Is it curtains for 89.3 Hit Country Geelong???
CrowdedHouse
was on it's last legs... that it was gone.
Yet I would always still hear them on-air one way or another.
However my source from Geelong tonight gave me a call with plenty of
Geelong Radio News.
The main topic was 89.3 Hit Country...
It's believed they will cease transmission at Midnight on Thursday
(wether that is the end of Wednesday or Thursday I'm not sure).
The alleged reason is that the creditors are not happy.
Remember that Hit Country are at 89.3 on FM in Geelong as a 250watt
Narrowcaster, and LEASE the licence from K-Rock.
So if you can pick up 89.3 Hit Country (I can't 88.9 Wyn FM drowns it
out here), then please let us know if the switch off the power.
The other news I've heard is that 94.7 The Pulse (run by the GECC) have
had their TCBL extended AGAIN for another 3 months to take them to
Christmas.
This is very surprising considering they were the ONLY GROUP to apply
for the licence.
A decision on that licence was due by June 30, but was put off til the
end of September, but my source now says it's been pushed back again.
Interesting times for sure in Geelong!
CrowdedHouse (anyone for SEN 89.3?)
Nunya
> Over the last 12 months I've kept hearing that Country FM/Hit Country
> was on it's last legs... that it was gone.
>
> Yet I would always still hear them on-air one way or another.
>
> However my source from Geelong tonight gave me a call with plenty of
> Geelong Radio News.
>
> The main topic was 89.3 Hit Country...
>
> It's believed they will cease transmission at Midnight on Thursday
> (wether that is the end of Wednesday or Thursday I'm not sure).
I was told the 30th they go off air.
>
> The alleged reason is that the creditors are not happy.
Yes it's true, they are in the liquidator's hands and they had to do a
Voluntary winding down.
>
> Remember that Hit Country are at 89.3 on FM in Geelong as a 250watt
> Narrowcaster, and LEASE the licence from K-Rock.
>
> So if you can pick up 89.3 Hit Country (I can't 88.9 Wyn FM drowns it
> out here), then please let us know if the switch off the power.
I have heard a rumour that someone has bought the station, and that it
will be run from Bundaberg and sent to low powered transmitters around
the country, similar to the 1-watt 87.6MHz transmitter they were on.
Can anyone confirm this rumour?
>
> The other news I've heard is that 94.7 The Pulse (run by the GECC) have
> had their TCBL extended AGAIN for another 3 months to take them to
> Christmas.
>
> This is very surprising considering they were the ONLY GROUP to apply
> for the licence.
>
> A decision on that licence was due by June 30, but was put off til the
> end of September, but my source now says it's been pushed back again.
Hope they do get their licence. I am thinking of going back to do
production there.
oldtimer
fringe, but it still interferes with 89.1 3M-FM in South Gippsland. Perhaps
the antenna radiation pattern needs a tweak?
"Nunya" <nunyafark...@NOSPAM.yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:dhbmip$524$1...@otis.netspace.net.au...
BearCave
CrowdedHouse wrote:
> (anyone for SEN 89.3?)
That's not a bad observation CrowdedHouse. Perhaps the geography for
SEN would less of a risk this time than their experiment with Adelaide.
Certainly, the RPH network sees a benefit in having a local transmitter
in Geelong (on 99.5 MHz).
Perhaps SEN can already be heard in Geelong through the Melbourne
transmitter (1116 kHz), but having a local signal could perhaps enable
SEN to establish a two-tier approach to their communications, just like
they tried to do with Adelaide, minus the tyranny of distance.
CrowdedHouse
hard to get 1116am as it gets drowned out by 1134 3CS.
Plus with a Geelong transmitter, they could cover some local Geelong
sports and pick up some money there.
As a 250watt transmission, it should be fairly low cost... that depends
on how much K-Rock charge... or maybe if they profit share?
CrowdedHouse (there's money to be made there, without the disasters of
Adelaide)
BearCave
CrowdedHouse wrote:
> As a 250watt transmission, it should be fairly low cost... that depends
> on how much K-Rock charge... or maybe if they profit share?
