MTR wow!!
Harry Heidelberg
My local taxi service's 2 way radiio must have more listeners.
They only have one topic 24 hours a day and that is the election. A
one trick pony.
It wears thin. It HAS worn thin already.
The only 2 decent broadcasters are Messrs Vizard and Angry Price.
Think they might be moving their transportable studio out of the car
park sooner than expected.
LBP
I must say I agree with you on this one - Vizard's alright but really
the light has dimmed
on this little talky entrant onto the Melbourne airwave scene.
Seagull
Firstly I'm sorry to change the thread name. But with all the spam
here I think it's important to focus on one thread.
It's simply amazing that what was 1377 Easy Music 3MP has come to
this. 1.3%
What was 3UZ ... dropped out of the surveys with better figures.
What we have got here is a supposedly smart Sydney entrepreneur who
has managed to get his local station to the top of the market trying
to do the same in Melbourne.
This simplistic format (Labor bashing) will simply not work here in
Melbourne. I'm amazed that it apparently works in Sydney. It doesn't
deserve to work anywhere.
Yet that is what the great Steve Price promised to deliver. And now
he has his answer.
When poor old 1503 3AK moved to Talk 1116 3AK in 2000 we got some of
the best talkback radio ever heard in Melbourne. It's a tragedy that
it didn't last ... thanks mostly to the monolith that is 3AW.
If MTR wants ratings it must start a dialogue with all people.
It's really nice to see that Melbourne's best AM music station is
kicking arse. Magic 1278 is rating 7.4%. Higher than Gold-FM, MMM,
the dog that is MIX, and the disaster that is Vega Classic Hits (with
no presenters).
I predicted this so long ago.
Several thought I was stupid.
The chickens have come home to roost.
The stupid boffins who run FM radio couldn't run a bath.
With the assistance of digital radio Magic 1278 will go on to bigger
and better things ... as it deserves to.
Artie
> this. 1.3%
Bloody unbelievable actually, for one that has worked there...
> What we have got here is a supposedly smart Sydney entrepreneur who
> has managed to get his local station to the top of the market trying
> to do the same in Melbourne.
> This simplistic format (Labor bashing) will simply not work here in
> Melbourne. I'm amazed that it apparently works in Sydney. It doesn't
> deserve to work anywhere.
What I can't work out is why they waste their time listening to Alan
Jones and the tuppenny Cabbie that follows him. I triewd listening when
I was in Sydney recently and managed less than 5 minutes. Talk about
preying on people's fears. Radio should be a solution not a problem, but
2GB is a problem.
> When poor old 1503 3AK moved to Talk 1116 3AK in 2000 we got some of
> the best talkback radio ever heard in Melbourne. It's a tragedy that
> it didn't last ... thanks mostly to the monolith that is 3AW.
It had it's moments, but it wasn't always good. I didn't have too much
time for De Hoedt.
> It's really nice to see that Melbourne's best AM music station is
> kicking arse. Magic 1278 is rating 7.4%. Higher than Gold-FM, MMM,
> the dog that is MIX, and the disaster that is Vega Classic Hits (with
> no presenters).
With Miss Jane in breakfast along with Kevin John it can't miss. they're
a great team, and Jane is such a talent, as well as being one of the
nicest people I have ever met in radio.
> The stupid boffins who run FM radio couldn't run a bath.
That appears to be so.
Artie
AStext
No-one in Sydney cares what nattering bedwetters in Melbourne think
about Sydney radio. You guys sound like tired old reactionaries,
wanting to ban anything you don't like. You really don't get out much
to have the narrow minded attitudes you do. Maybe you are supporters
of Censor Conroy's internet filter too?
So MTR isn't doing to well in Melbourne? So what, no-one up here ever
thought it would make an impression in your marshmallow land of
groupthink. Switch back to the ABC instead of wittering on like sheep.
Get a life.
Artie
AStext
> Does AStext stand for ArSoleText
Got anything to say about radio, nattering bedwetter?
