There’s an article on Radioinfo, in which Ron Camplin celebrates 70 years in radio, where there’s this at the end of the article:
Next year Ron and Stephanie will celebrate 50 years of ownership of 2BS.
This would imply that the Camplins are not looking to sell off 2BS/B-Rock to SCA until at least next year, after 2BS converts to FM.
West Coast Radio has announced a new FM radio station 91.7 The Wave, to launch in October 2018.
The new station will be the next incarnation of the network’s current AM station 1116 6MM, moving the station onto the FM band.
Along with sister station Coast FM, The Wave would be the only commercial FM station within earshot of Perth to have a live & local drive program after 5pm, considering the fact that the major Perth commercial FM stations all have networked drive programming after this time.
It would be interesting to see whether The Wave would affect Mix 94.5 in the Perth radio ratings, particularly in the southern suburbs, as they would have a fairly similar adult music format.
That would open up a 2Es opportunity for us in Sydney given that 91.7 is a clear channel to the west. All the other SW WA frequencies are occupied by locals or strong semi locals.
At least until 2ST converts its main 999AM service to FM & transmits from Knights Hill, in which they’re likely to occupy the 91.7 frequency.
If 2ST run the same specs as the current Power FM from KH, I daresay 2ST will be easily nulled when aiming west. I have had reception from 8JJJ Alice Springs on 94.9 even when Power FM was more electric. WA signals are weaker than those from Alice Springs but reception should still be possible.
Is there some atmoshperic factor at play (I doubt there would’ve been today) or has the reception of 2LT via the 101.1FM Blue Mountains/Wentworth Falls translator improved?
Back when the translators started the reception of 101.1FM was often barely audible in this location of Sydney, but now I seem to be able to get a fairly listenable (albeit with some static) signal. Just a pity they have a fair bit of networked content because the music-based local shift currently on doesn’t seem too bad.
I thought you would enjoy hearing 2GB on FM. 
The only thing I have noticed any different about 2LT on 101.1 is that it no longer sounds distorted, but it had been like that for a while now. It stiil suffers from a bit of splstter from SEA FM where I am.
Ring 6352 2900 and find out. I’m sure they’d appreciate the interest.
91.7 The Wave (soon to be formerly 6MM) in Mandurah will launch on Monday 1st October, with Coast FM’s current breakfast duo, Gunners & Ali, to be moved across to The Wave to do breakfast.
More at: https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/917-wave-announces-its-breakfast-show
Yes it has. I’m commuting past the tx site this week and noticed they have moved the antenna up (there’s now 2). 96.1 also has a new 4 bay array.
This has changed since I last went past in December. From memory @dxnerd noticed that 2lt/move were off air some months ago, I’d say that may have been when the changes were made.
They have moved the arrays up the tower!!! Looking on Google street view they used to have their one and only transmitting antenna below the mobile panels on the tower at Wentworth Falls. As in the photo they are now using two arrays in what looks to be in vertical polarisation. It’s also looks like the mobile phone panels on the tower have changed too, and possibly the tower has also been extended as well
All Move and 2LT need to do now is to get the sound quality at Wentworth Falls to as good as what is coming out of Mt Lambie.
Further update, just rang 2LT on the number that was posted further up this thread and spoke to the receptionist to advise her of the now better signal at my location in NW Sydney.
She advised that they are still doing upgrade works at the Wentworth Falls site and have been hampered all along by council approval. Next priority she said is to get the site digital, which she implied would get the broadcast to the same quality as what is coming out of Mt Lambie, really looking forward to that happening.
That’s good that the receptionist knew what was going on there.
I half expected her/him to say that she/he had no idea, and would need to follow it up with the engineers.
Mandurah
6MM officially converted to FM, on air as 91.7 The Wave.
I missed the official midnight on air moment where The Wave program most likely replaced the 6MM program on air. Looking at their great website (well done Nick Morgan and team), it seems it simply began at TOH.
First on air voices
Nothing special at 6am, ad break, network news, traffic report then first break of Daniel Gunn and Ali Hill ‘Gunners and Ali’ who did discuss the conversion, their move from Coast to Wave and acknowledging the close to 15 years of Peter Jackson on 6MM bfast who you can hear from midday today (10am - 2pm WST).
Surprised considering it’s a ‘new station’ rather than continuing 6MM on FM, so there was no launch production package as such. Or speech from board chairman or the like as was done for 6MM.
Quite a music intensive bfast show, currently 8:36am there and straight back to music (Corey Hart, Sunglasses at night) after the weather and who can water their gardens today update. As little talk as Smooth or perhaps less?
Music format
Considering what choices are available from Perth, the format is a good alternative to the older FM formats such as 94, 96 or 6IX. The music is upbeat. Imaging voice heard most is Anna Blatch, there are some promos with her and a male.
Here’s what they played at midnight (official conversion time):
https://www.917thewave.com.au/on-air/played/?date=2018-10-01&hour=00
And in the 8am hour:
https://www.917thewave.com.au/on-air/played/?date=2018-10-01&hour=08
After a news update at 8:40 WST, they went to more music.
Acknowledgment on air
Now at 0851 WST the bfast team are thanking the team, board of directors (no names mentioned), PD John De Bellis and the other off air staff production and technical who made it happen (again unfortunately, no names mentioned).
There was a promo vehicle cross round the bottom of the hour which was full of wave puns, quite amusing.
