I’m sure BOG is saving up all the pennies from not putting money into the network, into developing an AI version of Lawsy for when he eventually passes on. 
It would be a struggle to replace him by now, it’d be difficult to know what could replace them and stop turning people over to… I guess ABC Local given most don’t have much other option. Except perhaps extending or shifting the local content block in some places, which isn’t an option for 2SM (and/or 2HD also) in any case.
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I can just imagine 2SM extrapolating the Campbelltown Laws audience to say they have X number of listeners in Sydney… and removing the impact of C91.3 to bump it up a bit more again.
Did somebody say Daily Tele ad!?
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‘Hey everyone, we’re last in Campbelltown too!’
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Today, we’re off to Wollongong:
i98 remains on top with 26% (-2.2), followed by Wave FM with 17.2% (-0.4), ABC Illawarra with 11.4% (-0.6), and JJJ with 10.9% (-0.4). Of the Sydney stations, KIIS tops that list with 4.7% (+1.6), followed by Smooth with 3.7% (+0.7), WSFM with 3.2% (+0.4), 2GB with 2.7% (+0.1), and 2MMM with 2.4% (-0.6). CADA rated 1.3% (+0.6), whilst Power FM rated 0.9% (-0.3).
In the demos, i98 is #1 in the under-65s (except in the 18-24s, where JJJ is #1), whilst ABC Illawarra dominates in the 65+. Wave fell to 3rd in the 55-64s behind ABC Illawarra.
In breakfast, i98’s Marty, Christian & Bella continue to dominate with 26% (-1.2), followed by Wave’s Jade & Damien with 17% (-0.3), ABC Illawarra’s Melinda James with 12.7% (-1.9), and JJJ’s Bryce & Concetta with 11.2% (+0.2). In drive, i98’s Maje dominates with 26% (-2.8), followed by Wave’s Crammy & Lyndal with 17.1% (+1.5).
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Imagine how much better Wave would have done if they had a locally researched, programmed and scheduled music log, exclusively for their station.
Ditto for Power not to be on the same log as Wave.
ARN only have themselves to blame for not achieving a better share.
At least drive is improving with staff investment there.
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It’s worth mentioning that WS from Sydney managed to score a 7.3% share in the 55-64s (up 3.1), whilst Smooth scored an 8.2% share in the 65+ (up 2.3), both in 4th place on among their respective demos.
When compared with the Central Coast ratings, both WS & Smooth rate much higher in the Illawarra than they do in the former region, despite both being pretty much the same distance from Sydney.
I agree. Wave is trailing way behind i98 in the 40-54s, in which they’re 15.2% behind (33.2 to 17.0). That’s the demo where Wave used to be ahead of i98, back when they were an adult music station many years ago.
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The i98 survey win got a news “headline” mention in the 5.30 WIN TV News bulletin, despite that being the same result as previous surveys.
Of course we know who owns it!
Here’s the aforementioned news item:
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I wonder what the share for 2ST would be?
We said this last survey having Wave and Power fm running the same music log is detrimental to the ratings of both stations, and both surveys continue to prove the same point.
How about Wave fm take the 2ST music log and Power fm continue to run the existing Wave fm log?
The overlap between 2ST and Wave fm is way less than Power fm and Wavve fm.
I98 can keep their current format and focus more on newer music.
Power fm 90’s to now, and Wave fm 60’’s- 0’s.
Surely it would rate better than it currently does?
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It’s not a bad idea. Alternatively, Wave FM could take the same AC log as the one being used on River 94.9, which is more older-skewing than the Hot AC log.
Indeed, and that has been proven in the past.
If you go back almost exactly 20 years ago (Nielsen Wollongong Survey 2, 2003), i98 scored a 22.8% share, whilst Wave FM scored 20.1%, and Power FM scored 3.9%.
In the demos, Wave FM used to dominate in the 40-54s with 31%, whilst i98 scored 20%. In the 18-24s, Power FM used to outrate Wave FM (10.2 to 5.3). i98 clearly dominated in the under-40s, which is still the case 20 years later.
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Proof the Illawarra is one of the most boring, stale, moribund, stagnant and sad group of markets in Australia. Very sad.
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KIIS’ 4.7 is the largest share for a Sydney FM since TripleM rated a 5.5 in 2003.
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Newcastle and Canberra are pretty similar too for blandness. None of the commercial stations are really “exciting”, but 2NUR and 2CA on DAB are decent listens respectively.
Wollongongs saving grace is the Sydney overspill.
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Newcastle isn’t as bland thanks to (yes it’s somewhat true) with NewFM, 2HD, 2NUR and the Hunter stations (PowerFM & 2NM).
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You could also throw in Star 104.5 from the Central Coast into the mix as well. 
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Illawarra looks like one of ABC’s better markets.
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It is but I think it might have to do with lack of choice of local stations and being on Fm smacked bang between Wavs and I98.
It probably would not rate as strongly if it stayed 2WN on 1431.
Also another issue with Wollongong is the narrow appeal of the community stations.
VOX skews quite old and a lot of the programming also is targeted towards the ethnic community. Pulse is a Christian community radio station. You have 2RPH, and the racing narrowcasts of SEN Track and Sky Racing.
The Central Coast has a general community station in Coast Fm. This is what Wollongong is missing and would fill the gap nicely in the 54+ markets. Luckily Wollongong in most cases has good fortuitous Sydney reception.
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Are the Sydney stations receivable in homes in Wollongong or mainly in-car reception?
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