>
>
> AStext wrote:
> > So MTR isn't doing to well in Melbourne? So what, no-one up here ever
> > thought it would make an impression in your marshmallow land of
> > groupthink. Switch back to the ABC instead of wittering on like sheep.
> > Get a life.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
C & C Radiofan
Dear AStext,
If you have something constructive to say, please say it. Otherwise
please stay silent!!
It is not very nice to abuse people, especially someone like Artie.
Kind Regards
C & C Radiofan ( and MTR Fan!!!)
AStext
BearCave
> When poor old 1503 3AK moved to Talk 1116 3AK in 2000 we got some of
> the best talkback radio ever heard in Melbourne. It's a tragedy that
> it didn't last ... thanks mostly to the monolith that is 3AW.
MTR against 3AW already looks like the old battles of 3AK against
3AW. You could also compare such a battle as the one with Clive
Peeters against Harvey Norman.
Consider Clive Peeters for a moment. Third biggest spender on radio
ads against the biggest spender, Harvey Norman. As one marketing
teacher described it to me, Clive Peeters find themselves in an
advertising slipstream in which everything they do is largely
determined by what Harvey Norman does. And while the intention of
following in Harvey Norman's steps might well be to bring about pure
market competition, the outcome is actually Harvey Norman taking over
Clive Peeters. In a similar way, the outcome of 3AK's battles with
3AW in the mid to late 80s (there were two attempts by 3AK at talk
during that time) was that 3AW consolidated the talent of both
stations in the early 90s and has since gone on to be the dominant
radio station in Melbourne, challenged only at times by the ABC.
In aspiring to bring about pure competition in the talk radio market,
Steve Price expresses the right intention when he tells The Age this
week: "‘‘The reason we’re here is that we figure the two biggest talk
stations [3AW and 774 ABC] have too big a share of the market,’’.
Yet it remains to be seen if even the backup resources of 2GB is
enough for MTR to sustain the Clive Peeters style challenge of
performing in a mature market when you're not leading the pack. 2UE
does manage to provide some respectable competition against 2GB in
Sydney, but I already predicted in a previous posting that the
competitive intensity in Melbourne was already evident due to the fact
that Melbourne's sporting culture sustains an all-sports station in
SEN (just as in major United States markets like New York, where
sports radio WFAN rates either just as well, or better, than its talk
and news rivals). MTR, without any footy call, has to compete with
3AW, 774 ABC and SEN. Compare this with 2UE, who doesn't have to
compete with an SEN format.
An article in the Green Guide yesterday interprets the ratings in a
way that claims younger listeners are more likely to sample new
formats than older listeners, comparing Nova's 2001/02 launch with
MTR's 2010 launch:
Yet this doesn't really explain the recent success of AM station SEN
(just look at SEN's current 40-54 ratings result) and it doesn't
explain why the recently younger-sounding Mix 101.1 continues to
struggle to challenge the dominant Fox.
When you have a format that's difficult to copy, you'll have a certain
concentration of force that sustains you through the life cycle of
your marketing mix. One thing that could be admired about 3MP is that
while it's format might have been in decline for many years, it
refused to lay down below 2 per cent, instead often rebounding and
getting the occasional 3 per cent. Compare this with Melbourne Talk
Radio MTR, a concept easy for 3AW to copy the essential elements of
(including a big outdoor campaign promoting itself as the local
champion - "Melbourne's own 3AW".)
That said, I think MTR could do worse than be aligned with Sydney's
2GB, however right-wing many internet critics claim it to be. It's
going to require resources to sustain MTR through thick and thin and I
expect certain elements of that relationship will still make sense,
even beyond format adjustments that may occur.
> This simplistic format (Labor bashing) will simply not work here in
> Melbourne. I'm amazed that it apparently works in Sydney. It doesn't
> deserve to work anywhere.