AM/FM conversion
On the overnight listening (somewhat brief), didn’t hear any promos reminding the audience to tune to FM 91.7 (remember it can be heard on AM 1116 for 28 days), nor today. Perhaps they’re making a clean break which I can understand. There is a cold read notice by the male imaging voice talent that is airing during bfast. As of 1 November, no AM signal it mentions.
AM/FM conversion feedback
I notice on the FB pages that there’s some public whinging of the axing of the garden show, I guess it didn’t convert to FM as they’re trying to leave the older AM format behind (of course much older formats such as 4CRB have gardening on FM, but they need a younger audience older than the Coast audience for ad revenue).
The level of awareness online seems low, those who complain are outside the FM coverage area who enjoy the fantastic ground wave of the AM 1116 signal from the swamp beside the lake behind Mandurah. I read of a female from Busselton who is a 6MM listener and a bloke working on a boat, 25 nautical miles off the coast of Lancelin who says he can’t receive anything on FM.
Another from Pinjarra commented that 6MM was difficult to receive. Would love to know what EMF is in that town, the town centre is 6.8 - 6.9km away. Very strange for a 2kW OD service so close to have problems.
6MM seems to have suffered the problem of great out of licence area coverage in non built up areas with EMF but suffers where the licence audience base is and the fact that station pair, 97.3 is on FM along with the Perth FM signals that comprise the bulk of the metro survey share.
Format feedback
Interestingly, those who complained or were concerned on social media mentioned how much they loved the gardening show (try ABC Perth or Bunbury for that) and talkback shows.
The only talkback shows I can see is Alan Jones at 10am weekdays, the one hour syndicated program. Considering what the Queensland Supreme Court thought of his defence of 76 defamatory imputations, any station worth their salt should remove that show on moral grounds alone. Why be associated with that?
Memory of radio coverage
Of course, times change and it’s been 23 years since I’ve been over there but I do remember my own frustration with the then sole commercial program from Radio West played all over Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Albany and Bunbury, so reaching Busselton for a few days was great with the AC format from 6MM booming across the water and the two Geraldton FM signals coming in during the afternoon (least when I noticed them) thanks to what I now know as an adult is ducting.
North of Lancelin where the fisherman complained of losing FM signal on his boat, I visited Jurien Bay and Cervantes to see the Pinnacles, I recall 6MM being on air in local businesses and being amazed, went to car and noticed I could receive it too. Perth FM signals were not available there then (unsure if still the case, let us know if you know). In those years, they would’ve had the choice of 96 or one of the FMs off the analogue satellite service for TV as I discovered at my first night in WA at Madura on the Nullarbor but no one seemed to be using that in businesses.
Bfast: day 1
I’m not too sure on the reasoning of the bfast scheduling, very low number of talk breaks. It’s not a public holiday there, surely they’d want to introduce audience to the new team and have them chat or simply more local content which should be the idea of commercial radio in Mandurah: local what’s on that clients wouldn’t pay for on the Perth stations.
Day shifts
Bfast team said goodbye around 9:50 WST and that Peter Jackson would be up next. However, listening to the station whilst making lunch, yet to hear him thirty minutes into his shift. Over one hour now and quite a few aborted starts to songs, with a promo and then a song in full. Block of ads played at twenty to. The playlist on the website is not updating, so the music is not running via the usual process.
Perhaps the company took the opportunity to upgrade studio hardware or software and are having a problem? There were a few slight gaps during bfast which you might think is a panelling problem if new software/hardware is used.
The main thing is, music is ticking over, ads are playing and the breakfast team made it to air. It’s day one and ahead of any external marketing campaign, there’s likely the current 6MM audience listening and not many day one ‘samplers’.
Good opportunity to sample the music.
Rest of day - Mandurah
First I heard an announcer after bfast was Peter Jackson about 1:20pm WST.
He hadn’t been to air for most of his shift due to the studio problems. No mention of what happened in his final 40 mins. Keeping positive and a good opportunity to sample the music.
Peter Rowe did seem to be on air for his four hours until 6pm WST.
There’s a refreshing lack of current music, the most recent I could see was Duffy’s Mercy from 2008.
Perhaps it’s the lack of revenue from being on AM and the very light ad inventory, the station is very low clutter, so there’s a lot of music with not much else going on. No workday tactic, no link to bfast besides the $5 note.
No solicit for phoners, no callers on air and certainly no guests or talk topics.
It’s good in a way, great to sample the new music format but would like some more ‘lights switched on’ in the station, more local info, advertiser supported to fill it out.
Just looked at their playlist on their website & it’s interesting to see The Wave continuing to air the “70s @ 7” at 7-8pm WST, which has long been airing on 6MM. It’s probably the only commercial FM station anywhere in Australia to air a dedicated 70s music program in 2018.
As for the playlist in general, it’s interesting to note that The Wave, as an FM station, plays far less newer music than when it was still broadcasting on AM as 6MM. From a Perth radio listeners perspective, it would be quite a decent alternative to Mix 94.5 & 96fm.
Look at last week’s format on 6MM before it rolls off being available to view for comparison.
I don’t see anything from the last decade on The Wave’s first day.
It’s a great playlist of upbeat oldies. Hopefully the tempo isn’t reduced once bedded in like many stations do.
There’s all the recurrents and ‘lost classics’ you would hear sprinkled through other stations.
Wave’s format is far more focussed than 6MM, which I could never work out what the purpose was on AM.
Just looking at some of the playlists for 91.7 The Wave, it seems to be sailing very close to the format of 2XL/2GN/3GG over east. This would make it my station of choice whilst in South Wet WA.***
***Typo intentional; we’d be stuffed if the West seceded right now!
