Canberra Radio Ratings - Survey 2, 2006 - 2CA at 2.9%
Radio Expert
It can be accessed here:
http://www.nielsenmedia.com.au/en/pdf/mri/22/Canberra22006.pdf
A notable mention in the ratings is that the #1 spot is a two-way tie
between ARN/Austereo duopoly stations, FM104.7 & MIX 106.3, both
scoring a 22.2% share. 666 ABC scores a 16% share, while 2CC stopped
short of the 10% rating mark, scoring a 9.3% share.
However, 2CA fell with their "Old Stuff You Love, New Stuff You Like"
format, in which the station hit an all-time low of 2.9%, therefore
being beaten by all ABC radio stations. Not even the AFL helped 2CA in
this survey, despite being conducted during the tail-end of the AFL
season.
Looking back at the past Canberra radio ratings from since 2004, it
would seem that 2CA performed better when it had a 60s/70s music
format. Most 2CA listeners who liked the 60s/70s music format and
didn't like the current format, went elsewhere, most likely to MIX
106.3, where it has a similar music format to 2CA, but with a better
sound-quality.
wayne
The new PD, Gregg Easton has his work cut out for him.
How long will it take to dump the ill conceived "The Old Stuff You Love and
the New Stuff You Like"?
The station is riddled with problems, not the least being in breakfast.
The only way they can really go for any respectable numbers is an easy
listening format. Just discussing this very subject with someone who's been
a PD in that market and is well known on this newsgroup (let's call him
Wayne M.) who suggested a format similar to Cruise 1323 Adelaide. I like
it.
Wayne
"Radio Expert" <fi...@internode.on.net> wrote in message
news:1158314119.7...@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Ray
I complained to 2CA back in February about sounding too much like Mix 106.
I hope the new PD takes notice and reverts back to their oldies format.
They rated a constant 4% on average in the oldies format. In one survey
they had 6.3% in this format last year.
It is a pity that the survey didn't run through the AFL finals, so we can
see if their ratings improve.
"Radio Expert" <fi...@internode.on.net> wrote in message
news:1158314119.7...@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Ray
who came from MTV.
It was on jocks journal a few months back just after Brian James moved on.
"wayne" <m...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:450a8595$0$5107$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
wayne
> who came from MTV.
The gentleman you're thinking of is Ryan Rathbone formerly of Channel V and
he's left the building. Didn't stay long. He's now PD at STAR Gosford.
Gregg Easton has been PD at 2CA for a couple of weeks.
Radio Expert
> I comes as no suprise, that they fell.
> I complained to 2CA back in February about sounding too much like Mix 106.
> I hope the new PD takes notice and reverts back to their oldies format.
> They rated a constant 4% on average in the oldies format. In one survey
> they had 6.3% in this format last year.
A bit of correction there. They didn't rate 6.3% in one survey last
year (Survey 1, 2005), they rated 5.3%. Still, as I said before, they
rated better with an 'oldies' format than with the new format.
Here are 2CA's ratings from Survey 2, 2003 to Survey 2, 2005, when they
had an 'oldies' format:
2/2003 - 4.4%
1/2004 - 6.4%
2/2004 - 4.3%
1/2005 - 5.3% (includes AFL coverage)
2/2005 - 4.4%
And yes, I agree with Wayne. An easy listening format could work for
2CA. That's the format that Canberra commercial radio is lacking on.
Blue Fig Tree
and logo, positioners etc
???
bigdaz
ARN can't cause they own 50% of 104.7 and Mix.
But it COULD work, 2CA should go own their own and target 45+ and be
the point of difference in the market. Cruise format would be perfect.
Wombat Lover
Survey Two - All up 93.3% were counted (Other = 6.7% )
Would some of 2CA's audience gone to stations like 2XX or Artsound FM?
--
From Robert | Wombat Lover | Melbourne | http://www.surfnetvictoria.com
Jock
show. Such a sad result.
"wayne" <m...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:450a8595$0$5107$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
Jock
"Wombat Lover" <Wo...@Lover.com.au> wrote in message
news:rhyOg.29389$rP1....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
Gail
their Oldies era, primarily because they just seem to play the same stuff
over and over and over. Somebody should take off their shoes and socks and
count up the number of songs that have been released since 1960.
