Reinventing youth radio
22 March 2022 · News
ARN is expected to launch its new commercial radio youth network in the next month or so, as The Edge evolves into a new brand.
It prompted us to ask, what are young audiences seeking from radio in...
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Tags: format | Hip Hop | music format | RnB | youth radio
I have commented before on a possible challenger to JJJ with the expansion "The Edge", originally known as 2KA.
My comment is on "...ARN has already targeted Hip-Hop and RnB as its declared music style. There is definitely an audience for that format..."
At the same time, not all youth listen to hip-hop and RnB. What about "dance" which was the original music format used by "The Edge" formerly known as "One FM"/"96.1" in the early 1990s when it converted to FM from 2KA (783kHz (Katoomba) and 1476kHz (Penrith)).
Youth also listen to string quartets and orchestras playing the music of Mozart? My law professor as a youth was in the Ku-ring-gai youth orchestra playing the cello.
Sure, the audience for youth listening to classical music is 2% compared to the double digit ratings listening to KIIS, Nova and JJJ (20%).
Of note is that the audience in the 10-17 demographic is magnitudes larger than the 17 to 54 demographic for "oldies" station 2UE
Source ratings Survey 1, 2022, Sydney: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pzPBt3gikgjagunwiWT9tG0oIMObtgSn/view
Can we really "lump" youth into RnB and Hip Hop which is played on JJJ , 2SER and FBi.
In sum, youth don't necessarily listen to RnB and Hip Hop. They may listen to other genres of music including "oldies" and classical music. "The Edge" may well challenge JJJ, 2SER and FBi with specialists outside the 'radio industry' in order to engage an audience.
As this article mentioned and I have always believed that one cannot assume that there is uniformity of tastes across the nation. Blending commercial and non-commerical music will definitely be an art in itself. I doubt we'll see the music of Mozart or "oldies" formats be included in a youth station even though youth do listen to such genres.
But then if you keep on subdividing youth into market segments, the size of the market segment is smaller if you keep on successively finding niches that the niche is so small that there is no market.
When it comes to so-called social influencers on social media, what gives them the authority to sell or recommend a product especially if the influencer is breaking the law when it comes to recommending financial and medical advice and/or products.
Is a youth station's format music only? What about talk programs centred on school/university/TAFE life, living with others including families and blended families, bullying, homelessness or talk programs that inspire youth.
Thank you,
Anthony of I can read tables and think of other issues, Belfield in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation