Automated 24/7? More music and less talk works for Smooth. But I find that difficult to believe.
Iâm guessing just like drive, a jock doing the basics but mostly music.
I wouldnât recommend doing it all year round but for the âmore relaxedâ Summer period, I personally think a DJ doing the basics at breakfast (time/song check, a brief chat about the news and weather or whatâs happening around town, etc.) is probably adequate enough for a station like Gold or WSFM.
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Dave âHiggoâ Higgins (previously on Triple M Melbourne) has landed himself a new gig. Iâm hearing that itâs at Gold.
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It wouldnât be the worst idea to see how you go against smooth with a more music style breakfast showâŚ
With no announcement forthcoming yet I wonder if thatâs the idea - see if you can do the Smooth âcheap as hellâ route and if it doesnât work install a new breakfast show to push the ratings back up
RadioToday say itâs to limit competition for new KIIS breakfast.
However, Radio Today this week learned that ARN staff were told there will be no new breakfast show until at least March, to allow room for KIIS 101.1 to relaunch in the market with Jase and PJ on Breakfast and Will and Woody on Drive.
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Geez, sabotage one station just to try to make a success of the other. Poor form if you ask me, and fraught with danger
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That might be the line theyâre using, but I donât think itâs that simple.
The thinking would be:
- KIIS has mainly been in competition with Fox and Gold this year (forget Nova given itâs lower ratings).
- Gold has been nearly at the top, but hasnât been able to get there because of Smooth.
- A majority of Gold listeners listen to the station for music rather than anything else.
- A slight change of Gold to be more Smooth like will hopefully:
a) Attract listeners to Gold from Smooth - which has the added benefit of lowering the number required to beat Smooth.
b) Any Gold listeners who prefer talk for breakfast will move to KIIS (the slightly softer music format compared to Fox and Nova being the draw card)
c) Gold probably lose no more listeners than they gain, but given Smoothâs lower ratings they are ahead. - KIIS gains some listeners from Gold, increasing itâs ratings (plus Jase and PJ will draw in new listeners from Fox and Nova).
- KIIS and Gold go 1 & 2.
Disclaimer: Iâm skepticle that some of these will actually play out as desired, but ARN would back it.
I actually think the winner here will be Fox who have been up against both Gold and Smooth to take out the #1 FM place each survey this year.
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Yeah, thereâs no way thatâs the real reason. Iâd suggest a strategy similar to what youâve put up there. If they can beat Smooth without an expensive breakfast team, even better.
I would actually listen to Gold if they did play better music and added some new music to there playlist. Just 2 or 3 and hour and gave there announcers a âlittleâ bit of free rain.
Glad to hear Higgo will be on the air again, anybody know what time slot?
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New music canât be on their playlist. The whole point of Pure Gold is old music. What sort of free rein should their announcers have?
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Of couse new music could be added. Thats the problems with capital city stations, there playlists are all so specific and tight. Plus better music and more of it should have some new music mixed in. Thats my opinion anyway
As for announcers you listen to Triple M with Rosie, Dave Williams, Ugly Phil, etr. Alot more relaxed, bit of a joke or muck around at the top of the hour. Gavin Miller was the same when he was on Triple M, now he just says the basic station promo, time call and thats about it. Very structered
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More changes at ARN:
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The departure of a content director of 12 years and a workday announcer of 15 years (plus the impressive career on Sydney radio before that) is pretty big news for Sydney radio.
Seems like there might be a major generational change happening at the Pure Gold stations in 2018!
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Clearly I am out of the loop and certainly out of Sydney. I thought Ron E Sparks had retired years ago 
I hope thereâs not too much change at WS - other than to add in announcers on weeknights and weekends.
The music is generally pretty good - I would just let that evolve slowly with age.
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Completely disagree. Smooth plays some new music. Pure Gold could easily include a small number of newer songs that fit the format. Even stations like 4KQ in their heyday played some new music.
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He got sacked from 2Day in 2001, following a dummy spit at Kyle and Jackie O. Heâs been on 2WS since then.
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I remember both Sparks and Fox on 2SM, before 2WS started.
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Ron E Sparks has been on 2SM, 2UW, Triple M and 2Day before WS. Has to be one of the longest announcing careers in radio.
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