One thing they would have to get used to is - no bookie revenue over there outside of the (NZ) TAB; they aren’t legal there. They obviously have worked out either contra or a longer-term revenue thing with the TAB as part of relieving them of their old Radio Trackside stations (they are a big sponsor and they provide them with another outlet to stream the simulcast of Trackside’s TV [edit: or at least the audio of Trackside 1 which I suspect Radio Trackside was doing by the end anyway] service via the SEN app) - but that’s all they can really get.
That alone would make a bit more challenging to implement the same model as in Australia. But in a much smaller market and with a network already set up, they may not need to.
I guess the other thing is… the style of SEN (and I presume SENZ; I haven’t listened too much) is likely chalk-and-cheese compared to what Radio Sport was like - it had a level of irreverence, perhaps way over-the-top in nature - probably to a level that couldn’t have got away with in Australia - that I doubt SENZ would ever want to bring. SENZ only rates 0.3% in the combined “13 major markets” ratings there too (though I can’t imagine Radio Sport was rating much higher except when live sport was on… and simulcasts with Newstalk ZB would’ve muddied that too).
Although it’s arguable that in both Radio Sport and its successor in Gold AM/Gold Sport’s case, the most important program besides the commentaries wasn’t the sport talk - it was the Farming Show (now The Country) that played everywhere but Auckland. Which kinda shows the demo they were aiming for, particularly on the South Island. SEN may have realised this but it does show how much different a market the sport-oriented networks are there.
Thanks for that insight, that makes a lot of sense.
Hutchy isn’t my cup of tea, and, aside from live sport, nor is SEN really, but I’ll give him credit for putting his money where his mouth is and giving it a red hot go with trying to build SEN up.
I have my doubts on their long term success but at least they’re trying.
And at least they’re trying something to cater for something other than the typical mainstream, by not being another music station targeting 25-54 females by playing the same 50 songs each day.
I’ve said it before here, but wouldn’t the Australian public have been so much better served if Hutchy had been able to provide his main SEN format as a narrowcast offering rather than needing a full commercial licence. Brisbane would be better for having both SEN on the air and 4KQ still around.
Yes but killing stations catering for over 50s in the process - 2CH, 4KQ and next Cruise (?). Stations with big audiences.
Yes it would have been better if they could use narrowcast licences but I’m not even sure they wouldn’t have still gone after commercial licences anyway.
When (not if) SEN withdraws from Brisbane & Melbourne, what do you think will happen to the stations?
I’d like to see the newly formed group who own SeaFM/MixFM Sunshine Coast purchase 1170AM and resurrect 2CH as a classic hits station. It will work well, allowing 2UE to focus on easy listening (similar to 3MP vs. Magic1278).
As for 693AM, I’d say the new owners would relaunch 4KQ trying to emulate the previous ARN Classic Hits station, but it will be somewhat difficult not unless they have the backing of a larger network & are also able to “get the band back together”. Sadly, by that stage many would’ve already jumped to 4BC and 4BH.
I could imagine 1170AM achieving close to its previous success as 2CH, but I can’t see any clear brighter future for 693AM since the explosion several months ago.
Radio Sport rated a 1.9% in its final national survey (S4-2019) - which isn’t much but still a long way ahead of SENZ.
SENZ have transplanted the Aussie method of ex-sports people in breakfast and drive, problem is they haven’t chosen natural presenters or conversationalists.
It’s a much different market in NZ to Australia and SENZ doesn’t seem to quite get that.
I agree. It’s hard to see a future for 693. Almost all of the audience has gone to 4BH or 4BC or a combo of the two. There’s still a lot of bitterness from ex-listeners too, so I’m not sure how an attempted resurrection would be received. What I’d love to see emerge if SEN does fail is a BBC Radio 2 format at least in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne.
According to The Sunday Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, Fox Sports’ Matty Johns has signed a new two-year contract with SEN. Matty will also be making extended appearances on Matt White’s morning show and on drive with Joel Caine and Bryan Fletcher.
I think if they could have got their product on-air in Brisbane without the $12m pricetag they absolutely would have done that and ignored 4KQ. Same for Sydney.
Reckon you’ve got to see it as a very long term play. If they can solidify a 2.0 share in Sydney and Brisbane along with their Melb share they can still make a lot of money. They’re targeting a specific audience. And as such can have targeted ads
That’s a massive If imho. I will be shocked if SEN1170 in its current guise rates anything other than 0.x ever. Sydney just ain’t the market for it. SEN are deluded.
Neither is Brisbane. I’ll be shocked if they ever get 2% here in a sustained way, if ever. For all their hype about Brisbane being a sports mad city, it just shows how clueless they are because it ain’t. I think they’re thinking of Brisbane in the 80s. Brisbane is like Sydney now.
I didn’t think SEN and ARN had any relation in Adelaide (aside the very initial leasing of 1323 by Pacific Star decades ago). I’m pretty sure they do have an agreement to have the breakfast show on RadioTAB in Adelaide though, which is probably comfortable for the latter as that means they can keep all their studio resources in Brisbane (whatever is left anyway, that hasn’t been merged with Sky Racing HQ in Sydney), and make the breakfast show they produce a QLD-centric one.
A bit different from the 2005 arrangement as this is just for AFL rights (and Sportsday SA) whereas in 2005 SEN didn’t have any AFL rights and were playing VFL games into Adelaide.