>
> Yet that is what the great Steve Price promised to deliver. And now
> he has his answer.
I'm not going to pretend to know how much I should agree or disagree
with this point. Perhaps it should be considered that Andrew Bolt in
the Herald Sun, positioned against column writers with other points of
view, isn't the same as placing Bolt on the radio where the hosts and
listeners all engage in agreeing on one viewpoint. However, let's
understand that MTR does have to position itself in the minds of
listeners and its options for doing this are not unlimited.
...From Justin (enjoying most of MTR and voting for Julia anyway :)
C & C Radiofan
Thank you for your analysis, it was highly informative.
The advantage that 2GB had was that when Alan Jones and Ray Hadley
defected from 2UE, most of their audience moved with them. Alan Jones
continued with his format whereas Mr. Hadley set about copying his old
mentor John Laws. The Rugby League broadcast rights transfer from UE
to GB only helped to consolidate GB's lead.
MTR has the disadvantage of starting from scratch, and has not had the
benefit of having an audience move with an established star. Each
member of the MTR team with the exception of Steve Price has not had
continuous radio service in the Melbourne, so does not have an
existing profile as a radio journalist in the market.
In Australia, radio must be local and the only way MTR can build in
Melbourne is to cut its ties with Sydney during the prime time slots.
The only programs that should be syndicated is the night and mid-dawn
programs. MTR must be true to their name and become unashamedly
Melbourne in its focus and style.
In terms of sporting programming, Justin you are correct in saying
that Melbourne can support an all sports radio station. The closest
that Sydney has to this is 2KY, but their focus is on equine racing,
not on general sports. MTR could find a niche with a program focus on
the VFL competition, which relies on community radio for coverage.
With a commercial licence, they can gain good sponsors and promote it
without restriction.
I believe that MTR has a future, it may need to experiment and promote
themselves a bit more.
It terms of the politics, they need to lighten up a bit and focus on
entertaining as well as informing. They also need to ensure that they
remain balanced and fair in their reporting. In these times, people
need an escape and to be inspired, too much politics has the tendency
to make people angry and to polarise people, they need to avoid this
at all costs. There needs to be some positive programming as well.
Although I am a political junkie and thrive on all that it offers, an
overdose is never pretty!! (Light FM is my rehab station!!!)
Please let me know what you all think?
Kind Regards
C & C Radiofan (enjoying all of MTR and voting for Tony)
JT
news:ceec6629-87e5-4ef2...@m17g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
>>Got anything to say about radio, nattering bedwetter?
Yeah! Wishing you were on it so we could switch your show off!
152.91.9.201
Creep.
newtaste
2GB as they both go after the news, even if they are right-wing. They
are informative and entertaining and focus on Sydney. Haven't listened
to Jones for years as he annoys me. I have heard pants man Chris Smith
and it is beyond me why he is still on 2GB and on MTR. He is arrogant,
self-important, and whinging, and has no warmth nor appeal. Brian
Wilshire works on 2GB nights in Sydney with his very slow pace show
dominated by conspiracy theories, but I doubt that he would appeal to
Melbourne audiences.
I haven't heard MTR, but apart from Price, Vizard and Glenn Ridge, the
rest of the lineup seems totally unappealing. Why would boring Sydney
gardener Graham Ross, Sydney advertorial presenter Glenn Wheeler, and
anti-everything non-white Jim Ball appeal to a Melbourne audience?
John Singleton lost a lot of money for years after he bought 2GB from
Wesley Mission and 2CH from the Council of Churches. 2GB was rating
that badly that for a couple of years Singo sacked all the journos,
closed the news room and sourced the news from ARN. But he slugged it
out and won in the end when he signed Jones and Hadley. He has an
affection for 2GB and 2CH. I can't see Singo having the same affection
for MTR 1377. While Price might say it will take time, I can't see
Singo allowing a hole to be burnt in his pocket long-term. He is very
much a hands-off proprietor these days, but if something is costing
him money and he's not enjoying losing the money I can see him
stepping in and stopping the flow.
