Melbourne’s 1116SEN launches new digital radio station Classic Rock
Melbourne sports radio station 1116 SEN is diving into the Classic Rock space with the launch of a new digital radio station just a month after a similar station was shuttered by Southern Cross Austereo.
Last month SCA decided to scrap its DAB Classic Rock station, saying its audience was eating into the audience of its TripleM stations. The station was one of the most listened to DAB networks in Australia.
Speaking to Mumbrella, Cathy Thomas, general manager of broadcasting for SEN’s parent company Pacific Star Network, said the new station was not connected with SCA’s decision to ditch its similar station, saying the idea has been in the works for “the past couple of months”.
“For men 40+ classic rock is a very popular genre and we wanted to provide a station for the men we have where they can listen to that,” Thomas said.
“With SEN our listeners currently get 24/7 sports coverage and we wanted to offer them a music alternative, so for those times when they want music let’s give it to them. Lets provide men 40+ with that opportunity.”
Thomas said they hope the audience will grow but there is no plan to target a new market.
“I would hope we would certainly grow but we’re not trying to broaden, we are men 35+ and this is probably aimed at men 40+, and there’s men out there that don’t listen to sport but love classic rock,” she said.
The new Classic Rock Radio station, which will stream on DAB+ and on the 1377AM Band, will replace 3MP which was 1116 SEN’s previous classic hits and oldies format.
Cathy Thomas: “We will be playing classic rock from dawn till dusk with minimal interruptions”
However, some fans of SCA’s Classic Rock will be disappointed, with Thomas saying it currently has no plans to pick up popular networked programs such as Nights with Alice Cooper.
“At this stage, no, we will just be playing classic rock from dawn till dusk with minimal interruptions. We’ll have news and traffic updates,” Thomas said.
For advertisers there will be traditional commercial inventory and opportunities to sponsor breakfast, news and traffic updates.
Thomas said the new Classic Rock Radio is commercially aligned with 1116 SEN.
“We wanted to ensure, from a sales perspective, that there was a synergy between the two stations. It means when we’re talking to a client both our stations are targeting males, they’re both environments that males want to listen to,” she said.
“It’s pretty exciting that we’re changing to a station that is aligned from a sales perspective and we’re delivering something for males in sport and in music.”
Listeners will also be able to tune in via a website with a streaming app due to launch in the near future.
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Classic Rock Radio started off this morning (24/10) broadcasting on DAB as “CRR” before changing to the old Triple M label “ClasRock”. But Triple M have hit back and are now (10.00pm) simulcasting also on their old “ClasRock” label. So in Melbourne we now have 2 “ClasRock”s on DAB.
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Bring back 3MP!
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What Ive heard so far is awsome playing Journey Who’s Crying Now made my day I love that band Ive never heard that song on any station in Australia as long as you keep playing bands like that plus all the other bands other stations play but different songs youlle kill them all the guys at work are wrapped there saying finally got a station that doesnt play same songs over and over like MMM, Gold and all the other crap stations weve had forever please keep expanding on the endless variety of all the classic rock thats been released over the last 50 years .cheers.
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Bring back 3 MP! Thanks for not telling 3mp listeners your plans! Boring presenter average music .. Thank god for Magic693
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Thanks SEN for reviving Classic Rock, But it is classic rock not classic rock cod on saturday mornings
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I’m a 44 yr old male and no, just classic rock ain’t rocking my boat! Thanks for the warning. I’m with Janice. Thank god for MagicFm! #later
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I’m sorry to see 3MP go. I looked for it on DAB but nothing. I will continue to listen to Community Radio now. 60 plus listener.
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Its such a disappointment to lose one the best easy listening music stations. Classic rock is s**t. Thank god theres still Magic. You’ve lost me.
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Garbage.
This male is right in their apparent preferred profile and yet I have repeatedly turned it off when trying it. But then again I don’t gamble on sports so maybe I am not a person they’re attempting to catch. Odd; because I had responded to some adverts on 3MP of late.
So sorry fellas, my precious 5th favourite radio button was set to 1278 this AM, with a mental note to jump online to see WTF happened to 3MP. Thanks to this site, I appear to have the answer.
This ‘station’ sounds like a placeholder too, no adverts, news or DJ patter in the times I’ve listened.
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Good on you 3MP for doing classic rock but please make it proper rock not just rehashing the old Gold format which is a bit too soft for mine.
