, even though they include online & DAB figures, 80-85% possibly even more would be listening to AM on AM, you’d have about 3-6% maybe listening on DAB & another 3-6% listening online, in those figures, you wouldn’t have more than 10% on either DAB or online listeners (separately, not combined DAB & online).
Just because there’s now a reasonably high number of DAB receivers in cars, & the figures of DAB listeners in forums like this, it doesn’t translate into the real world of general public listeners.
1 of our work cars has DAB in it, & I used to listen partly to a DAB only station, but I haven’t had it in DAB mode now for months, I just listen to FM or AM, & I haven’t got in it after one of the other guys have used it & found it on DAB over the same period either, DAB is a novelty that wares off quickly.
2CH is really the only station pushing DAB, as for the others any push generally comes from CRA & the stations don’t see any point in it, as most people still listen to & are happy with FM or AM, DAB coverage limitations don’t help it either.
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Agree RE DAB. Just think the growth could be there with streaming despite the low percentages quoted.
With all the smart speakers in the coming year and beyond, this could be a growth area radio should consider. If I was in the hot seat, I’d like look into the sales of smart speakers and if feasible see how we could get new listeners via this medium. It could be as obscure as an ad on the free version of Spotify to try the new station (if Spotify allows this). The new station needs to have a format that will have a large variety of songs so people listening to the streaming services can make the jump back to radio at least some of the time.
Another aspect , is the gap in classic hits radio (in Sydney) is it does not cater for the person who are really into music (in the main), it just caters for those who are not really into music now (might of been in the youth) , just have it in the background with some familiar sounds. You want people who are really into music (Classic Hits music in this case ) rave about the station, then they might share this with the people who are not really into music and might switch and try this station. Then gain some momentum . Its hard to please everyone all the time, but you want to get listeners yeah don’t really like this song but I know the one after will be awesome (so they won’t tune out). (This is like my view with the awesome 80s on SWR).
9 can use the TV network to really push the new station, I would make sure my internet streams sound good and use smart speakers as one medium to listen to 2ue as part of the promotion.
That’s true but the UK & US are totally different markets. The UK is the size of Victoria with 70 million people - The US 300 million.
Australia is a vast nation with bugger all to support the medium.
The horse has bolted - everyone is now online & the old MSR is done & dusted.
Take Stereo 947’s lead & hand them back boys
Agree with grabbing a heritage callsign to launch 1278 AM in Melbourne.
Magic was associated with old, old and often daggy music. And really daggy announcers. “Tragic 693” was the going moniker.
Perhaps ask SEN to give them the 3MP or 3AK call sign as it never gets used on-air. Though 3AK was tainted by years of neglect.
I see 3DB was also mentioned. Doubt the Greeks would give up 3XY. 3UZ? There are more out there.
1278 doesn’t have the greatest coverage on AM beyond the northern and eastern suburbs. Pity they couldn’t move the tx site to Mount Cottrell where 3AW is located.
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In Los Angeles USA, KRLA (AM 870 The Answer) is not the original KRLA, which was further up the AM dial. I also believe that current day WKTU in New York (103.5 KTU) is not the original KTU either.
It’s been done once on Adelaide Radio (5DN).
I suggested 3DB because it’s famous yet very much abandoned and left behind now that the original is KIIS
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MP in 3mp stands for mornington peninsula
Yes, when they applied for the licence. But it’s been a Melbourne market station since day one.
No different to 2WS which stands for Western Sydney. Never really mattered.
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