I reckon MTR will be gone by the end of the year if ratings don't
dramatically improve.
Seagull
On Aug 13, 10:19 am, "C & C Radiofan" <hboekem...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> MTR has the disadvantage of starting from scratch, and has not had the
> benefit of having an audience move with an established star. Each
> member of the MTR team with the exception of Steve Price has not had
> continuous radio service in the Melbourne, so does not have an
> existing profile as a radio journalist in the market.
That's so true C & C Radiofan, and it's even debatable how popular
Adelaide's Steve Price ever was at 3AW. Even the acknowledged failed
experiment that was Stan Zemanec rated pretty well on 3AW. As Derryn
Hinch admits, he rated 4% on 3AK and 14% on 3AW doing the same show.
That's the clout that 3AW has. More than any other radio station in
the country.
> In Australia, radio must be local and the only way MTR can build in
> Melbourne is to cut its ties with Sydney during the prime time slots.
I couldn't agree more. In a city of 4.5 million it is insulting that
these old and uneducated Sydney voices are thrust upon us. So much
local talent has passed through 3RRR and others in recent decades.
There's no reason that MTR couldn't put 18 hours of decent local
talkback on reasonably cheaply each day.
And as newtaste said
> Why would boring Sydney gardener Graham Ross, Sydney advertorial
> presenter Glenn Wheeler, and anti-everything non-white Jim Ball
> appeal to a Melbourne audience?
Exactly!
> I can't see Singo having the same affection for MTR 1377. While
> Price might say it will take time, I can't see Singo allowing a hole to
> be burnt in his pocket long-term. He is very much a hands-off
> proprietor these days, but if something is costing him money and
> he's not enjoying losing the money I can see him stepping in and
> stopping the flow.
Yo! And my mole (let's call her The Tealady) tells me that Singo only
signed on for 12 months, with a 12 month option. You'd have to think
that Singo will bail at the first opportunity.
But what will this leave Pacific Star with?
The structure of a talkback station (including a newsroom) will be
there. There's no way of re-creating Easy Music 3MP again on AM
radio. You'd have to think that those left after Singo pulls out will
try and create a wonderful new live and local talk station for
Melbourne.
> I reckon MTR will be gone by the end of the year if ratings
> don't dramatically improve.
Me-two 3XY! But only as it is now.
Hopefully the guys at Pacific Star will create a good local talk
station. I'll be happy when the radio station's phone number changes
from 131 873 to 13 1377.
C & C Radiofan
> Hopefully the guys at Pacific Star will create a good local talk
> station. I'll be happy when the radio station's phone number changes
> from 131 873 to 13 1377.
I am sorry to disappoint you but the number 13 13 77 has been taken by
Aussie Home loans for their credit card business!!
AStext
another nattering bedwetter taking itself far too seriously.
chill out dude, and get help for your anger
Seagull
> I am sorry to disappoint you but the number 13 13 77 has been taken by
> Aussie Home loans for their credit card business!!
No worries C & C, they'll just have to move their frequency. In
recent years all fashionable AM stations in Melbourne have done so.
What was at 1422 (as 3XY) went to 693 as 3EE.
What was at 1503 turned into Talk 1116 3AK.
And then the monolith that is 3AW kicked out its reasonably healthy
sister station at 693, which had to try and Magically re-establish
itself (sans jingles or stereo) at 1278.
Going off at a tangent here, I'll say this about the greed of
commercial radio proprietors.
3AW gained nothing from changing frequencies. As 3AW 1278 it rated
17.0 when it decided to swap frequencies in June 2006. It now rates
15.2 and still wins the top prize.
It's taken Magic 693 a long time to recover ... as Magic 1278.
But recover it has.
It's now the 4th most popular radio station in Melbourne!