I have listened, online, to Adelaide's Cruise and I concur with the comments
of some other contributors here - it is a darn good format and would
probably work well on 2CA. I also like the 4BH format. It would be good to
finally have a good AM station in Canberra and as, for some unknown reason,
I can no longer receive FM on my car radio, it would be much appreciated.
"Radio Expert" <fi...@internode.on.net> wrote in message
news:1158314119.7...@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Ray
someone at 2CA not on air. Does anyone here have the article in JJ with the
story last year, I don't have a subscription for older stories as I am an
individual.
The critism was that all the new features were on other stations.
I didn't know that Greg Easton is now PD. He claims morale is high???
If so why are they the bottom of the heap? Even Newsradio rates higher.
People there the AFL tragics may have switched to Newsradio for commercial
free coverage without that loudmouth Rex Hunt.
Regarding ratings in the first survey in 2004 the figure (which was my
original point and before AFL)
was 6.4. up from 4.4. then in the second survey they were 4.4. In 2005 they
rated 5.3 up from 4.4
back to 4.4 in Survey 2 2005. In 2006
Survey 1 was 5.0 and Survey 2 has fallen dramatically.
The former PD I was referring to
was appointed when Brian James left unless another PD
since then has been appointed since then prior to Easton's appointment.
The relaunch was initiated before the format change by the then departed PD
whoever it was and had nothing to do with Gregg Easton. If it was the same
person then he was there for over a year.
That female doing imaging also gets on my nerves. Bring Back Ron E!
At least Jukebox is bearable with Ron E doing the imaging and the jingles we
used to hear.
I also think the new breakfast shift "the breakfast boys" Leighton & Paul
are a joke!
What experience do those two have in commercial radio I never heard of them,
and the waffle that goes on causes me to switch off. Is 2CA a clone of Mix
106?news:450a8a36$0$11973$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
blu...@westnet.com.au
Ray wrote " I also think the new breakfast shift "the breakfast boys"
Leighton & Paul
are a joke! What experience do those two have in commercial radio I
never heard of them, and the waffle that goes on causes me to switch
off. Is 2CA a clone of Mix 106?"
Ray, before I give you a copy of my resume, please explain what
qualifies you to attempt remotely intelligent arguments. "Is 2CA a
clone of Mix 106?" How incredibly stupid!! A 2 year old would tell you
that if 2CA were a clone of Mix, the figures would probably be a little
similar.
But as you seem so unwilling to accept anyone without knowing there
background, I have attached a little info for you. I (the Paul half of
Leighton & Paul) have 4 years on air experience beginning at the
Karalis owned Now FM in Moree, before moving to Sea FM in Rockhampton.
I also like fishing and long walks in the park and my favourite colour
is blue.
Despite the obvious massive personal disapointment of this survey,
management have so far remained commited to myself and Leighton, which
at least to me indicates they acknowledge that we have only been there
3 months and that there may be other factors to consider.
Hopefully, the brief background makes your life that little bit easier
Ray. Life would be a bitch sitting behind you in the Coles checkout as
you quiz the background of the check out chick before letting her touch
your groceries.
In any case, hopefully by the end of survey 1 2007, we can be reading a
news group posting dedicated to how much Ray sucks rather than 2CA.
Cheers
Paul
masone...@gmail.com
> I'm the Leighton half of "Leighton & Paul". > Myself and Paul are now serving up, i believe, something fresh for
> Canberra radio.
> Not a Giggling Blonde and Panel Operator, Not a bunch of 20 somethings
> who love dance music and sound like they should be serving at the
> McDonald's Drive Thru and not 3 hours of people winging endlessly about
> Pollies..
Would you like fries with that Leighton!!? (doof doof)
masone...@gmail.com
> Only if they come with some of your listeners. :-))
Instead of a Happy Meal toy, they come with a free traffic reporter!!
;o)
blu...@westnet.com.au
Don't do it Leighton, I had one once, it made me sick!!!
wayne
> A number of people have suggested an easy listening format for 2CA.
> Some people must have short memories or are just ignorant and don't
> remember the ratings 2CC attracted 10 years ago under an easy listening
> format? They were no where near 2.9%, but they were pretty bad with
> limited growth.
