That’s the thing - I’d trust SCA have researched to the absolute limits their exact balance between the Hit and Triple M network in regional markets to find a perfect 2 station pair to maximise revenue.
The Triple M side isn’t as rock skewed as the metro network, but it’s got a rock edge to it, and you could smooth over the differences between B-Rock’s old format and a rock skewed Greatest Hits format, keeping most of the old listeners happy.
The 80s to Now format is the format you have when you are filling the HOFM, Star 104.5, Hot Tomato, and indeed New FM, gap in the market - one competing FM station to the typical duopoly positioning - that’s where you need to slice right down the middle and core out the gap between the extremes.
If B-Rock was their only station in the market, this is the correct move. But 2BS exists, and while it’s doing a talk format you’re leaving so much of the advertising market on the table, that the excuse is clearly just cost cutting.
Though to be fair, there were cost savings in operating on FM compared to AM (which I think has been the main driver for most of the conversions regardless of format).
And I daresay Caralis offered Camplin more $$$ for the stations than what SCA did… again $$$$ talks.
I bought an AM clock radio from Big W last month. So they’re still around. But you’re right they are few and far between, getting fewer and farther, and I had to go out of my way to find one.
It’s actually kind of weird that the on/off button is also the AM/FM selection button. Short press to turn on, long press to turn off. If you do a short press while it’s on it switches between AM and FM, almost as if it’s a deliberate choice to frequently remind you that it has both bands…as surely short press on/off, long press AM/FM would make more sense.
Amazing news for Tamworth (and SRN). I’m not sure any other regional BOG FM station is local post-2pm on Saturdays, so well done. And based on it, it looks like it’s all thanks to a local sponsor for each show.
Listening to a bit of 2BS online today - and it’s a shame. The station still sounds rather slick during ad breaks, but when the SRN feed kicks in, the quality drops.
Even with their local weather updates - the local insert sounds so much better than the networked Newcastle announcers.
I think 2HD is the problem here. At least Chris Smith is a strong talent for the station. But the rest fall flat.
I was listening to 2RE on the drive to Newcastle last week on a Saturday morning. Simple music shift with one announcer. What a breathe of fresh air! So much easier, better and nicer listen to then the talkback crap from 2SM/2HD.
The sooner SRN pulls the talkback off the legacy stations and moves to music the better.
Make the FM network hotter while they are at it. The 80’s to now playlist is woeful. I hate it and drives me off listening to their FM stations. In some markets that’s the only music station they have. Sucks to be stuck in a SRN market.