Without ANY help from its sister station 3AW (read Fairfax Radio
recently ... Southern Cross if you like ... or maybe Wesgo) ... the
Melbourne radio station that is Magic evolved from simple
circumstances and good people in 1994.
So ... here we are 16 years later. MAGIC has gone to No. 4!
Ahead of Gold ...
Ahead of Nova.
Ahead of Eddie's Triple M.
Ahead of the dog that is MIX-FM
And ahead of the disaster that is Vega's Classic Hits.
Can you pick a pattern here?
After 30 years of commercial FM radio ... with all the benefits of
better sound, the stupid pigtails who run it ... simply couldn't run
a bath.
Will someone please pull the fucking plug!
cheers
seagull
C & C Radiofan
Another alternative would be to follow the New Zealand model and move
the AM stations to FM and to open up the AM frequency to community and
Hobby radio.
The two talk radio stations in New Zealand, Newstalk ZB and Radio
Live, are located on the FM band and do very well. The coverage and
sound is much better and, in the case of Melbourne, reduce the
interference from the tram lines.
The AM network is used by niche broadcasters such as New Zealand's
Rhema and Southern Star (Christian Broadcasters) Radio Sport, Live
Sport and the Parliamentary Broadcasting Service. Even Radio New
Zealand is on the FM band.
You are right Seagull. The FM stations have lost their way and their
music is rubbish. If you want to save energy you should pull the f!
#*ing plug!!
At least the AM stations play decent music and showcase artists with
real talent!!
LBP
programming.
Whether it's mainstream or narrowband..
The simple fact is that many of the stations with NAS or LPON licenses
are either
transmitting dead air or pretty plain programming.
Somehow the Indy "off band" radio broadcast community of Australia
need to get a bit more vibrant
and adventurous and really get some interesting things happening.
There's a movement, especially in Queenland it seems - for pirate
radio activity -
I think it would be better to put that energy into one of the MF NAS
stations and really
set Brisbane or The Gold Coast alight with a station that rocks the
coast with excitement and energy.
Seagull
> The two talk radio stations in New Zealand, Newstalk ZB and Radio
> Live, are located on the FM band and do very well.
There is NO LOGICAL REASON why we should never have had talk stations
on the FM band. They would have rated much better than Gold, Nova,
MIX, and Vega.
> You are right Seagull. The FM stations have lost their way and their
> music is rubbish. At least the AM stations play decent music and
> showcase artists with real talent!!
In the early 90s two AM stations paid fortunes in an auction to move
to the FM band.
3AK defaulted and couldn't rake up the ridiculous fee that it had
successfully bid - so 3DB (TT/MIX) was given the go ahead, along with
3KZ which stupidly paid the highest bid in Oz to move to FM.
Within a few years the stations that were rating icons as 3KZ and 3DB
went broke and were bought out by Clear Channel (commonly known in USA
as Cheap Channel). So how good were those pigtail decisions about
moving to FM?
At the time Wesgo was going great - snapping up Oz stations wherever
it could. It got control of 3MP when it was Melbourne's top rating
station ... playing stereo music on the AM band!
It could have moved 3MP to the FM band, but didn't probably thinking
it sounded too daggy. Just imagine how well 3MP-FM would have rated
had Westgo decided to give it the opportunity.
3KZ lost its soul when it moved to FM. The music was stupidly spunked
up for absolutely no reason. And they dropped their ever so popular
footy broadcasts. WHY???!!! Did they really think nobody would
listen to the footy on FM? How negative was their thinking?
As listeners continue to take up digital radio - stations like MIX and
Vega Classic Hits (or whatever they choose to call it tomorrow) will
vanish into obscurity.
Australia's 30 years of commercial FM radio has been sad and
unadventurous. Safe is the best adjective to describe it.
Already we are hearing better and more adventurous radio on digital.
Tomorrow even the old dinasour that is 3AW is starting its second
digital station 3AWElect so that the main and AM station will do the
footy - but their second digital station will cover election results.
