Yes, I’ve heard the S word in songs and general talk on commercial radio too.
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Is it just me who finds RadioApp utterly terrible?
I wanted to listen to some different stations so figured that is the best app for crossing between all the radio networks - and while the stations are there, it frequently bugs out in showing the wrong one on screen, and worst, just both not wanting to close properly, but also just power saving itself to stop mid stream, and needing to reload the ui if I’ve had it off screen.
I like having the different networks on one app, but it’s a painful experience.
Are the Grant/SRN stations on anything else? I’ve been listening to a bit of Brock and Power100, especially while regional Triple M was taking talk.
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It’s not just you. That sums up my experience with streaming in general.
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I’ve not had any of those problems.
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Same here, I generally find Radio App pretty good on both Apple and Android.
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I find listening the Listnr App for the Australia today show a bit buggy. Often it doesn’t stream, its like there is no network connection (sometimes you see the error). It seems standard Triple M is more stable . Its not the end of the world but given its the “only” official way to listen via streaming considering they pay Steven Price for show, you would think it would be more stable. Now maybe its my issue but still as a listener I don’t want to spend time troubleshooting it. I just listen to something else.
I think the key challenge of radio streaming apps as radio stations like 2GB / SCA want listeners to use their own app. They also remove support for Tune In radio / iheardradio etc. In my view this is the wrong direction. How many people have called 2GB now, how do I listen now (as 2GB removed it from Tunein)? I am not a huge GB fan but it feels like when they have tech show that question has come up a lot. Having radio stations to test and maintain an app isn’t that easy, when compared to a more mature app that is used globally.
Just my 2 cents.
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In America all the big network commercial radio stations are not on TuneIn, MyTuner, Simple Radio etc., you have to access them on their own app (eg. Audacy, IHeartRadio). Only small market non-network commercial stations and most community and NPR stations are on TuneIn etc.
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Thanks for the update I thought that is what happened. That tower is a real lightning magnetic. Do you have similar problems at Artarmon with lightning, or is the tower better earthed?
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The elevation up at Katoomba probably makes it more exposed to lightning.
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It must be one of the most struck radio towers within proximity to Sydney.
It is on one of the highest eastern ridges in the Blue Mountains, and the Blue Mountains are Sandstone which conducts Lightning. You also get more Thunderstorms along the ranges then Sydney which adds to the problem.
The Mt Sugarloaf towers must get hit quite a bit, but I cannot recall the National fm’s being ever off air because of a major lightning strike unlike the frequent storm outages at Wentworth Falls.
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Nor can I.
Would like to see it happen to any/all Newcastle FMs to open up opportunities for DXing.
Only 102.1 and 106.1 are likely to remain totally static, some hope with the other frequencies.
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Artarmon tower often gets struck by lightning, but there’s extensive earthing on the tower, the surrounding ground area & throughout the buildings, so the entire site is essentially at the same electrical potential as the tower.
That way when it does get hit, you don’t have a voltage potential difference between anything, & the current just flows straight to earth off the tower.
I haven’t seen it but other techs have, when lightning jumps off the tower & runs along the site front perimeter fence between the tower legs, as the fence wasn’t connected to the earthing system & there is a voltage potential difference between it & the tower for current to flow through it. We’ve earthed the fence/gate now to the tower to stop that, because it kept blowing up the intercom.
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If that’s the worst that happened to many sites, the site owners would think they were in heaven.
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Yes the techs at Wentworth Falls for the Edge 96.1 / Move / 2LT would love that.
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Arguably this could sit under a number of threads, so I just selected Random. Some stray thoughts on the ARN takeover of Grant Broadcasters.
Grant’s continuing to own Geelong and JVs
Given the speed of the deal, I reckon this will be temporary and Grants will have disposed the remaining radio stations and JVs within a year. Clearly ARN and Grants weren’t going to open negotiations with JV parties until they sealed their deal. That means there is probably frantic negotiations already underway…some thoughts on that below.
I think Grants will have the two licences per market condition imposed on them, but as it was only HT&E (ARN) that was reporting to the ASX, only the ARN side of approaching ACMA has been identified. I am guessing the premise of the deal was that it was up to each side to sort its legacy conflicts. Grants will presumably be asking for resolution periods similar to what ARN will seek for 4KQ.
The Canberra/Gippsland potential deal
I think someone has already flagged the potential return to 2CC/MIX and 2CA/Hit104 duopolies owned by ARN and SCA respectively. Assuming SCA want to play ball, then removing Capital from the equation would be achieved by SCA selling 3SEA (known this week as Triple M Gippsland) to Capital in exchange for its interest in 2CA and 2CC. If SCA don’t want to play ball and Capital don’t have the cash, then Grant’s backup is probably selling its share to SEN so that Capital and SEN have a station each. Unleash Hutchy on Canberra!
The Tassie overlap
Given the limited profits in Northern Tasmania, I suspect the “solution”
is a combination of redefining licence areas (as undertaken by ACE/3TR prior to FM supplementary licences being issued) and combining licence areas (similar to 5AU/5CS). There is unlikely to be significant objection in licence areas that are marginally profitable at best.
The Geelong/Perth/Brisbane potential deal
Given the very limited potential owners of 3BAY/3CAT, the first step I expect will be a swap of Capital’s 50% share in 6iX for Bay-FM/K-Rock with a possible cash adjustment. This means that ARN/Grants will now to be able to undertake swap arrangements covering Perth and Brisbane. Basically, Nova takes 100% of 6PER and ARN takes 100% of 4BFM with 4KQ sold to the highest bidder of Nova or SEN. As others have commented 6iX would become part of the Pure Gold network. I suspect if Nova acquired 4KQ, its format would remain relatively unchanged.
The Turning Point
I think the big take-away is that this is an indicator of the rapid decline in viability of the radio industry, which has clearly been exacerbated by COVID-19. A long term successful player like the Cameron’s don’t walk away on a whim. The continuous vicious circle of cutting costs through networking is damaging the appeal to listeners and hence advertisers, resulting in yet more cost cutting. By removing local content, the differential between commercial radio and other options like spotify diminishes…etc etc…
Expect further consolidation
As the number of radio operators dwindles, I expect the lobbying efforts of commercial radio to focus on permitting 3 licences per operator in metro markets and removal of radio from the 5 voices test. This would then result in yet a further round of consolidation, networking and decreased listenership.
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…cities and regions are often lost in the rush to adopt corporate branding. The most important part of this is whether the gain for the corporation is greater than the loss of the local relationship.
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Just heard Jason Mraz - “I’m Yours” playing on both smooth 95.3 and Star 104.5 at the same time.
Those stations wouldn’t be owned by the same company, would they? 
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Given 4KQ is up for sale as ax result of ARNs acquisition of Grant Broadcasters, and that it is rating over 11%, it got me thinking…
Do you think an AM music station rating 11% is worth more $$$ than say 4MMM as a standalone station rating 9%? Being on FM gives you a few more options I think.
Which would you buy?
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I’d buy 4MMM and make it a classic station, and I mean not a WSFM, ie play some 60s and 70s music . 
.
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depends on if your banking on DAB to take over or not. I’d personally take 4KQ - KQ is a great station and is a great heritage station. for 4MMM you almost need to burn it down and start over
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