In any ratings survey you can't emphatically say one set of figures are
absolute, you always have to look at trends over time and 2CA has been
trending down for many years. Radioexpert supplied these figures in an
earlier post: Here are 2CA's ratings from Survey 2, 2003 to Survey 2, 2005,
when they had an 'oldies' format:
2/2003 - 4.4%
1/2004 - 6.4%
2/2004 - 4.3%
1/2005 - 5.3% (includes AFL coverage)
2/2005 - 4.4%
Looks like a downward trend to me. Besides that, even 6 per cent in a 4
commercial station market is a pretty poor result.
During the survey 2CA had a promotion to give someone 75 thousand dollars,
the largest prize given away by a local media outlet in a long, long time
and they STILL WENT DOWN. They couldn't even BUY listeners with their new
format!
canberra...@hotmail.com also wrote that in 1997 an easy listening
format was used
> in Goulburn on 2GN for less than 12 months (produced a negative
> reaction around town), before it was ditched for the 2CA Good Time
> Oldies format.
Using the reaction received to an easy listening format by a duopoly in a
non competitive country town is not a strong reason for deciding what would
or wouldn't work in a competitive market like Canberra.
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Why would they want that Mason? They've already got one up in the air.
yalla...@hotmail.com
doing and listener response has been amazing."
Nothing amazing about 2.9% but hey we'll take your word for it pal.
Easton's a good man I'm told.
James
Ray
I filled out the "Sound Survey" in January, they always do one each year, so
my opinion is known as a listener now, I'm out of the industry now because
of the low pay. I earn more now than the Radio Announcers award. I also
trained in Radio School in my younger years, so I do have some radio
knowledge in the industry.
Carts, reel to reels, 45s and LP's were played well before the modern PC's
and automation, 2QN in Deniliquin
in South West NSW had an automation system, one with Real to Real and carts,
one that always went belly up, A friend worked there and when it went that
way it was chaos.
I compaired 2CA with Mix was because of mode. Mix is in clear FM Stereo.
2CA may be AM stereo but very few people except fans of the mode own an AM
Stereo receiver
That was my original point.
So I am not an arm chair critic per sai but a critic of the new format.
Andrew Bayley
<canberra...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158467411.4...@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> wayne wrote:
>
>
>>
>> In any ratings survey you can't emphatically say one set of figures are
>> absolute, you always have to look at trends over time and 2CA has been
>> trending down for many years. Radioexpert supplied these figures in an
>> earlier post: Here are 2CA's ratings from Survey 2, 2003 to Survey 2,
>> 2005,
>> when they had an 'oldies' format:
>> 2/2003 - 4.4%
>> 1/2004 - 6.4%
>> 2/2004 - 4.3%
>> 1/2005 - 5.3% (includes AFL coverage)
>> 2/2005 - 4.4%
>>
>> Looks like a downward trend to me.
>
> downward trend in the figures you have quoted. You began with 4.4 in
> 2003 and end with the final survey of last year with the same 4.4.
> Hardly a 'downward' trend, or things have changed since I went to
> school.
>
>>Besides that, even 6 per cent in a 4
>> commercial station market is a pretty poor result.
>
> higher than about 7 or 8% (which would be quite respectable). How well
> do you know the Canberra market? Not very by the sounds of it. You have
> rocks in your head if you think that they can pull 22's like the
> FM'ers.
i suppose when you see that AM music stations like 4KQ can pull 9.3, 6IX 5.1
and C1323 6.2 in markets that are more competitive than Canberra (eg. they
have 4 commercial FM's each plus Brisbane also gets 94.9 and GC FM stations)
2CA (up against only 2 commercial FM's, plus maybe fortuitous Power FM)
could be aiming at double figures? I'm not having a go (I don't live in
Canberra so I can make no comment on the station's format or activities) but
I think maybe you underestimate how well 2CA could do in the market. Just a
thought from an outsider.
matthew...@gmail.com
where by 2CA or 2CC can have option of converting to FM. I understand
that perhaps there is no room on the FM band but I believe newsradio
would be ok on 2CA freq or 2CC freq. I would assume 2CA would convert
because of the music format.
Wombat Lover
instead he'd be listening to a station that already broadcasts very close to
1053 from where he's listening from
Imagine the complaints......They'd need a good stream online to compensate
if 2CA ever went on the FM band
As for digital radio? That's a different kettle of fish isn't it
wayne
<matthew...@gmail.com> wrote >I really think Canberra should get
> where by 2CA or 2CC can have option of converting to FM.