These commercial radio groups trying to 'lease' out frequencies need to
start being more 'realistic'.
Leasing frequencies has been a disaster for both parties in two
circumstances now: First in Adelaide (between ARN and SEN), secondly
in Geelong (between K-Rock and Country FM)
'Once bitten, twice shy' is likely to be SEN's response to reading this
suggestion about taking on 89.3 MHz, even if it does represent an
opportunity to fill gaps in their broadcast coverage.
A more stable relationship between SEN and K-Rock would be a 50/50
ownership, with SEN, the niche-format partner managing it 100%.
Much like the ownership relationship that exists between ARN and DMG in
Brisbane (97.3, managed by ARN) and Perth (Nova937, managed by DMG).
K-Rock obviously owns this licence to cement dominant market control,
but what's the use of having so much control if you can't make any
money from it?
This breakdown in the relationship between K-Rock and Country FM partly
supports my theory that some forms of capitalism are 'too exclusive' -
an extreme "lose-lose" outcome of missed opportunities.
K-Rock ought to settle an agreement with SEN that protects K-Rock's
football interests from being ambushed. Besides that, then give
autonomy to SEN to manage the whole show however it sees fit.
Let's be blunt - Lease models and 24/7 Automation models are 'nickel
and dime' thinking. An exercise in over-protectionism. Successful
ownership of a narrowcasting licence falls somewhere in-between owning
a commercial property and engaging with a community - the
commercial/community hybrid.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see how ARN solves the
problem they have in providing direction for the on-hold 5DN 1323.
CrowdedHouse
> A more stable relationship between SEN and K-Rock would be a 50/50
> ownership, with SEN, the niche-format partner managing it 100%.
The best way for the 50/50 partnership to work is for SEN to be
responsible for all programming and K-rock to look after the Sales arm
of things in Geelong.
You could add a daily token "Geelong Sports Program" to the mix, wether
it be for an hour at Lunch time, 7pm or 11pm (11 might be better
replacing "The day in sport" highlights show.
Not to clash with K-rock AFL Footy during winter, you have SEN do GFL
Footy on Saturday Afternoon and at night back it up with coverage of
the Geelong Supercats Basketball team (like Rhema FM use to do years
ago).
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
CrowdedHouse (Good ideas, just need the contacts!)
BearCave
CrowdedHouse wrote:
>
> You could add a daily token "Geelong Sports Program" to the mix, wether
> it be for an hour at Lunch time, 7pm or 11pm (11 might be better
> replacing "The day in sport" highlights show.
I should clarify that 'leasing' air-time, as I think SEN might, would
have a different "risk: reward" ratio than leasing the whole airtime of
a frequency.
All great ideas CrowdedHouse.
David
> Over the last 12 months I've kept hearing that Country FM/Hit Country was
> on it's last legs... that it was gone.
>
> Yet I would always still hear them on-air one way or another.
>
> However my source from Geelong tonight gave me a call with plenty of
> Geelong Radio News.
>
> The main topic was 89.3 Hit Country...
>
> It's believed they will cease transmission at Midnight on Thursday (wether
> that is the end of Wednesday or Thursday I'm not sure).
>
> The alleged reason is that the creditors are not happy.
>
Hi,
I think the assets were advertised in the Geelong Advertiser last Saturday (24th
September) page 75 (Public Notices).
Contact Geoff Ridgeway of Jenkins Peake & Co (03) 5223 - 1000 (Accountant/
Liquidators)
--
Regards,
David
CrowdedHouse
Might find a good bargin of something!
CrowdedHouse (unemployed - so must use money wisely!)
Nunya
premises on Friday. He never mentioned what was being sold, but he did
say, "come and grab a piece of Hit-Country" or something to those words.
Keith or Phil at Aussieseek dot com
Short But Sweet !
Mind you just looking at their website, it looks like no real effort
was taken into giving the station a clean sharp image, rather it was a
bit wishy-washy at best.
