Survey 7 has reinforced our notion that people lie to researchers. For some reason otherwise rational human beings seem to believe that someone at the research company actually reads their response to questions about their music preferences and forms an opinion that may brand them for life as a dweeb. Therefore, when asked, most people will say they want to hear more Cold Chisel than admit to being closet fans of the Carpenters. How else can one explain why both Triple M and DMG’s Classic Rock programmers, who research religiously, are pursuing the aging baby boom market that ‘once were hippies’ with Queen, AC/DC and The Stones while Sydney’s 2CH and Melbourne’s Magic are trouncing them with Air Supply, Bread and The Beatles’ gentler catalogue?

And why not? ABBA, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Drifters, Gene Pitney and even Sinatra all had huge hits alongside the Easybeats, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s and ’70s. And who’s to say that those who bought the records back then (singles, remember them?) aren’t leaning towards the more mellow sounds of their youth as they pass through middle age approaching old?

Certainly not CH and Magic.  Moreover, they’re doing it on AM, virtually off a laptop on solar power to save money to prop up their network’s lower rating yet dollar bleeding enterprises in the shape of MTR and 2UE respectively.

The proof is in the figures. In Sydney, 2CH which has been steadily rising survey after survey, has just posted a 0.7 gain in audience share (all ppl 10+ Mon-Sun) to get it to 7.1, almost as much as Triple M and Classic Rock combined with 4.9 and 2.8 respectively.

In Melbourne, Magic1278 notched up a 0.6 gain to reach 7.4, well ahead of Triple M on 6.6 which has the formidable Eddie MCGuire in breakfast and Classic Rock on 3.2. It’s true that Magic benefitted from the demise of close competitor 3MP when MTR took over and frightened off two thirds of its audience. But that does not diminish the fact that an enormous hole exists in the marketplace for a gentler alternative to “classic” rock.

Meanwhile in Brisbane 4BH who has aligned itself with Magic’s format and branding has just posted a 1.5 rise in the latest survey so that it too is in the 7’s.

Ironically it was the father of Triple M FM Rock, Rod Muir (who relied more on his own instincts than research) who made the observation from ‘the legends’ panel at the recent CRA conference that this kind of  ‘easy listening’ format could really be a force to reckon with if done properly. 2CH and Macquarie Radio Network program head, Ian Holland was quick to challenge Muir on what he meant by the phrase “done properly.” Muir, uncharacteristically meant no offence, saying that he merely meant that the format would benefit greatly from being on the FM band instead of AM.

Is Muir right? Should one or other of the Rock stations in Sydney and Melbourne change course and accommodate a softer musical palate?