The former MMM classic rock digital had a great format and playlist, perhaps you could take a leaf from their book. Nights with Alice wouldn’t go astray either…
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GROUSE & THEY’RE PLAYIN ALL SORTS OF SHIT NO-ONE’S HEARD FOR YEARS. FINALLY A PROGRAMMER WITH SOME IMAGINATION. U CAN HEAR MOST OF THE REPETITIVE SHIT THEY USED TO PLAY ON MAGIC OR GOLD SO FUCK OFF & STOP YU WHINGIN. TWAS TIME FOR A CHANGE!! NOW ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GET THE WORD OUT!! THANK FUK, THE GOOD OL’ DAYS ARE BACK!! (-;
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Classic Rock Radio? A year down the track and whats happened?Way TOO much Bob Marley, that’s “Reggae” Just letting you know…. If I hear No Woman No Cry one more time………….Then ad break, damn traffic report one song then news! Really!!! And you don’t even have Jocks……………Minimal interruptions, I don’t think so..
Not even a snippet near the “Classic Rock” that the other mob that had to shut it down due to the loss of educated listeners from their so called Classic Rock and Modern crap format, they opened their own Pandoras Box and have paid dearly since, Jocks who don’t know the music scene, glorified wanna be’s… Since when did INXS become a Rock band? Um Never…..
If I had one day at Classic Rock, I will have that other FM Station which is just crap in the mornings all talk, oh sorry, I meant (SHIT) only joking among themselves bogans which is quite demeaning. 1song per half hour crap, not everyone wants to hear the footy and garbage music like Mumford and Sons. I would give them a very big scare. So many songs that you are just NOT playing, get off the Gold 104:3 format and become original. It not that hard or is it just ME! So I now listen to Classic Rock stations from overseas on the net. A much wider selection of music, with stuff that will never be played here.. “Australian Bogan Radio Programers” you haven’t a clue….. why don’t you go back to the community radio arena…….. Nuff said….
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Dear dab why don’t you put it back to 1377 3mp am not on dab digital people could listen to it and know it the old music was on 1377 am in Melbourne instead of dab digital know one will lissen to it now you made a huge mistake putting it on dab you have lost me for shore till you get it off dab back on 1377 3mp on the am button again
Kind regards mr Jon white
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are you ok? you want adverts
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very well spoken thanks
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Classic Radio 1377 is fantastic. All the best rock hits of the past 30 yrs
Not full of ads like many FM stations and not boring talk of 3AW and some of SEN. Cheers!
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Been listening to u guys since u started ur the best thing thats happened to Melbourne radio ever good to hear ur still adding songs how about adding Tom Pettys best song You Got Lucky, ELO Strange Magic,Telephone Line and Last Train to London what about one of Jimmy Barnes best songs Last Frontier.Cheers.
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If I wanted to listen to SEN I would have tuned into it. I loved the music on 3mp they finally got it right and it gets taken off. I don’t have digital in the car and always listened to the music on 3MP 1377 I have now tuned out GOODBYE!!!
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3MP replaced Beutiful music from the funk 3AK
Now that 1377 has becom SEN+
And since there are stations on the DAB+ band playing virtually the same stuff, why not bring back 3AK on the digital band playing beutiful music including instrumental music.
I hope this would include old 3AK jingles.
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Hmmm…. One Year and 2 days later…….
“”Now I only listen to music on my CD’s, USB & Vinyl””
Other stations see it important to have jocks from the U.K, USA even New Zealand to name a few…. Why? It’s obviously not working!
Now Classic Rock Digital has become SEN+ just another Sports (Gambling) business with desperate ex sports bogans talking garbage … Thats original….
Is It Just Me, or is this the beginning of the end…….. I gotta go now and turn my vinyl over 🙂
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What have you Guy’s done to 1377. Used to have great music,not many adds. Perfect for tradies. Now just opinionated wankers talking absolute shit. Bring back the R & R.
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What have you done to 3 mp. Bring back the great music,was perfect for tradies who didn’t want to listen to self opionated TalkBack wankers. Like many people,gone until the music comes back. So wrong Hutchie!
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I am confused. prior to moving, from geelong, I always listened to sen. i’m now in west Victoria where sen reception is terrible. is the usual sen format[ sport talk , 1116 am] available on digital radio? or is it a music station? I miss it and would buy digital radio to receive sen transmission. I am technologically challenged, don’t know how digital radio operates. just want to listen to sports talk
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