I call this the ‘Hello Mrs. Jones’ approach and it’s very pervasive on British radio, using radio programmes for social interaction. You get that on ABC Local Radio sometimes but it’s generally not the done thing here.
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I’m guessing that the stuff that WSFM plays but 2UE doesn’t is the much more modern stuff? I haven’t heard 2UE venture too far beyond the 90s/mid 2000s much.
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Do these stations only program 12 hours of music and then repeat that twice for the day?
Today on 4BH before the 1pm news they played Crazy by Seal and then after the 1pm news they played Friday On My Mind by The Easybeats and listening tonight the same songs were played before and after the 1am news.
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Ah yes! Playlist recycling at its best!
Although I don’t get why the songs are in the same order. Today, even basic music scheduling software, where playlist recycling is an option, will schedule the same songs in a given time frame, but shuffle them in a different order!
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Well at least it’s business as usual regardless of COVID-19 for all 2UE/4BH/Magic announcers 
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Found the ‘New’ 4BH yesterday while scrolling through my AM presets in the car .The music wasn’t too bad at all👍Another choice to listen to if driving through the Clem 7 tunnel or when DAB is out of range. I don’t mind the lack of talk and just music at all.
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Yes 882 is now my station of choice in the tunnels, along with 693 of course. Good to have a choice especially if you’re doing both tunnels in succession as you can be down there quite a long time 
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Not sure if any other stations are taking this, but I heard an ATN traffic presenter do a COVID-19 update on 2UE. Presented the same way a regular traffic report is done and with a sponsor credit at the end.
Is this just a service that ATN is currently offering?
Sounded good hearing more than just news and traffic on 2UE… gives it a bit of currency.
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2GB also had the same.
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Well I feel the music mix is pretty good, with them playing the Angels, Simon and Garfunkel, Beach Boys and Rick Ashley. Certainly still different from 2ch. I am not sure how it will rate with no advertising, no breakfast show or announcers. It’s certainly strange to have a station as famous as 2ue was, to be like a digital only station. 2020 has been strange year so far. Anyway when in the right mood it’s certainly a great listen, from a music prospective, in my view. Not sure how sustainable it is though, guess enjoy it while it lasts.
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I agree re: music. I am listening almost daily especially now while isolating.
I wouldn’t mind at least a brekkie announcer 6-10am.
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Agreed, get Jono Coleman on nationally. He’d make it fun and lively.
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I really think if the new music stations were to be properly marketed I wonder how successful they’d be in the ratings.
It’s so refreshing in isolation to not have to hear endless Coronavirus negativity.
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Where too from here for 9Radio Music Stations?
They need promotion - and more than just mentions/ads on their News Talk sister stations.
Is their solution to:
- Introduce announcer/s
- Introduce pre-recorded feature programs (e.g. classic countdown/70s or 80s hours/jukebox Saturday night?)
- Run a station promotion… even without announcer/s
It would take more than just shifting Hadley’s Country Music Countdown over to 2UE/4BH/Magic.
And their obvious other challenge is the fact they are on the AM band. 2CH have been struggling with AM music in Sydney for decades (Melb & Bris have had different success, but I doubt those listeners will change stations).
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Yeah they need to either p#ss or get off the pot with these stations. They can’t just play music (without enough point of difference especially in Brisbane with 4KQ) and expect people to miraculously “find” them somehow with zero promotion.
They need a breakfast host, even if it’s a national host. They need a point of difference. Brisbane needs a soft AC format, Melbourne needs a 4KQ, Sydney probably needs a 4KQ as well as 2CH isn’t really filling that niche either.
Alternatively all three cities are missing a BBC Radio 2 so perhaps that’s the answer.
I’m very dissapointed with what Nine hasn’t done with these stations. I had given them the benefit of the doubt at the start but they’ve done ZERO with them so perhaps they are just waiting to offload them at some point.
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A short 10 or 15 second promo each night during Nine News, ACA, and the 7:30 programs would be a start.
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Same, I just get the feeling this is a unpromoted stunting exercise while they figure out what to do with the stations in the long term but given the economic conditions with Covid-19 their options would now be even more limited.
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Have the unprofessional technical problems been sorted out in other cities? News still frequently crashes unceremoniously into music here in Perth, and sports and weather reports play over news and sweepers.
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I’d probably say that the Nine music stations need all of those things you mentioned, plus the addition of some ads - even if they’re only bonus spots from the talk stations.
External promotion/advertising for the station across other platforms is definitely a must.
While 2CH haven’t been a strong #1 or #2 for decades, I thought they still did alright in the ratings until the relaunch of 95.3 as Smooth and their extraordinary (certainly compared to the strugglers that were Vega/Classic Rock/Sydney’s 95.3 anyway) rise.
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I haven’t listened too much lately as I find myself drifting back to 4KQ if I am stranded on AM without access to DAB.
But over Easter I heard a few 2UE sweepers on 4BH
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