I dont think many people in Geelong even knew the station was around in
the first place, and because of this - and a VERY limited take-up for
country music south of the NSW border - that it just ended up ending.
Wonder if the station was managed members and committees, or if it was
a privately owned group that was Hit-Country FM ?
Would not have thought it would be that hard to make something out of a
radio station in Geelong - apart from the fact it is a narrowcast
licence which prevents it from doing some things.
The problem maybe that the group was leasing a licence from what was
essentially its competition (competition if not for the same listeners,
but for the dollar, in this case an audience for Hit-Country would
present a problem to K-Rock / Bay FM, a very different scenario that
exists for its other tennant 3CW 1341)
Another point: Geelong Broadcasters owns every broadcast licence asset
in Geelong - 87.6, 87.8, 88.0, 89.3, 93.9, 95.5, 1341. the stations not
controlled in some way by Geelong Broadcasters are RPH, Pulse, and the
Rhema station. basically they control who says and does what in Geelong
radio, a nice position to be in - but VERY uncompetitive.
It's like owning everything on the Monopoly board.
Nunya
> There goes another experiment.
>
> Mind you just looking at their website, it looks like no real effort
> was taken into giving the station a clean sharp image, rather it was a
> bit wishy-washy at best.
The web site may not be the best looking, but we put A LOT of work into
the imaging of the station. Since I set up the compouter in production,
the general quality of the station improved with professional sounding
station ID's, etc voiced by Mark. (Incidentally, I wish Mark all the
best in his new afternoon shift at 3SH, which he starts in a few weeks)
Also, since the introduction of the PC into production, the old analogue
mono carts were removed and a Jazler setup was installed into the on-air
studio, giving them a professional igital sound.
>
> I dont think many people in Geelong even knew the station was around in
> the first place, and because of this - and a VERY limited take-up for
> country music south of the NSW border - that it just ended up ending.
Believe it or not, Country had more listeners than the Pulse, mainly
from the aging population.
>
> Wonder if the station was managed members and committees, or if it was
> a privately owned group that was Hit-Country FM ?
It was run as Southern Victoria Community Radio, Inc. It was run as a
community station until they move to 89.3, when they were running as a
commerial narrowcast station, broacasting up to 15 minutes of
commercials an hour.
>
> Would not have thought it would be that hard to make something out of a
> radio station in Geelong - apart from the fact it is a narrowcast
> licence which prevents it from doing some things.
Yeah, we weren't allowed to have news, and certain other limitations
were to do with things like interviews for Morning Forum, etc.
>
> The problem maybe that the group was leasing a licence from what was
> essentially its competition (competition if not for the same listeners,
> but for the dollar, in this case an audience for Hit-Country would
> present a problem to K-Rock / Bay FM, a very different scenario that
> exists for its other tennant 3CW 1341)
>
> Another point: Geelong Broadcasters owns every broadcast licence asset
> in Geelong - 87.6, 87.8, 88.0, 89.3, 93.9, 95.5, 1341. the stations not
> controlled in some way by Geelong Broadcasters are RPH, Pulse, and the
> Rhema station. basically they control who says and does what in Geelong
> radio, a nice position to be in - but VERY uncompetitive.
>
> It's like owning everything on the Monopoly board.
>
Not too sure what happened since I left the station. I know when I was
there earlier this year, they had a good relationship with Janet from
Grant Broadcasters. I'm not too sure, but I think the good relationship
ended when a cheque accidentally bounced, and since I heard about that
happening, the station has slowly been forced to wind down it seems.
The way I see it, Hit-Country closed down due to Grant Broadcasters
corporate greed. They want to be the only radio station in Geelong. As
I am anti-commercial radio, I know I will never listen to their
commercial repetitive dribble. Long Live The Pulse, the only REAL music
variety left in Geelong.
Just my opinion ;)
Artie Stevens
Commercial operator like SEN could not broadcast on that licence.
If it's narrowcast, ditto.
