No word on 2CH sale

The question of who will buy 2CH is still unresolved.

The company passed the deadline for the sale on 30 September, and has since then been in breach of ACMA regulations requiring no more than two stations to a market. Macquarie Media owns 2GB, 2UE and Magin 2CH in the Sydney market.

The ACMA has once again declined to comment about the sale and whether the regulator has had any contact with Macquarie Media about the sale .

2CH must be sold to remedy the temporary breach of the ‘two to a market’ control limit for commercial radio licences in the Sydney licence area under the terms of an enforceable undertaking given by Macquarie Media Limited (MML), said the ACMA in a non-committal statement.

The temporary breaches arose following the merger of MML (at that time Macquarie Radio Network Limited) and Fairfax Media Limited’s radio interests in March 2015, as a result, MML is in a position to control three commercial radio broadcasting licences in Sydney – 2GB, 2CH and 2UE.

Speculation is rife around the rado industry.

Will the station be sold to the Council of Churches for a token sum, as long as the council agrees to let MML continue to manage the logistics of broadcasting and sell the advertising? And maybe buy it back if the media ownership rules change?

Or will it go to an established network under an agreement where the new owner will implement a format that is not competitive with MML’s two talk stations? Contenders in this area could be Kevin Blyton, Grant Broadcasters and a handful of others.

The ACMA has the ability to fine MML for its breach if it wishes to do so. There is no word whether that will happen.

No one is talking, and the rumour mill is working overtime in the absence of any real information.

Only time will tell who will finally be the owner of the AM Sydney music station.

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