The new2uw, an internet only radio station, began broadcasting in Newcastle this morning.
The brainchild of a number of Newcastle and Hunter businesspeople, the station has plenty of on-air experience with David Sayers on breakfast, PR and events expert Tracy McKelligott on mornings and local music guru Mark Tinson and entertainment entrepreneur Steve Pickett paired on drive.
radioinfo asked news editor, Michael Blaxland, about the station.
Can you tell me who were the driving forces behind the station and why?
“The business side of things is being looked after by a group of local businesspeople who have wanted to do something like this for some time, particularly in light of the fact that local media is increasingly Sydney or Melbourne-based with a contraction of local programming.”
What is the target demo?
The new2uw.com is an over-40s station playing the best of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s with local interviews and content and an “outrageous” ethos.
How is the response from listeners on the first day?
“The response from our first day has been overwhelmingly positive. The presenters, both in the studio and newsroom, have decades of experience in the local media and promotions and marketing spheres so recognition has been high.”
“Advertisers are also being positive about the station because of its ability to be purely ‘local’ and the flexibility for recorded ads or on-air reads.”
As an internet only station, how do you feel your listenership will build?
“With radio being increasingly listened to through browsers or smart phones, we expect uptake to be easily achieved by the target audience and promotion through social media in association with our broadcast partners will help to increase listenership.”
The station runs 24 hours a day with, at this stage, live breakfast, mornings and drive.
Sampled the 'signal' from the webpage in Sydney. The signal is CD quality. I wonder why a Newcastle station is using a callsign of a former Sydney Station, even the logos from the 1970s.
Two further remarks on 2UW and the "classic hits formats".
One, will the "New 2UW" have religious programming on Sunday nights? One of the pioneers of religious radio talk back was the late Fr Jim McLaren. He we so competent as a broadcaster that he filled in for John Laws. During the 1970s and 1980s, nearly every station in Sydney had religious programming: 2UE from St Andrew's Cathedral, 2CH with Roger Bush, 2UW with Fr Jim and 2SM with a live Mass. Now Sydney is lucky to have Bill Crews on 2GB and Kel Richards on 2CH.
Two, the new 2UW's music repertoire is from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. I like the music from that era too. I also like music from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1990s, the 1800s and today. I could describe my music tastes as dial twiddling. The station is marketing a 1960s-1980s music format to a particular age group rather than the general population who like 1960s-1980s.
The problem I see with targeting an audience for a particular age group rather than a group of people liking music of the 1960s-1980s is that when a particular age group gets older and diminishes, the market for a particular age group declines.
That is why I have a problem with a golden oldies/classic hits format and its variants. I have said elsewhere that Sydney is already saturated with "Classic Hits" type formats, beit from Smooth, 2CH, 2WS, Coles, Fun, Zoo. What happens in 20 years time? Will the stations including the new 2UW have a "Classic Hits" of 1990s, 2000s, 2010s. Will it be easy-listening techno and electronica?
Something to think about in regards to the dynamic nature of programming especially where it is targeted for a particular age group and associating it with a particular era.
Regards
Anthony of exciting Belfield (Sydney)