Artie
"CrowdedHouse" <peterhol...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1127877479.4...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Mobbs
In article <dhj7oi$u5m$1...@otis.netspace.net.au>,
nunyafark...@NOSPAM.yahoo.com.au says...
"The way I see it, Hit-Country closed down due to Grant Broadcasters
corporate greed. They want to be the only radio station in Geelong. As
I am anti-commercial radio, I know I will never listen to their
commercial repetitive dribble. Long Live The Pulse, the only REAL music
variety left in Geelong."
------------------------------------
what the ???
Mobbs
Radio Dood
Nunya wrote:
> CrowdedHouse wrote:
> > Over the last 12 months I've kept hearing that Country FM/Hit Country
> > was on it's last legs... that it was gone.
> >
> > Yet I would always still hear them on-air one way or another.
> >
> > However my source from Geelong tonight gave me a call with plenty of
> > Geelong Radio News.
> >
> > The main topic was 89.3 Hit Country...
> >
> > It's believed they will cease transmission at Midnight on Thursday
> > (wether that is the end of Wednesday or Thursday I'm not sure).
>
> I was told the 30th they go off air.
>
> >
> > The alleged reason is that the creditors are not happy.
>
> Yes it's true, they are in the liquidator's hands and they had to do a
> Voluntary winding down.
>
> >
> > Remember that Hit Country are at 89.3 on FM in Geelong as a 250watt
> > Narrowcaster, and LEASE the licence from K-Rock.
> >
> > So if you can pick up 89.3 Hit Country (I can't 88.9 Wyn FM drowns it
> > out here), then please let us know if the switch off the power.
>
> I have heard a rumour that someone has bought the station, and that it
> will be run from Bundaberg and sent to low powered transmitters around
> the country, similar to the 1-watt 87.6MHz transmitter they were on.
> Can anyone confirm this rumour?
Geelong country music lovers will still get their dose of country and
they will have a station which has the $$$ to support the running of a
24-7 Country Music station in Geelong.
If my prodiction is correct I think it would be ok but it would be
without the local asspect that Hitcountry had. But it would be better
than nothing for people in geelong who like country music.
>
> >
> > The other news I've heard is that 94.7 The Pulse (run by the GECC) have
> > had their TCBL extended AGAIN for another 3 months to take them to
> > Christmas.
> >
> > This is very surprising considering they were the ONLY GROUP to apply
> > for the licence.
> >
> > A decision on that licence was due by June 30, but was put off til the
> > end of September, but my source now says it's been pushed back again.
>
>
> Hope they do get their licence. I am thinking of going back to do
> production there.
>
> >
> > Interesting times for sure in Geelong!
CrowdedHouse
Well there's plenty of things to me to address in this thread, BUT
let's start with the Inside Word.
This is coming from my source who spoke to someone at the top, who is
awaiting further directions from his bosses.
There are THREE formats on the table for the 89.3 FM 250 watt
Narrowcast licence...
1. COUNTRY
Could Kix FM from Bundy be making a move?
Could 4DB's Brad Smart be sniffing around, after all he lives in
Melbourne, wouldn't be too hard for him to keep an eye on things
OR will K-Rock/Bay FM have their own automated Country Music station
like 5MU & 2EC (and maybe Nowra?)???
2. DANCE
It's well known that Kiss FM are on the look-out in Melbourne for
Narrowcast Space to broadcast their Dance Music.
They would be licking their lips if they could get 89.3 in Geelong.
3. SPORTS TALK
I nearly fell of my chair when I heard this! Did Mobbsy read my SEN
idea and float it with management? If so, can ya get me a gig?
A long shot is Sport 927 for racing.
As I said that's the inside word that I got at about 11am this Morning.
On another point Mobbsy was right to question Nunya's (Chris's)
statement about corporate greed by K-Rock.
The price that K-Rock charged Hit Country was actually pretty low of
the market size, but if Hit Country can't balance the books... they
shouldn't point the finger elsewhere.
