Given that SCA no longer owns a TV licence in Northern NSW since they sold it to WIN, they could buy radio stations in Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell, Moree, Gunnedah, Taree, Grafton, Lismore & Gympie as soon as Caralis is willing to sell them. They can also buy 2DU/Zoo FM in Dubbo, and then divest 2DU to someone else to comply with the “2 station” rule.
As for the AM stations in Orange, Port Macquarie & Coffs Harbour, as well as Radio 97, 4AK, 4WK, and stations in Parkes, Mudgee & Young, it would be owned by someone else due to the following factors:
SCA already owns stations within the market. In Radio 97’s case, its licence area has a overlap of over 65% in the Gold Coast licence area, where SCA already owns 2 radio stations.
There is only 4 media voices in the market at present. That’s unless Nine were to buy the SCA’s Nine affiliate stations, in which SCA can then buy the Parkes, Mudgee & Young radio stations.
Nevertheless, it is quite a scary prospect for regional commercial radio in Australia, in which SCA would own close to 100 commercial radio stations around the country. It would make regional commercial radio even more boring than it already is.
One would imagine that (in no particular order, of course) EON/2CH, WIN or CrocMedia would be the broadcasters most likely purchase 2SM in such a scenario? Because I don’t really think Grant, Capital or ACE would really be interested in a Sydney station.
…although it actually wouldn’t overly surprise me if Nine was to sell NBN to SCA at some point in the future. But that speculation is for another time & topic.
Knowing how SCA regional radio is currently structured, I guess we’d probably most likely see…
*Hit 92.9 and Triple M 1287AM
*Hit 100.3 and Triple M 1134AM
*Hit 95.1 and Triple M 1188AM
*Hit 98.3 and Triple M 1530AM
*Hit 97.5 and Triple M 1080AM
*Hit 107.3 and Triple M 1557AM/100.3FM/100.1FM
*Hit 104.7 and Triple M 1206AM/103.9FM
*Hit 100.9 and Triple M 900AM/104.3FM
*Triple M 558AM/107.1FM (not sure if they’d be really interested in Gympie unless the market had two stations though - I reckon 4GY would probably be sold/spun off separately)
…which would result in a major change in identity and programing for a lot of the stations. I also wonder if SCA would try and do generic “local” programing outside of breakfast for regions like the North West & North Coast of NSW which have multiple radio markets?
Thanks for pointing that out, I’ve since amended the post.
That’s true.
I wonder if the existing FM translators for the Taree, Grafton & Lismore AM stations would continue even after the AM-FM conversion of the main broadcast though?
I don’t know. However, I could see 2GF’s 103.9FM service become a full-power commercial FM service, as they currently broadcast from the same tower as New 104.7, but with a different power output to that of the latter.
As for the others, I read in the submission for 2BS’s FM conversion in Bathurst that they’ll keep the FM translators, even if 2BS’s main 1503AM service converts to FM. I’m not sure if the same will apply to 2RE & 2LM though, although I could see 2ST keeping their 102.9FM Southern Highlands service even if/when the station converts their main 999AM service to 91.7FM (which will replace their Huskisson translator that currently broadcasts on that frequency).
Given the Bathurst AM translators are set to remain on air in light of the 2BS conversion to 95.1 FM, it would appear that has set a precedent for others to retain their translators.
Though in the case of Grafton, the 103.9 FM translator for Maclean and Yamba is quite close to the New 104.7 transmitter site, which is a fair distance north of the 1206 2GF AM site,
Gloucester would need to retain 100.1 as MAX FM also has a translator there on 103.3 FM.
I think as a listener I’d prefer the better quality station. You’re left in the same position as a listener either way - one company having a monopoly over stations in your market.
The problem is that there’s so many two station markets in the first place - it should be impossible to have a company owning all the commercial radio stations in a market, because there should be enough licenses in each market to mean competition has to exist.
This may have been covered above so please excuse my ignorance, but what’s expected to happen to the AM transmitters/spectrum once the AM/FM regional conversion has taken place?
Will they be sold off to players like Vision or create a potential 3rd commercial station broadcasting exclusively on AM?
Depends if set up the way the Bathurst proposal is. What has been proposed in Bathurst is a poor use of spectrum and op ex by retaining the translators due to underpowering the main site.
