I agree that the departure of Sharina would not be the greatest of losses to Macquarie. That said, she does seem to have a loyal band of listeners and although it’s hard to get exact figures for weekend shows, from what I’ve picked up over the years it seems her ratings are not that bad, certainly by 2UE’s standards (2UE has always rated better on the weekend in recent years, often giving 2GB a run for their money). The show also has various sponsors, so it is probably largely self-financing.
It’s easy to mock Sharina and her show - and I’m certainly at the sceptical end of the views about astrology - but the fact is she has held court on Sunday nights on 2UE for something like 20 years and has seen many presenters and formats come and go in that time and has survived them all. In that sense her departure would be quite a big deal. Again 2SM/Super Network would seem the most likely new home for her if she were to continue on air at all.
Any news on John and Gary, Also 2gb just can’t have their cake and eat it for this Sports channel to work it really needs to broadcast the NRL, or it will be a total failure in Sydney, Rugby League is predominately the biggest sport in NSW and Queensland…
I think it’s fairly clear that live NRL coverage will be staying on 2GB and 4BC. Another reason why the new sports station is doomed to failure before it’s even started. I suspect in 6 months time we’ll all be speculating what the next relaunch of those frequencies will be!
Talking Lifestyle in Sydney is airing AFL on Sunday afternoon and early evening starting this coming weekend - so they probably opted to do a final show while the entire network was still with them. Sharina would still get an hour or so as normal once the game finishes.
I’m prepared for the changes. Already removed 954 from the presets on the car radio. The station is a lost cause and management have rocks in their heads if they think this new format will work.
There’s definitely room for sports-formatted radio stations in Sydney and Brisbane but if you can’t have NRL coverage on sports-formatted radio station in markets which are rugby league-mad, you might as well not bother.
If the decision was made to move all sporting coverage to the sports station and any Talking Lifestyle programing worth salvaging to 2GB, that would make some sense. But MRN might as well go back to the drawing board when it comes to a new format for their ailing secondary stations or better yet, sell them off to a broadcaster who’s willing to invest in them (I know, not going to happen).
It’s Incredible how Macquarie media worked found a way to destroy 2UE, When talking Lifestyle was created they never had a problem using 2ue talking lifestyle to promote the new station , gradually though 2ue was taken away. Just look at the website 2ue is not shown at all.
2UE as an on air brand is dead now. I do feel that if you were privileged enough to own Australia’s oldest commercial radio call sign, you might want to make something out of that and the quasi iconic status that goes with it.
Perhaps its next owners will, must be less than a few years away now?
Do any of the younger generations of the Lamb family have an interest in radio to reinvest or are they happy to enjoy the astute investing of their older generations?
Former 2UE managing director John Conde is by marriage part of the Lamb family. He seems too busy these days to run a radio station, being on the boards of various investment companies, mining companies and government authorities.
I think it reflects the modern world. Many brands have bought out and are big companies.
No more local corner shop like in the 1920s etc and you pass it onto your kids etc. Radio has become the same. I guess it the way it is. Otherwise the lamb family would of hung on for generations.
just like AWA, it was an iconic Australian brand, now it has been split up into different divisions, its main successors are AWA-Jupiters which is a gaming company, and AWA Information Technology.
Yeah good thing with this forum most people have passion for radio. I think that there are many in radio have similar passion but at its heart the corporation running radio need to have passion too rather than just to get rich or for power or whatever. Often the passion is in words but not always in practice.
With new business (or radio formats) there is risk, you never know with the right people lifestyle radio may have worked with the right shows in different markets right marketing etc. Maybe with a wider range of interesting topics and shows. It would of been more expensive too.
Indeed he is. Doesn’t have to be John. Plenty of great operators through 2UE over the decades who could plug the format hole in a heartbeat and get it running viably.
They don’t need to hold on for generations, they have successfully held assets, built the business and sold for the multiples the assets deserved. That’s good business. Pity subsequent owners lacked the same nous.
Simply remove the beancounters requiring quarter on quarter growth. Run radio as a private business and it’s a success.
According to today’s Sunday Herald Sun, the new sports station launches on Easter weekend and is expected to be a six-month trial. So Macquarie Media is still undecided on the long-term future of the TL frequencies!
The line-up could look like this (all times AEST):
6am-9am: Breakfast with Tony Leonard and rotating panel of co-hosts
9am-12pm: David Morrow
12pm-3pm: Mark Braybrook
3pm-6pm: Mark Allen and David Schwarz
Evenings: Shane McInnes