With the ratings of both I can’t see the music format changing rapidly.
2 Likes
I agree. Radical format changes to talk or country etc just aren’t going to happen in my opinion. Sunshine Coast is a big market, and Mix and Sea rate well and would generate quite a bit of revenue. A new buyer isn’t going to go with a niche format like country or even a network talk format unless they were mad.
1 Like
Agree. Rebel and Breeze already get into southern Brisbane well and the Sunshine Coast stations would get into the north pretty much providing whole of Brisbane coverage.
1 Like
Who would buy 4GY? SEN love a cheap price.
2 Likes
That’d be the best outcome. Sell 4GY and pickup Sea and Mix.
Or keep 4GY and make Mix like NewFM?
1 Like
What about Rob Gamble and co? They once owned Zinc and Hot 91 and sold to Prime TV in 2007. Would be interesting if they ventured to the other side.
2 Likes
Not for listeners
6 Likes
The time has come. Given EON’s major shareholder, Oceania Capital, is an investment company, and those owners like to flip their assets, I’m surprised it’s taken this long.
Bill would have to be interested. He’s still actively acquiring and these are good profit making stations that would boost his network.
Resonate would also benefit from these stations. They are currently do a great job despite being seriously under-resourced from having a group of stations which don’t make a heap of money. The Sunshine Coast stations would give them clear head-of-network stations which could be used to share resources with the rest of the stations.
The problem for both is the cost. Having purchased the stations for $17.75 million, you can bet EON would probably want somewhere around $25 million, and having stated that a deal may not eventuate, they’re not desperate enough to accept a low-ball offer. That could rule out SRN as Bill will want to spend as little as possible. Resonate on the other hand aren’t quite as tight but being much smaller could have some trouble finding that sort of money.
If SRN were to be successful, Resonate could be a buyer of 4GY as it would fit well with their existing stations.
Regardless of the buyer, I think there will be minimal changes at SEA and MIX. Formats and lineups would stay much the same, similar to what’s happened in Bathurst. With the Sunshine Coast likely to be the biggest market for any buyer I can’t see changes being made for the stations to fit within existing formats, if anything it would be more likely to be the opposite.
8 Likes
I could see Resonate aligning Sea and Mix more heavily with Hit and Triple M respectively. I’m surprised they haven’t done so with West FM and their AM assets, given 4GC and Hot FM/Hit Charters Towers were essentially relay stations of SCA’s networks.
2 Likes
Resonate would be the best fit, I hope they can pick it up. Or Rebel Media.
4 Likes
Another option would be for Grant to buy Mix only. They would then sell Zinc. Mix covers the Sunshine Coast better than Zinc.
2 Likes
What was the reasoning for Caralis to sell what is now Zinc? Wasn’t it the supplementary FM licence for 4GY? Was it financial?
Perhaps Caralis could buy it back if the above happens.
2 Likes
Apparently it was in exchange for acquiring the three AM stations in Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie & Orange from AMI.
5 Likes
Ah right. Thank you 
3 Likes
Yes for the reason outlined by TV Expert. They could in theory buy it back. But I’m sure SCA would be interested in it too now that they don’t/can’t own Sea/Mix.
2 Likes
I’m surprised AMI were once in the business of erecting radio stations.
2 Likes
AMI were always in bed with DMG. When DMG “converted” the AM stations to FM, AMI purchased the AM licences for next to nothing to prevent a less friendly competitor moving in. AMI never really did much with the stations, they were basically just a PC in the DMG studios. Same thing happened in Bendigo, Mildura, Cairns, Mackay and Bunbury (although the 621 Bunbury was a brand new licence/frequency instead).
5 Likes
Until he runs them down and no one listens to them anymore.
1 Like
If Bill was to buy these stations the current programming deal with SCA for Sea would not continue.
2 Likes
Which ended spectacularly after the MRRW merger and the divestment to Elmie Investments.
3 Likes