The new home to discuss regional radio stations outside of Southern Cross Austereo.
Whilst down in the Illawarra region today, I’ve noticed that 2ST is now running separate feeds during afternoons/drive (2-6pm) on its Shoalhaven (999 AM/91.7 FM/106.7 FM) & Southern Highlands (102.9 FM) services. This is going beyond breakfast/mornings (including Saturday mornings), where 2ST has been running separate feeds, whilst running the same single feed from 1pm onwards. I’m unsure on whether it’s just temporary for the holiday season or will it be a permanent move.
Ex-4MMM Music Director & outgoing Regional Content Manager for ABC Local Radio QLD, Greg “Woody” Wood, is joining River 94.9 to present mornings, replacing Aaron Stevens who is moving to 4RO in Rockhampton to present breakfast.
Woody was at River 94.9 in 2013 in between his roles at 4MMM & ABC.
Source: Radio Today
Gold 1242 now rebranded as Gippsland’s 1242 and is a relay of 3AW most of the time
It’s pretty much the same story with other ACE Radio’s AM stations across VIC & Southern NSW. They’re sounding almost like the Super Radio Network stations in Northern/Western NSW & Southern QLD, except with better quality networked talk programming sourced from 3AW instead of 2SM.
At least the Latrobe Valley & Southern Gippsland can also get 3GG from Warragul, which has a “Forever Classic” format, providing older listeners a more music-based alternative to that of Gippsland’s 1242.
Resonate Broadcasting have launched a new show on their Queensland AM stations (4SB Kingaroy, 4ZR Roma, 4VL Charleville, 4HI Emerald, 4LG Longreach and 4LM Mount Isa).
Rural Queensland Today airs between 9-10am weekdays and is hosted by Ben Dobbin - NRL commentator for Triple M Brisbane and contributor to Ben Fordham’s show on 2GB.
Based on the studio shot posted on the 4SB facebook page I think it looks like it’s being broadcast from the Triple M Brisbane studios.
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Mix FM on the Sunshine Coast went to dead air this afternoon with the back up tape kicking in for for about 30 seconds.
According to the station’s website, it seems Flow FM is now carrying Luke and Susie in its breakfast shift.
The former Juice107.3 breakfast show is syndicated from that station’s 12-3pm slot, and also currently airs on a number of Christian Contemporary-formatted community radio stations.
And in other breakfast news, Mick Calvert is the new breakfast presenter at 4HI Emerald. He started on air yesterday. (via Facebook)
The Ninja is back - former 96FM Perth CD Brad McNally will take on the role at 102.9 Hot Tomato on the Gold Coast. He starts March 7th. (via Radio Today)
too bad Rebel didn’t snap him up! He would have been a perfect fit!
They might have lost a few people a few months ago to SCA but they are finding some more great people to replace them.
They just added Matthew Foulton as an imaging producer which was a great move.
It sounds like Midwest Radio owners of 2LT / Move Fm have up the bit rates and improved the sound of their Wentworth Falls Blue Mountains relays. 99.5 Move Fm still lacks the base and loudness of 107.9 but no longer sounds like a poor internet stream as before. They now need to get 99.5 to match 107.9.
Whilst travelling home south down the Hume Motorway towards Campbelltown this afternoon, I’ve noticed an electronic billboard on the Brooks Road overpass, in which one of them advertises C91.3. The billboard says “It’s Great To C You Again” (I’m most likely paraphrasing there), probably aiming at commuters travelling home from work in other parts of Sydney, and at the bottom of the ad, it says “Macarthur’s Radio Station, In Macarthur, For Macarthur”. Sorry I haven’t got a photo of it.
This is probably the first time in a decade where I’m seeing outdoor advertising for C91.3. In recent years, the bus stops, as well as the local buses around the Macarthur region, are only advertising the Sydney stations, particularly its breakfast & drive shows.
Whilst travelling out of Campbelltown towards Sydney on the Hume Motorway just now, I saw another billboard for C91.3, similar to the one I saw when I was heading back home last week, in which it said “C You When You Get Back” or something along those lines, again aiming at commuters heading out of the region for work.
Zinc 101.9 Mackay is next in line to be rebranded to Star, according to this video on the station’s Facebook page.
I seem to recall there being a Grant Broadcasters thread, but I can’t for the life of me find it. Feel free to move this if it does exist and I’m/my account is going crazy
For some reason, the Grant Broadcasters thread has disappeared. 
Anyway, I do notice on their Facebook page that on Tuesday morning, Zinc 101.9 will become Star 101.9. Oh, and on their website, sister station 4MK is now also branding themselves as a “Classic Hits” station, and is also dropping the networked talkback, like what’s happened with 4CA.
Maybe this is a strategic move by Grant to have the “80s, 90s & Now” format on its FM stations, and some of the older music that was heard on Zinc being transferred over to 4CA/4MK.
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One would think so. The Sunshine Coast and Townsville markets will be interesting - I would imagine Zinc to stick around on 96.1 and 100.7 respectively; Hot91 already has that format, and it would be logical for 106.3FM to assume the Star branding.
At least it isn’t just me!
Could the Power fm stations get rebranded to Star as well?
Would this give Power Fm a small lift in the Wollongong ratings?
If Power FM gets rebranded to Star, it would adopt the “80s, 90s & Now” format like in Cairns & Mackay. This would mean that in Wollongong, both Wave FM & Star 94.9 (currently 94.9 Power FM) would have the same format, as the former currently uses the “80s to now” positioner, even though both stations are in different markets.
With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if Grant decides to rebrand Wave FM to Star 96.5 sometime down the track.