Yeah, why not. It's good enough for Newcastle to have 3 commercial FMs
finet...@hotmail.com
Newcastle also has twice the population of Canberra.
wayne
<finet...@hotmail.com> wrote > Newcastle also has twice the population of
Canberra.
Not actually true. Canberra has a population a bit over 300,000, while
Newcastle is around 340,000. The point is both markets have 4 commercial
stations. Newcastle has 3 FMs while Canberra has only 2.
The Listener
Wombat Lover wrote:
> Then people like Ray wouldn't be able to listen to 2CA at night time,
> instead he'd be listening to a station that already broadcasts very close to
> 1053 from where he's listening from
>
> Imagine the complaints......They'd need a good stream online to compensate
> if 2CA ever went on the FM band
Honestly Robert, stations do not care much (if at all) at satisfying
night time skip listeners.. You'd know it's just fortuitous reception.
The Listener
Wombat Lover
2CA should stay on the AM, if they ever considered about going to FM
All hypothetical of course. Digital Radio is sure going to put all
broadcasters on the same playing field, but reception wise? Probably not
Anyway....Isn't the 2CA presenter doing Saturday Nights getting calls from
all over the East Coast normally?
yalla...@hotmail.com
Newcastle is around 340,000"
That's interesting,Neilsen reckon the Newcastle market is 450,000
10plus.
Add around 50,000 kiddies under 10 years and umm ahh oh you do the
math.
James
BearCave
Andrew Bayley wrote:
> i suppose when you see that AM music stations like 4KQ can pull 9.3, 6IX 5.1
> and C1323 6.2 in markets that are more competitive than Canberra (eg. they
> have 4 commercial FM's each plus Brisbane also gets 94.9 and GC FM stations)
> 2CA (up against only 2 commercial FM's, plus maybe fortuitous Power FM)
> could be aiming at double figures? I'm not having a go (I don't live in
> Canberra so I can make no comment on the station's format or activities) but
> I think maybe you underestimate how well 2CA could do in the market. Just a
> thought from an outsider.
However, local cultures do vary.
Sure, you get 4KQ rating well, but Brisbane has long maintained an AM
radio listening culture - with two robust music stations - 4KQ and 4BH
- in addition to the talk radio market. Only the introduction of 97.3
has so far caused the AM market to experience a bit of a decline.
Clearly, B105 has instead suffered the most impact since the start of
97.3 and Nova.
Compare this to Darwin, where there are very few AM radio stations,
with the main three stations - 105.7 ABC Darwin and two commercial
stations - all on the FM band.
In between these two extremes, you have Canberra AM radio. While the
AM band sustains 666 ABC Canberra and 2CC, the music listening culture
is now almost exclusively FM.
In fact, no other major market in Australia has such a listening
culture where AM listening is so talk-oriented and FM is so
music-oriented.
So what does the authority do?
Allow ABC NewsRadio to convert to FM instead of 2CA :)
Back in the 80s, the authority at least "responded to changing
listening culture" by allowing some AM commercial stations in major
markets to convert to FM. In the 90s, this trend extended to many
regional markets.
This response should have finally reached Canberra as well, especially
given a frequency did become available that could facilitate 2CA's
move.
Had the authority done the right thing by listeners, Canberra would
have gained the benefit of 2CA's switch to FM - which likely would have
given birth to a Hot Tomato or Nova sound.
Instead, they have switched NewsRadio from mono-AM to mono-FM. No
doubt there's clearer reception for NewsRadio listeners, but that
factor alone does not extract the value of limited spectrum that 2CA-FM
would have.
Wombat Lover
> Instead, they have switched NewsRadio from mono-AM to mono-FM. No
> doubt there's clearer reception for NewsRadio listeners, but that
> factor alone does not extract the value of limited spectrum that 2CA-FM
> would have.
>
I was under the impression that News Radio was in full Stereo on 103.9 in
Canberra, or at least they were while they were testing. Haven't heard
anymore since Samuel reported on that front back when they started
Did you go past Canberra on your latest journey Justin and have a listen?
BearCave
Wombat Lover wrote:
> Did you go past Canberra on your latest journey Justin and have a listen?
I have not been in Canberra for twelve months. I am pretty sure they
(NewsRadio) were in mono, but maybe they do have a stereo pilot.
canberra...@hotmail.com
A conversion for 2CA or 2CC was never on the cards because these 2
stations were awarded the 1st supplementary FM licences that were
issued back in to 80's. That is the reason whey Canberra was overlooked
when AM-FM conversions were up for grabs in the early 90's.