Can you imagine Nova 969 having a lower output than Smooth 95.3? Of course not. It wouldn’t happen in a metro market and nor should it happen in a regional area just so they can scramble to FM the easiest way they can simply to fatten the pig for market?
It’s a solus market, do you really think they’re doing what’s printed?
Drive around Grafton, South Grafton in the hollow or under the shopping centre in Grafton’s CBD, the 103.9 ‘translator’ has virtually the same coverage as FM 104.7.
Last but not least, @Brianc68, well done on a fantastic summary, will add my thoughts later.
Here’s a really random radio thought: why aren’t there any commercial stations on 93.3 MHz in southern Australia (south of the Tropic of Capricorn)? Here’s the list of stations broadcasting on the frequency, using the ACMA station book (April 2018):
North of the Tropic of Capricorn, there’s only the 4MKY translator at Clairview and a 6FMS translator (Red FM?) at Telfer Mine listed. I’m not sure if these are on air either…
93.3 MHz could be used from the outset in the 1970s due to it being in the gap between VHF3 and VHF4, which probably explains why ABCFM used it thrice.
When 2BH in Broken Hill was given the option to convert to FM, they were allocated 93.3 MHz. Of course, the station chose not to go ahead with the FM conversion & therefore will remain on 567 kHz.
Good to know it’s on air. I assumed it wasn’t because I could pick up 96.5 3VKV from Mount Beauty OK at Bright. There’s also an Edge translator listed for 90.5 - no sign of this either. Perhaps this is meant for Bright as reception of 102.1 isn’t great there. It would fit in with the frequency spacing used there. 88.1 Classic, 88.9 RN, 89.7 Local, and 92.9 VKV all on air.
We’re well beyond the five year moratorium for digital radio in the five metros yet no one has showed an interest to enter the market. Very sad. No one has the vision necessary, it would need to be private funding and not by private equity.
Look at recent sales, more consolidation. EON have bought existing stations with existing management talent & program supply contracts, so you really can rule them out too.
If the share of radio’s revenue of total advertising is holding its own, why is there no external interest?
It may come down to the culture of consolidation in world business today?
Fraser Coast, Canberra, Newcastle, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide; yes, all starved for quality choice.
In the better served capitals, we have a problem of duplicate formats with 2DAY, Nova, Kiis and on the fringe, The Edge all pursuing close to the same audience.
FOX, Nova, Kiis do the same in Melbourne.
Existing operators are playing too safe a game.
Not enough.
ACMA seem to have no funding nor interest in subsequent policy and spectrum planning for radio in Australia.
A more decisive regulator would’ve ended the Bris/GC digital impasse, moved the regional NSW digital planning beyond its current stage and set to work cleaning up legacy allocations from analogue TV planning constraints,
This would include a re-allocation of the most congested areas.
The problem is that it’s CRA who are calling the shots with their outdated protectionist behaviour.
Exactly, what @Brianc68 said. There is not the legislative backing for ACMA to balance the influence that CRA has on marginal seat MPs and Senators.
Correct. Despite a recent article by James Cridland that streaming of radio isn’t a big percentage, it’s increasing and it will see a move away from streaming local stations that don’t satisfy the audience.
The independent ice cream shop I frequent began with metro FM services, then moved to digital and now streaming, Capital London, X Perth and last weekend, a US CHR station. The move has begun.
It’s the format diversity that is needed.
If those in their marginal seats, bottom of viable senate tickets would realise what leadership is, perhaps we may have much needed legislation for programming rather than the protectionist proprietors telling them how they’d like the legislation. There’s more than a simplistic parallel to the banks bargaining their own penalties.
You could say that about any number of frequencies.
It’s not just 93.3 that doesn’t have a native commercial FM station on it (ie. excluding retransmissions).
I do find it interesting that in 1980 when commercial FM radio began, we had 7 commercial broadcasts nationally - of them, 1 on 92.3, 2 on 104.1 and 1 on 107.5, but now out of the dozens of stations (again excluding retransmission), the only one of those frequencies now still in use natively is 2DAY on 104.1.
Of the original non-commercials, 3RRR is still on 102.7 although it began as 3RMT in the 70s. I think all the other “heritage” (1980 and earlier) Melbourne FMs have shifted, particularly during the “re-stack” of 1987-88.