As I was chatting months back to an ex K-Rock employee (who use to be a
regional radio PD), the problem with Hit Country was their announcers
and format. They kept playing "HillBilly Country" when they needed to
be playing "Country Rock/Pop" to attract listeners and $$$ (several
months ago they were lucky to have 3 ads per hour).
On another again Nunya. The Pulse need to pull their finger out with
the Cricket Coverage.
Ok it's first day back and I'll let the new commentary team how covered
the GCA matcg off the hook, but what happened to the professionalism of
last year?
The intro was dodgey and sounded like it was done at the last second
(again!) - Last year's one was slick (thanks Alan.)
AND there was NO around the ground scores! There was at least another
12 matches on and did not hear one score from any of them!
Last year (blowing my own trumpet) I/We did around the grounds scores
of Division 1 & 2, PLUS Racing Results (during the all important Spring
Carnival) - this year, nothing. Don't you guys want to give your
listeners a decent service?
What was terrible was the finish Nunya. You guys had a close game at
5.55pm. 21 balls remaining, batting side needs 20 runs to win and 2
wickets in hand. Chance to call a thrilling finish (I would have been
yelling down thr line, call it to the end). Instead you hand it back to
the studio, they fill time with a song, then come on for a minute (no
around the grounds scores) to say join us again next week and read the
results in MONDAY's Paper!
Then Jukebox Saturday Night starts.
FOR GOD'S SAKE, you just treated your cricket listners poorly, think
about what you were doing.
Maybe you should tell Rawlo to call me if he wants directions on how to
do a broadcast correctly.
I would love to do Cricket again, but with The Pulse... YIKES, Once
bitten, Twice Shy.
CrowdedHouse (Holding back no punches)
Nunya
Wrong. It's not Chris. I was only there for about 2 months in
January/February to set the PC up in production. You don't know me
because I left the Pulse just before you came. I was doing the music
logs with Scott but couldn't get into oing it because I don't believe in
playlisting community radio stations as it makes them sound too
repetitive.
>
> The price that K-Rock charged Hit Country was actually pretty low of
> the market size, but if Hit Country can't balance the books... they
> shouldn't point the finger elsewhere.
It's because the place felt more like a drop-in-centre, than a place of
business.
>
> As I was chatting months back to an ex K-Rock employee (who use to be a
> regional radio PD), the problem with Hit Country was their announcers
> and format. They kept playing "HillBilly Country" when they needed to
> be playing "Country Rock/Pop" to attract listeners and $$$ (several
> months ago they were lucky to have 3 ads per hour).
When they changed their name to Hit-Country, they were playing new
releases mainly. I think the problem was that some of the older
generation didn't want to learn so they didn't like the "digital" changes.
>
> On another again Nunya. The Pulse need to pull their finger out with
> the Cricket Coverage.
> Ok it's first day back and I'll let the new commentary team how covered
> the GCA matcg off the hook, but what happened to the professionalism of
> last year?
>
> The intro was dodgey and sounded like it was done at the last second
> (again!) - Last year's one was slick (thanks Alan.)
Well, Tim just left my place, he was panelling the cricket yesterday,
and he said there were a few technical hitches when he took over standby.
>
> AND there was NO around the ground scores! There was at least another
> 12 matches on and did not hear one score from any of them!
>
> Last year (blowing my own trumpet) I/We did around the grounds scores
> of Division 1 & 2, PLUS Racing Results (during the all important Spring
> Carnival) - this year, nothing. Don't you guys want to give your
> listeners a decent service?
>
> What was terrible was the finish Nunya. You guys had a close game at
> 5.55pm. 21 balls remaining, batting side needs 20 runs to win and 2
> wickets in hand. Chance to call a thrilling finish (I would have been
> yelling down thr line, call it to the end). Instead you hand it back to
> the studio, they fill time with a song, then come on for a minute (no
> around the grounds scores) to say join us again next week and read the
> results in MONDAY's Paper!
> Then Jukebox Saturday Night starts.
>
> FOR GOD'S SAKE, you just treated your cricket listners poorly, think
> about what you were doing.