The topic of Newsradio is on FM comes up from time to time on this
group. Get over it because it's not going to change back to AM, nor
will an FM licence become available anytime soon for CA or CC.
Remember that a conversion to FM will not always = success.
Radio Expert
yalla...@hotmail.com wrote:
> That's interesting,Neilsen reckon the Newcastle market is 450,000
> 10plus.
> Add around 50,000 kiddies under 10 years and umm ahh oh you do the
> math.
>
> James
If you look here:
http://www.aba.gov.au/licplan/planning/licareas/population/la_534.shtml,
you'll see that the Newcastle commercial radio licence area (Newcastle
RA1) has a potential audience of almost 500,000. This is in comparison
to Canberra's 356,000, which also includes Queanbeyan, Bungendore, Yass
etc. in its licence area. See the map on this link:
http://www.aba.gov.au/licplan/planning/licareas/defmaps/documents/maps/la_508.pdf,
to see where the Canberra commercial radio licence area (Canberra RA1)
covers.
finet...@hotmail.com
of around 650,000.
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
> "BearCave" wrote in message
> > Instead, they have switched NewsRadio from mono-AM to mono-FM. No
> > doubt there's clearer reception for NewsRadio listeners, but that
> > factor alone does not extract the value of limited spectrum that 2CA-FM
> > would have.
> >
>
> I was under the impression that News Radio was in full Stereo on 103.9 in
> Canberra, or at least they were while they were testing. Haven't heard
> anymore since Samuel reported on that front back when they started
>
> Did you go past Canberra on your latest journey Justin and have a listen?
Just checked, it's mono...dunno why they started with stereo...but then
again why does 2CC have an AM stereo signal? Both stations are just
talk.
Samuel
blu...@westnet.com.au
finet...@hotmail.com wrote: "Music Network magazine states that
Newcastle has a potential audience of around 650,000."
Maybe Music Network magazine are basing there figures on a headcount of
the region. Part of the Newcastle broadcast area includes Cessnock. Now
Cessnock has a population of approximately 50,000 people. Since it has
been well documented that people in this region have 2 heads, that
would account for some of the difference.
Andrew Bayley
> group. Get over it because it's not going to change back to AM, nor
> will an FM licence become available anytime soon for CA or CC.
just wondering, as I'm an outsider to Canberra, how bad was Newsradio's
coverage on 1440? Did it really justify moving to FM?
> Remember that a conversion to FM will not always = success.
no but it can help :)
Blue Fig Tree
they setting up on News Radio's old frequency ?
I guess the old AM frequency is good enough for ethnic radio !
How about Triple J moving to AM to allow a commercial AM station to
convert to FM ?
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
> just wondering, as I'm an outsider to Canberra, how bad was Newsradio's
> coverage on 1440? Did it really justify moving to FM?
Where I live in Central Canberra 1440 was fine (apart from very minor
interference from computers etc)...a friend who lives in the far south
of Canberra said it was very poor out there...although his main
complaint was difficulty picking up News Radio on various parts of the
Tuggeranong Parkway, mainly under bridges. In my view, there was no
logical reason to move it to FM, but I'm sure SBS are happy with their
new frequency.
Samuel
Zfm.com.au/ Radiotalkback dot net Live (1900 93 6397)
Andrew Fraser
Saturday, 16 September 2006
Two media outlets could disappear from the Canberra market or be taken
over by other players under the Government's planned changes - but
there are no immediate moves to do so.
Under the media-ownership laws introduced to Parliament this week by
Communications Minister Helen Coonan, Canberra, as a regional market,
is guaranteed four media "voices" or independent media groups.
Metropolitan markets are guaranteed five.
Canberra has six independent media groups: Rural Press (publisher of
The Canberra Times and The Chronicle), Austereo (proprietor of the
city's two commercial FM radio stations, FM104.7 and MIX106.3), Capital
Radio Network (proprietor of commercial AM stations 2CA and 2CC),
Southern Cross TV (Channel Ten), Prime TV (Channel 7) and WIN (Channel
9).
Canberra is rare in the Australian market in that six other
metropolitan newspapers can be home-delivered in the morning, as well
as The Canberra Times.
