Apparently its upto individual station managers. Is the rumour im hearing.
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i am making that assumption because theyāre a large commercial radio network and Iād say that is a prerequisite in 2026ā¦ but hell, they probably donāt.
I remember hoping that George & Despina being at the helm would really revitalise that networkā¦ itās a shame that it hasnāt and it seems to have just broken down.
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Yep, there was hope for the new guard. Itās got a lot of dedicated people in the network (that are just happy to have a job). Not all markets are as viable as they once were. The UNFORTUNATE part is there is no STRONG and STEADY hand on the wheel these days. The structure in place these days is pretty much just holding the place together as it stops the kids from ripping each other apart!
Bill was NO DILLā¦ But the bullshit minders around him were the real problem! A stack of them are still there! If you had a fair idea, pushed past āthe mindersā and actually got an audience with Bill. If you presented a good idea, you pretty much got the knod right there. There have been some weird reasons for a no too! That ācircuit breakerā is now missing! RIP!!
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Playout is all Simian. There is a very basic engineering private vpn over Telstra Lanes (I think). Which is slow as and only controls certain things.
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The main case for a corporate network would be ditching the satellite and distributing your network programming over IP. You also get to remotely manage things rather than having the costs of driving to site.
Remote administration and centralising playout is how the TV stations have managed to stay operating in the face of big revenue declines over the years, so the model does work.
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I get the feeling that Bill was a very misunderstood man. I never met him personally, but it seems as if the only people who talk bad about him are people who never actually met or interacted with him. Everyone who has done, has said that he was a very decent fellow.
If I was to buy the network myself or manage it, Iād probably be very disliked, because thereās quite a lot of stations that I would probably handball elsewhere. Not saying these stations arenāt important (they are); but if you canāt make them make business sense, you shouldnāt have them. Thatās all contingent on someone actually being able to take the stations on, of course.
Itās not just because of the declining revenue in certain markets either, but because of the complexity and cost of revamping the litany of stations in their portfolio that desperately need it with fresh equipment, new logos, attracting new staff both on and off air etc. You would need a return on said investment, especially if you bought investors on.
Itās a rough proposition.
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Iām very aware of thisā¦ you can connect branch offices today via Private Links using NBN today. Ive always refered to it as Layer 2. I might be using the wrong name. But the idea is its the same system as NBN minus public www data. Because theres no public data you get all the same speed brackets minus the fee for public data. So if you pay 100 bucks for your normal NBN probably take off 18 bucks. Much cheaper than the products like telstra lanes.
Its a different subject but stepping into the private links market upset the majors in NBN early days.
Yep the hourly news could be a download on the private link instead of paying for the bird. Onky issue there is how the bandwidth on the bird is diced up. Its still needed for overnight and various shows during the day.
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You would be correct. Theres very dedicated long time employees that never met him too. Strange as that is. He left you alone if things were rolling ok. Supported some staff that fell on hard times too. All very honourable things!
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Absolutely. Iāve not worked for BOG/Super personally, but I know people who have and who have met Bill and said he was nothing but a gent.
I have heard the very same too with helping staff in hard times. Iād say heās greatly missed in Super stations across the country.
I donāt mind George either, but I think he really needs to focus a bit more on the business core rather than making AI flyers and proses for LinkedIn. Itās fantastic to promote your network, but truthfully the core business needs some unification and improvements, especially to make it an attractive investment if youāre looking to sell down the track.
It seems that Despina isnāt interested in the network at all really, and considering sheās got her own seemingly successful career, I canāt necessarily blame her - but family feuds and businesses do NOT mix.
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You would be correct once again.
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Is the Big 5 in Botswana spelt out in letters or just one big numeric 5?
No, I see it as āBig 5 in Botswanaā.
And for those who donāt know, it refers to the big 5 of wild animals: lion, leopard, elephant, African buffalo, and rhino. All of them seeing Chris Smith as a gourmet meal. 
More like fast food.
I can see the wildlife losing their temper and saying to each other, yep for the sake of it, letās take these nut jobs out for a quick meal.
Nah, heād be tough to chew on.
Also they would need vaccination before they can travel. Does Hancock prospecting still have a wildlife Park ? Iām pretty suspicious about the motivation here.
I wouldnāt normally advocate for such brutality but I reckon Chris Smith is fair āgameā.
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Been there, Done that, I think the T shirt has well and truly faded!
BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYā¦