>
> Maybe you should tell Rawlo to call me if he wants directions on how to
> do a broadcast correctly.
LOL Good old Santa Clause (Rawlo) is back at the Pulse. Good on him ;)
>
> I would love to do Cricket again, but with The Pulse... YIKES, Once
> bitten, Twice Shy.
That's why I'm holding back from returning to do production myself.
Some of the ads are absolutely appalling. And nobody uses compression
on their editing so all the ads sound flat.
>
>
> CrowdedHouse (Holding back no punches)
>
Tils (NOT Chris)
Nunya
talking to people, that they actually dug their own grave. But I still
stick to my words that commercial radio is repetitive. It's a good
change to hear stuff other than the mainstream stuff, like the band from
the local pub, which commercial radio won't give any publicity as
there's no profit to be made.
Nunya
when you rang Pete at the Pulse and complained because I had an opinion
about K-Rock that you didn't like on this newsgroup. I thought it was a
free country and that people were allowed to have opinions, whether good
or bad. Anyway, I was told about the complaint and people were laughing
at you as I was told to ignore it.
Mobbs
nunyafark...@NOSPAM.yahoo.com.au says...
>
>ALSO, Mobbsy, I will never forget the low act you did a few years ago,
>when you rang Pete at the Pulse and complained because I had an opinion
>about K-Rock that you didn't like on this newsgroup. I thought it was a
>free country and that people were allowed to have opinions, whether good
>or bad. Anyway, I was told about the complaint and people were laughing
>at you as I was told to ignore it.
>
what the ???
dude i think you are confused and have issues ....
Mobbs
Short But Sweet !
Country service is owned by Bundaberg Broadcasters - A Grant
Broadcasters station. Keep the money in the network.
Short But Sweet !
Camerons
Wombat Lover
Should Power Country FM in Tongala, Kyabram and Tatura be afraid or
concerned by this?
Could they be at the next lot of auctions? And why wern't they at the
previous ones?
As much as it fits in well, I've noticed they have a 1800 number for
requests, very handy for a "national network"
--
From Robert | Wombat Lover | Melbourne | http://www.surfnetvic.cjb.net |
Ray
When did Rural Press sell to Camerons? Must have been sold in the last 4
months. The ACMA controllers webb site from May 2005 shows the same owners
as River/5RM/5CS/5CC/Magic FM.
"Short But Sweet !" <bigfishwit...@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:1128301874.4...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Shaun Stapleton
running software from Prophet.
Bundaberg Broadcasters to my knowledge has only been locally owned or
recently brought by Rural Press.
If the Italians on 1053 AM Brisbane can't work out what program to put on
there licence might want to think about selling it to Rural Press, even if
it's low power, might be able to move the licence out closer to Ipswich.
Shaun.
"Ray" <sendnos...@bigpond.net.au> wrote in message
news:C120f.5613$U51....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
nat...@myisp.net.au
whereby Rural Press provide country music programing to all of Grant
Broadcaster's Narrowcast licenses.
nat...@myisp.net.au
In addition, Grant Broadcasters and their 89.3 HPON at Geelong are
still owned by Grant Broadcasters, the only thing that has happened is
Rural Press who own's bundaberg broadcasters is now providing country
music programming to Grant Broadcaster's Narrowcast services.
Radio Dood
All I can say though is that at least the licence won't be another
Vision FM. Not that their is anything wrong with what they do. But I
don't think another christian station is what Geelong needs.
So I think Kix FM will do well in Geelong. People will still get the
music they like and Grant Broadcasters still keep the 89.3 licence.
Artie Stevens
GRIN
Artie Stevens
AIR News
<mobbs@ GOAWAYkrock.com.au (Mobbs)> wrote in message
news:3vp%e.4016$U51....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
nat...@myisp.net.au
stations were not allowed to carry news?
CrowdedHouse
AND yours truly was the one that suggested it to Pulse Management to
take AIR News.
I remember it going to air at Midday on a Wednesday.
CrowdedHouse (programming consultant... to anyone who will listen)