The fact of the matter is I rarely listen to it, so don’t even know whether I’m actually sarcastic or not.
But local is the key, they have figured that out. And they will be stupid to dump that strategy out the window.
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It will be interesting to see what “direction” management want to take with 4BC. They’ve tried many different directions - networking, light and heavy, there’s really not much left to try.
Their best rating program is John Stanley from memory, I know breakfast/day/evening radio are all very different but perhaps someone similar who can present facts, news, segments of interest in the way he does.
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I think that’s been its curse for the last decade or more - no one really knows what to do with 4BC. They had a local format over a decade ago that they scrapped to pipe in 2GB content, and while that managed to tread water, it denied them the ability to market themselves or really grow locally.
The LGM move, while clever in part to pick up some well-loved local talent who were available, never gelled with the News Talk format that ran after 9am. They should have either gone all in on lite talk/music with them in breakfast or not bothered with them at all.
Now what do you do? Do you go full 2GB/Sky News Radio and dial up the right wing to 11? Do you go lighter on the news component? Does Brisbane even really want a News Talk station at all? So many questions for management to ponder.
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Great analysis. How do you solve a problem like 4BC? It has long been a problem child for Nine and for Macquarie before that. I’m sure that even if Nine decided to keep their other radio assets, they would still quite like to be rid of 4BC (probably along with 6PR too) but in its current state it’s not particularly attractive to potential buyers as a standalone station.
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I would put Ben Fordham on Breakfast. He is a well known national identity who can easily adapt his show to include a Queensland audience.
That way you can put the money into a double act at Mornings to carry the station’s audience later into the day. Sofie Formica and Luke Bradnam from 8am to midday, maybe?
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We basically had Ben already though. Peter was his clone.
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True. But surely Ben can’t slide the number any further though.
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Probably in the same way that Kyle and Jackie O are. Which Isn’t great.
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He can. It needs to be local. Luke and Sophie at Breakfast would be good.
I would even suggest double headers for all day shifts. Would be a great point of difference and rather the talk back presenters talking at the audience, they’d have a partner to discuss news and events with.
5-10am Breakfast
10am-2pm Daytime
2pm-6pm Drive
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At times?? Those things have practically become her schick now. Her coverage of Victoria’s youth crime issues (which is genuine and I can understand Felgate’s dismay about it) has lost all rationality and perspective.
She’s frankly become more predictable and anti-Labor than Tom Elliott is (which is an achievement in itself). Some of her editorials over the last month perfectly illustrates that:
You would think by the way Felgate is covering the issue that the only place Victorians can feel safe now is being in an underground bunker 24/7 that can only be accessed after going through multiple layers of security.
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Sounds about right though to me.
A woman was minding her own business walking to work and was stalked and stabbed by a random stranger on a public, well known street in the city. That could have happened to anyone. And it did. Sounds pretty scary to me.
It’s not like she’s saying things that aren’t true or haven’t happened. Crime is absolutely out of control in Melbourne. I would be hesitant to visit.
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Yeah, but I do get where Jeffmister is coming from and agree. The media is driving much of this and essentially any and every reported incident is being magnified and blown out of proportion.
You could probably walk down a Sydney CBD street and the chances of the same incident occurring would be the same. Higher in other parts of the world, in the USA you’d probably be at greatest risk, such as New York City or LA and no doubt involving a firearm.
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The fact is that Talk doesn’t rate in Brisbane no mater what you try. I format similar to 3AW may work but if it was me I would not have a talk format in Brisbane at all. Leave it for the ABC. I would run a format similar to Smooth FM in Sydney as there is a gap in the Brisbane market for that. If I could I would also convert to FM which would be the perfect opportunity to change the format.
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Not possible in Brisbane unfortunately
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Livinia Nixon hosting The House of Wellness today.
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Oh please don’t let Nine go down that path again.
I thought she was done with Nine Radio.
Here we go again, what’s the bet she’ll pop up filling-in over summer, or as part of 4BC’s 2026 lineup.
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It also explains why we haven’t/didn’t see any mention on the 4BC socials about Peter’s final sign off.
I don’t understand why Nine had to make it so brutal? It’s not like they’re in any rush to put his replacement on air.
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You must be mixed up because Livinia is Melbourne based/3AW.
I’m referring to the days when her and Stevie Jacobs would read scripted talk breaks on Nine Music Radio stations before ACE took over. Very bland listening.
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