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I think Brad is on the money here, but he did miss one important piece of the puzzle: Ace also brought in a local breakfast show, hosted by "Barbecue" Bob Gallagher -- a voice very well-known to the target Brisbane audience, mostly recently from 97.3 (now KIIS) but before that from 4KQ, where he was PD and co-hosted brekkie with Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare (who are now on 4BC). Further back, when much of the music he's now playing was new, Bob was on FM104/Triple M. So, Brisbane audiences of a certain age, have music they like presented by a voice they know and trust. Another factor in the Brisbane market is the relative weakness of ABC Brisbane, which while leading the AM field in breakfast in survey one, is well down on its peak, registering all-time-low overall numbers last year.
May I add what I have always believed that AM music can rate despite "...all the established industry wisdom that dead AMers are supposed to stay, well, dead...."
4KQ rated near the top as a music station. When 4KQ changed to a sporting format there was a void in Brisbane market. 4BH tweaked its format and its ratings improved.
I must disagree with the author of the article that 2UE is "....still swirling around the drain at the low end of the ratings...." The ratings may not be as high as 4BH but they have been rating between 4.5 and 4.6 rivalling 2Day-FM on some occasions. Sure 2Day-FM and 2UE are different formats but it demonstrates that AM can rate.
2UE also filled a void left by the demise of 2CH as a music station particularly when 2CH was broadcasting a 60s, 70s and 80s format. 2CH as a music station rated 5.5.
It is true, that Brisbane does not have a Smooth-FM as Sydney does. It may explain that 2UE's ratings are lower because of the presence of Smooth-FM.
But Smooth-FM's format is not exactly 2UE's format since Smooth-FM contains contemporary easy listening music.
This suggests that 2UE should incorporate more contemporary easy listening music into its repertoire.
Will the ratings of 2UE increase? It needs more research.
Nevertheless, listening to AM music stations may not mean that listeners tune to the AM band to listen.
For example I have been listening to AM stations on DAB+ since 2009. Other listeners listen via an IP-delivered app.
But it doesn't explain why Melbourne's Magic is "...still swirling around the drain at the low end of the ratings..." at 1.4. Similarly 3MP is also at the low end.
Its low ratings are not due to transmission problems because 3MP rated highly in its early days.
But then there was no FM stations. It was a different market.
It demonstrates that a radio station can rate with transmission problems as it did in the late 1970s and 1980s.
So the issues with Magic and 3MP suggest that the marketplace in Melbourne is not the same as Sydney.
Thank you,
Anthony, need further market analysis Belfield in the land of the Wangal and Darug peoples of the Eora Nation.