This is the way it should be.
newtaste
This morning he was in the NOVA 969 studios doing a phone interview
with Julia Gillard. Behind his head on a window is a sign "I (Heart)
MYSELF AND DILDOS". Did Hadley know the sign was there. And amazing
how the guy operating the camera managed to get it in shot a few
times! Would Hadley work in Melbourne?
The sign: http://yfrog.com/edhadleynovaj
Interview on NOVA 969: http://www.novafm.com.au/video_hadley-vs-gillard-broadband-network_105835
Artie
initially and that took it to the pits before ARN (regardless of how you
feel about Clear Channel) rescued it.
This is why the KZ reunion coming up in November celebrates the 80th
anniversary of the station, but the invitations are not extended to the
Austereo connection.
Harry Heidelberg
see Billy Bouncer's childrens show, (Norman Swain) and his female
side kick whose name I can't recall.
Also, I used to run street bazaars in Camberwell Road Camberwell, to
raise money for the Blind Babies organisation they supported.
In later years, Norman Swain worked for a light fittings showroom,
ironically in Camberwell Road, near Camberwell Junction.
◙ §☼☻
Liberal sh!tstains, it's not funny.!
Aren't there any laws in this cuntry against blatant political
bias ?!?
There should be !
Can anyone report these right-wing sycophantic wackjobs to ACMA ?!?
HOOROO
UNCLE WALLY
§
Artie
If they keep going at the level they are at, they won't last long anyway.
Artie
pn1
stuff that aims to offend and make people take notice.
Melbourne just isn't used to full on right wing points of view being
expressed with conviction 24/7.
I've been listening to MTR regularly and find it a refreshing change
from what we've been used to. It's just the poor signal and
Melbourne's strong bias to 3AW and the ABC that will make it hard for
MTR to gain ground in Melbourne.
The general flow of the station is professional apart from place names
being mis pronounced during news bulletins and traffic reports (e.g.
Berwick and Malvern). And sometimes the sixth pip before the news has
the intro come in over it.
Sam Newman should be given more prominence to really kick ass and
Andrew Bolt, well known for his right wing viewpoints, should move as
far right as the law will allow.
When I was little my Mum used to say "if you can't say anything nice
don't say anything at all".
MTR shows us that a whole station can be based on NOT saying anything
nice about anything or anyone.
From its middle class right wing perspective it should take on some of
the real ills of our society such as the bogans, ferals, hoons and
trailer trash. Get stuck into 'em boys!
Paul in Melbourne
Harry Heidelberg
They did it to death weeks ago, but they are a one trick pony.
Did listen to breakfast ffrom 8am, but yes, only one topic.
Even Steve Vizard is at it too.
Seagull
On Sep 4, 5:54 pm, pn1 <p...@bigpond.com> wrote:
> I think MTR should move further to the right with some really heavy
> stuff that aims to offend and make people take notice.
Hmmmmm ... I'm not sure I know quite where you're coming from.
> I've been listening to MTR regularly and find it a refreshing change
> from what we've been used to. It's just the poor signal and
> Melbourne's strong bias to 3AW and the ABC that will make it hard for
> MTR to gain ground in Melbourne.
It doesn't seem to matter that 1377 3MP went to the top of the ratings
playing AM stereo music in the early 90s despite the signal. And it
will matter less since the birth of digital radio. MTR will survive or
fall on its product.
And having to take on 774 3LO ... and the monolithic giant that is
simply 3AW is enormous.
> The general flow of the station is professional apart from place names
> being mis pronounced during news bulletins and traffic reports (e.g.
> Berwick and Malvern). And sometimes the sixth pip before the news has
> the intro come in over it.
Yes - it does at least sound professional. Well done.
> From its middle class right wing perspective it should take on some of
> the real ills of our society such as the bogans, ferals, hoons and
> trailer trash. Get stuck into 'em boys!
> Paul in Melbourne
Good post Paul. May MTR go on to bigger and better things ...!!