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"What is out about 4KQ and its music that resonates with its audience?
...First up the main core music universe is actually researched locally in Brisbane – for Brisbane, plus the regular music features (especially on the weekends) truly make a point of difference offering something they really just can’t get elsewhere – including titles (especially Australian) just not available digitally anywhere...."
Some remarks:
* A "one size fits all" approach applying to all capital cities does not mean that a listener's habit in Sydney is the same as in Brisbane or Melbourne. Listening to the ACE stations, particularly 3MP and 2UE, the tracks are very similar, sometimes running at the same time.
* As Mr Laws said "....when you're on a good thing, stick to it..." or the other well-known cliche "...if it ain't broke, don't fix it..." The new owners of 4KQ should not ruin something that is good.
"... you think 4BH will be a threat to you now that ACE have it...
4BH have always been there in one form or another and with ACE they are chasing a different audience to 4KQ by going back to a softer/easy format they abandoned some years ago...."
Remarks:
* If stations are aiming for a similar age demographic and there are two competing formats, (i) how many more niches can you find and will the the niches become so small the market is not large enough to be sustained?
* Having sampled 4BH as well as other ACE stations, I cannot say that it is a softer/easy format than the "beautiful music" format of 4BH of the 1970s and 1980s similar to 2CH of the 1970s and 1980s. Then anyway, what is an "easy" listening format? I commented on that at https://radioinfo.com.au/news/stevie-jacobs-finishes-with-2ue-as-ace-radio-shuffles-the-deck-on-three-station/ where "easy" has a wide definition. Heavy metal music may be a means of relaxation like the person in the Medibank advertisement.
In summary, whoever takes over 4KQ must not ruin a successful format and impose a "one size fits all" for all capital and regional markets. The success lies in good local research. But at the same time, one should question whether management have a pre-conceived narrow view of what is "easy listening" and make conclusions based on confirmation bias.
Thank you,
Anthony of thoughtful Belfield, in the lands of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation
What I said about the abovementioned comment, still holds when it comes when one successful music station is taken over by another music network. That is don't fix something that ain't broke.
However, in light of the recent takeover of 4KQ, https://radioinfo.com.au/news/the-day-the-music-died-at-4kq-and-sport-stepped-up-to-the-plate/ , the new owners will turn the station into a sport/talk format.
Therefore, since it is not about changing or keeping the station as a music station, the "don't fix something that ain't broke" principle does not apply.
Thank you,
Anthony, a completely radical change in format applied, Belfield, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation