Pure Gold Network

[TheStyles83]

Can Capital buy Cruise 1323 from ARN as well as the Remaining 50% of 6IX?

[Brianc68]

@Tejas57

@Brianc68

I still can’t come up with a really logical reason to keep River and Hot and sell 4KQ

my only guess is that they think there is more value in an FM than AM licence, even though its not licenced to Brisbane. Perhaps they want to put it on DAB in Brisbane?

I think whatever they do with River it will end up on DAB in Brisbane. Just not sure whether it’ll be Gold, KIIS or Edge. It will depend on their plans for 97.3. They won’t want River competing with 97.3.

[Brianc68]

How good would it be if Rebel media picked up 4KQ. They’d be too smart to mess with it too much and would enable Rebel and Breeze on DAB too.

[Tejas57]

@Brianc68

I think whatever they do with River it will end up on DAB in Brisbane. Just not sure whether it’ll be Gold, KIIS or Edge. It will depend on their plans for 97.3. They won’t want River competing with 97.3.

they will have to be careful in doing this - the ACMA has already smacked them a few times for shifting focus from the switch to Brisbane. Going on Brisbane wide DAB might be too much for them

[CartBoy]

Well I hope whoever buys 4KQ does their due diligence on the revenue. 4KQ doesn’t make much of a profit and from what I’m told, a lot of the commercials you hear on air are bonus spots that are part of a 97.3 buy.

[lovemusic]

It will most likely either be ACE radio or Nova who purchases 4KQ and whoever buys it will be stupid to change its format as it is highly successful in its current format.

[lovemusic]

I can’t see River going on DAB in Brisbane. For starters ARN would have to call it ‘River Digital’ or ‘The River’, similar to what ARN do with The Edge in Sydney, second it will compete directly with 97.3, and their 90s and 80s stations so it would defeat the purpose.

[CartBoy]

My bet is ACE or SEN. SEN would love to get a Brisbane licence. Either way its good news for ACE with their lease of 4BH. They either get both AM stations or a competitor is taken out of the picture. Congratulations ACE!!

[TheStyles83]

97.3 can become a Dual Pure Gold/KIIS Network Member.

[Rossco]

@CartBoy

SEN would love to get a Brisbane licence

And watch their ratings fall below 1%, I just can’t understand their business model

[webguy]

@Rossco

I just can’t understand their business model

Gambling advertising.

[Brianc68]

@Tejas57

@Brianc68

I think whatever they do with River it will end up on DAB in Brisbane. Just not sure whether it’ll be Gold, KIIS or Edge. It will depend on their plans for 97.3. They won’t want River competing with 97.3.

they will have to be careful in doing this - the ACMA has already smacked them a few times for shifting focus from the switch to Brisbane. Going on Brisbane wide DAB might be too much for them

No it shouldn’t be an issue really, there’s no requirement for “local” content on DAB so they’re free to put whatever they like on DAB in Brisbane, including neighboring stations. Similar to how Edge is on DAB Sydney.

[Brianc68]

@lovemusic

I can’t see River going on DAB in Brisbane. For starters ARN would have to call it ‘River Digital’ or ‘The River’, similar to what ARN do with The Edge in Sydney, second it will compete directly with 97.3, and their 90s and 80s stations so it would defeat the purpose.

They won’t put it on in its current format that’s for sure. Essentially I think one will be a pure gold station and one will be a KIIS or Edge station. Not sure which way it’ll go but I’d put money on whatever River becomes, it’ll be on DAB in Brisbane.

But even if they don’t, there’s no way they’ll keep River 94.9 in a format which competes with 97.3. One or both will move away from each other. Currently River competes directly with 97.3 and (less so) with 4KQ. They’ll definitely want to differentiate 94.9 and 97.3 whatever happens.

Remembering that the vast majority of 94.9 listeners are in Ipswich itself, which is also within the Brisbane LAP so are potential 97.3 listeners. ARN will want to “move” those listeners over to 97.3 somehow.

Here’s an out-there idea. If they sell 4KQ to SEN they could actually launch 4KQ on 94.9 and DAB Brisbane. Yes they’d have to maintain some Ipswich specific content but really that wouldn’t be hard…

[Tejas57]

@Brianc68

No it shouldn’t be an issue really, there’s no requirement for “local” content on DAB so they’re free to put whatever they like on DAB in Brisbane, including neighboring stations. Similar to how Edge is on DAB Sydney.

i’m not concerned about local content rules on DAB - more about 949 pivoting to the brisbane market rather than Ipswich which they have been slapped for before

[Brianc68]

@Tejas57

@Brianc68

No it shouldn’t be an issue really, there’s no requirement for “local” content on DAB so they’re free to put whatever they like on DAB in Brisbane, including neighboring stations. Similar to how Edge is on DAB Sydney.

i’m not concerned about local content rules on DAB - more about 949 pivoting to the brisbane market rather than Ipswich which they have been slapped for before

Yep but if I recall correctly the complaints were more about Star/River actually advertising and promoting themselves in Brisbane (as a Brisbane station) than the actual content on the station.

[Jeffmister]

@Rossco

I just can’t understand their business model

SEN’s business model is primarily producing coverage of major sports and (in most cases) syndicating said coverage. Having/establishing stations in most capital cities gives them flexibility (more down-the-track rather than now) to decide whether to on-sell their coverage/rights or keep it to themselves in a given state/market.

[Brianc68]

@Jeffmister

@Rossco

I just can’t understand their business model

SEN’s business model is primarily producing coverage of major sports and (in most cases) syndicating said coverage. Having/establishing stations in most capital cities gives them flexibility (more down-the-track rather than now) to decide whether to on-sell their coverage/rights or keep it to themselves in a given state/market.

But how does their business model relate to having next to no listeners?

[thesub1]

I wouldn’t mind seeing 4KQ, Cruise1323 and 6iX all under the one banner.

While you’re at it, buy 1170AM and return it to 2CH.

[TheStyles83]

It ain’t gonna Happen, 4BH will become the Classic Hits/Oldies Station for Brisbane anyway.

[lovemusic]

@Brianc68

They won’t put it on in its current format that’s for sure.

Even if the format stays the same, they will have to call it something different as operators are not allowed to simulcast FM stations on DAB in adjacent markets.

If Rebel was to get DAB access on the Gold Coast for example through a commercial arrangement with ARN, then they would have to launch a separate station called ‘Rebel digital’ or ‘Breeze digital’, even if the format is identical to 99.4 or 100.6.