The Australian and The Australian Financial Review, being national, are
not counted as part of the Canberra market. Neither are The Daily
Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney market) nor The Age and
The Herald-Sun (Melbourne market).
The ABC, as the national public broadcaster, is not counted as a
separate voice in the Canberra market, where, on both TV and its
various radio channels, it consistently rates higher than it does
elsewhere in the country.
The two new digital TV channels up for bid in the new media deal would
both operate nationally and so, while also available to Canberra media
consumers, would not count as independent groups in terms of the number
of players in the Canberra market.
Community radio stations, like 2XX, while providing further variety of
opinion, were likewise over and above the six basic Canberra
proprietorial "voices". As with other markets, new technology to
deliver various media is not restricted by the Government's plans,
Senator Coonan relying on the increasingly used new and emerging
delivery platforms as a reason to relax media ownership rules.
Nationals MPs and senators, and some rural Liberals, continue to
express concerns that the new deal will lead to an over-concentration
of owners and voices in smaller regional and rural markets. They want
to ensure that the one owner can hold only two and not all three of the
TV, radio and newspaper interests in any one market.
Industry insiders suggested yesterday that a takeover of any of the six
Canberra media proprietors would emerge only as part of wider moves in
the nation's media industry.
Companies had been "strengthening up" in recent years ahead of the
relaxation of the cross-media ownership laws with a view either to
warding off a takeover or to going on the trail of acquisitions,
depending on the size and scope of their business and opportunities in
their own or other markets.
Canberra consumers' media smorgasbord does not end with its unique
speedy availability of national and Sydney and Melbourne newspapers and
its host of local and national radio stations, it was also the first
regional market to get all commercial television networks.
"Aggregation", as it was known, arrived in 1989, the Seven, Nine and
Ten networks all coming on to our screens, where previously Capital
Television (formerly CTC) had been our only commercial station (albeit
being able to boast that it screened 19 of Australia's top 20 shows,
because it could buy content from all three major networks).
That greater diversity was a product of the "equalisation" section of
the Keating government's 1987 broadcasting amendments which Prime
Minister John Howard declared this week had been designed to cripple
the Herald and Weekly Times and Fairfax groups.
The changes led to the break-up of HWT and to Fairfax divesting parts
of its business, including The Canberra Times, which for a short time
was owned by Kerry Packer's Australian Consolidated Press before being
sold to Kerry Stokes, who held it for a decade before selling to Rural
Press.
Even though it is the national capital, Canberra has always been
considered a regional media market.
The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 provides for the definition of
licence areas, using the Australian Communication and Media Authority
using Bureau of Statistics Census data to set the boundaries.
The director of the Communication Law Centre at Victoria University,
Elizabeth Beal, believed the new deal was a somewhat blunt instrument,
and cautioned against the potential to lose diversity, as well as for
journalists to lose jobs.
She said the Coonan package allowed for the hypothetical situation in
which one owner controlled both the FM and AM commercial stations, and
one of the TV operators took over The Canberra Times.
"Then the issue becomes that the same content in your daily newspaper
could ... be covered by your local television broadcaster ..." she
said.
The definition of "newspaper" has not changed in the Coonan package. To
be considered an independent voice, papers had to be published four or
more times a week, meaning the one company could own a daily as well as
a weekly or a tri-weekly in the one market.
Radio Girl
itself as a market, I fear.
For example, the TV stations in that market are supposed to cover not
only the ACT but an entire region in southern NSW, which I believe
includes part of the south coast and the southern tablelands.
But they don't: they are run as Canberra stations and the only mention
places like Yass and Bega get are in the weather report, by and large.
That's not just a matter of having Canberra-centric management: the TV
stations probably don't think it's cost effective to go gather content
from these other areas. I read somewhere that Telstra shut down the
technology to relay feeds from a lot of rural areas years ago, meaning
it's not considered feasible to gather a lot of content from those
outer-lying regional areas and smaller towns and upload it to a capital
city.
Although the stations are hard-pressed to be convinced to run proper
news bulletins anyhow, with the exception of WIN. I've heard many
people say that although the picture quality is dodgy and their news
values wouldn't set the world on fire, at least they're local.
For me, the problem with a minimum number of voices is that it means
networking and automation of content will probably increase, as the
bean counters do their their favourite party trick, which is produce
economies of scale.
That especially is true for news, and that is why it is so important to
have various sources.