Steve Price (especially when his first hour contained Andrew Bolt for most of the hour) worked well as a networked evening show, but I’m not convinced that the current 2GB or 3AW shows would go well in the other market. They both do well in their respective markets so I wouldn’t touch them.
Overnights is an obvious networking opportunity given the limited revenue available, but the existing 2GB and 3AW shows are quite different and the audience reaction to previous networking of them hasn’t been great. I seem to recall Michael McLaren’s overnight show getting dropped by 3AW as it was not performing well as a lead-in to breakfast.
I’m of the view that the most viable timeslot to network is afternoons as long as the show takes a national focus. The sort of show where the average listener can’t tell or has no reason to care where the show is hosted from. It could even be beamed live into Perth if done properly. But, to do it properly would require resourcing the show in a way which would probably negate any cost savings from the reduction of local programming as it would need to be carefully produced and have a presenter with broad appeal, none of which comes cheap.
Specialist shows (Money News, The House Of Wellness, Life & Technology, etc) are certainly workable as national formats in the Australian radio landscape, but I just can’t see a weekday news/talk show being nationally workable within a reasonable budget. Australian commercial talk radio and the audiences who might tune in just aren’t built that way.
Surely evening and overnights are cheaper to produce than the day time shows. Not much money to save there. Keeping it local gives them a good point of difference to the ABC.
I don’t think any more networking should be deployed across the network I would keep the shows as is. I would even reinstate news local until midnight in both Melbourne and Sydney at a minimum. Radio is a local medium it’s where it’s advantage sits over other mediums.
4BC has always been a problem and if I was managing the station I would cut the talk to mornings and that’s it but alternately it would cut it completely.
4BC and 2CC face the same problem (and to some extent, 6PR as well).
Tapt (and Capital) need to work harder on the content delivered on these stations. They need to appeal, yet trigger their audiences in the right way. Not make the switch off - but make the engage further, by calling and contributing.
Unlike FM music stations, AM talkback stations rely on listeners being active & not lazy (i.e. listening to music and doing nothing).
I’m not sure about that. The Laundy’s were the first to admit they had no experience in radio and have a lot to learn. They seem interested in making sure their audience is served well rather than just making the biggest profit possible. My assessment would be that if Nine couldn’t justify a cut, then the Laundy’s won’t either. It actually wouldn’t surprise me if we see an increase in local content. The recent changes at 4BC seem to support this, as much as they have brought in a show from Sydney, it sounds like it might be temporary until they can find the right people to expand their lineup.
According to The Australian, 4BC also revealed that breakfast EP Jarryd Braybrook (son of veteran journalist Mark Braybrook) and producers Chloe Gowdie and Brayden Palmer also departed the station.
Great to hear Denis O’Kane reading the news this afternoon (filling in for an unwell Jordan Tunbridge). He’s normally only heard on Saturday mornings with Darren.
Good banter with Shane and Jacqui during the news breaks, and still sounding very good at 79 years old!
Diary hears staff at Tapt Media were caught completely off guard when a couple of members of the federal constabulary lobbed into the talkback network’s 2GB studios in Pyrmont last week and asked to inspect the premises for potential threats.
It turns out they were keen to ensure everything was safe and secure before the acting prime minister (Richard Marles), who is filling in for Anthony Albanese, arrived for his live, in-person chat with the city’s top-rating breakfast show host, Ben Fordham, on Tuesday (August 4)… which also caught them completely off-guard, given they hadn’t locked Marles in for a live, in-person chat.
A Sydney-based source tells me that, from October, Tapt will stop supplying live top-of-hour news to syndication partners. Instead, they will get pre-recorded bulletins that will be state-based Monday-Friday from 6am-6pm and from 6am-noon on weekends. Outside of those hours, it will be national content.
And once they’ve done running it into the ground, let me take a stab in the dark at running the joint.
I mentioned earlier that I can see Tapt letting certain contracts expire and some presenters put out to pasture, having the network go national as much as possible outside prime weekday slots and sports. This is a step in that direction, and it ain’t good, folks.
