Nine replaces Macquarie Sports Radio with music format
Macquarie Sports Radio’s future has been decided with new owner Nine deciding to drop the sports-focused content and branding in favour of 70s, 80s and 90s music.
The new programming will involve the return of heritage radio brands 2UE 954AM, Magic 1278AM and 4BH 882AM, as well as the channel undergoing a rebrand in Perth to Magic DAB+ Perth.
All channels will feature live local news, sports and weather and will continue to honour their existing sports rights contracts with the AFL, NRL and Cricket Australia.
Nine’s managing director of radio, Tom Malone, said the change is a response to a gap in the market.
“We’re very proud to be bringing back great radio brands like 2UE, Magic and 4BH with a music format that we know will resonate with audiences in each city,” said Malone.
“Until recently Magic and 4BH were successful music stations and our research clearly shows there is a gap in the market for this music format, built around the best of the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
The new stations will arrive in a soft launch on February 2 and be available in digital quality via online, apps, smart speakers and DAB+.
Nine’s new director of sales for radio, Penny Kaleta, said the new programming perfectly compliments Nine Radio’s existing lineup.
“For our clients we believe this move to a music format is highly complementary to our existing talk-radio formats and gives the brands who work with us a strong audience combination in terms of what we can offer.”
Macquarie Sports Radio ‘paused’ its broadcasting in October 2019, with the content going under review. The brand continued to air its live sports coverage, but dropped its talk programs which had long suffered with stunted ratings.
Just keep Roy & HG going!
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What a break-through concept. Someone was bound top come up with it sometime.
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Now there finally gone, got rid of the original fantastic sports programmes last year that everyone l know raved about, then put on some pommy rubbish that no one listened to, now back to an age old format just like most other stations, ill-informednothing new there, l and many others have turned off since the end of the all sports format, and the people who control and make ill-informed decisions on program changes should be sacked, l will and l know many others never ever listen to that station again.
Philip Price
Sydney.
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That will resonate with the masses in glorious mono AM.
Does WSFM not cater for this segment in market?
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Why did it take so long?
What are the choices, Talk?News?Music?
S’pose they could have gone for comedy.,
Lets get Lawsey back as well
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WS & CH run similar formats do they not
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+1. There ain’t too many cars with digital radios to get the DAB+ “digital quality”. That whole sentence is a brilliant attempt at diverting attention from the fact most people will be listening on AM broadcasts!
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If their “…research clearly shows there is a gap in the market for this music format, built around the best of the 70s, 80s and 90s” I worry about about the quality of this research.
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Another terrible decision which continues to destroy the 2UE name and callsign.
Smooth, WS, 2CH already do this. I know I’ll be rushing to tune in to mono music whilst driving around (not).
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Can I program it? seriously. I really wouldn’t want old oz rock etc.
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Good move by Nine radio. Long overdue. A pick up in the ratings in the 3 east-coast cities will see an increase in revenue for Nine. Great to see live and local news in each market. Most new cars do have DAB+ so listeners will be able to hear these stations in stereo.
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Marco and Ox, Levy Piggy and Bartell, Maynard – they were all funny, entertaining and lean-forward listening. There are plenty of community stations that broadcast this “easy” format around the country in crystal clear FM, as well as about a thousand online options. Boring, unimaginative and lazy by the new owners. Pathetic. Another validation of the inaccuracy of the outdated diary survey methods and the cluelessness of the CRA in addressing this.
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Wow . Thats a original concept. Lightbulb moment that 1
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This is one of the funnier posts I’ve seen in a while.
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Just what I don’t need when listening to AM radio – already played-to-death Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and Eagles tunes on high rotation 24/7 again. A grand old Sydney media icon like 2 UE deserves much better.
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Most of the population don’t drive brand new cars so that market is limited.
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Sorry with no presenters you forgot to mention the overriding word…..cheap!
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I would like to let you all know that, not is all bad as you have to listen to am radio as these stations do transmit via the digital radio format (DAB+)
DAB+ is a more superior CD sound than FM as FM is analog the same as AM.
Do your self a favor and buy a DAB+ radio as it does have an extra 60 stations to choose from.
One other note, why these stations playing the same stuff as the FM and DAB+ stations. Why not try beautiful music with instrumental music, Elvis Presley, perry Como, air supply, etc.
Why are radio music station copying each other?
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What a shame to see the demise of sports radio. I don’t think this station was advertised enough in the first place as my son in law put me on to it and I in turn told someone. Others who called in had only just heard of it. I loved listening to any of the sport on this station, it had great coverage and lots of interesting info. You can listen to any of that ‘music stuff’ on other stations. Sorry but Nine you have not made a wise decision!
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What will happen to the EPL coverage? Fox sport dont show it anymore either! And I’m not pommy
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Terrible decision, my afternoons were made by Marko & Ox covering every sport & especially listening to drive & dad joke Friday. Will never tune in again.
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Just what we need, another easy listening best of 70s & 80s station…………NOT.
Australia needs a national 24 hours a day sports radio network, Macquarie Sports Radio last year was well on the way to fulfilling that role.
This smacks of Nine dumping something with potential for a tired old format, that frankly won’t bring in any revenue for them at all.
And the FM stations in all major capital city markets are already playing best of 70s and 80s formats.
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Errr doesn’t Gold104 cater to the 70s 80s 90s already on FM?
Terrible decision!
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2CH WILL LOSE LISENERS BY 2UE’S RETURN BET NINE RADIO WILL POACH TIM WE\BSTER AND KALEY HARIS BACK AND BRING DC AND DICKIE WILKINS FROM SMOOTH RICHARD MERCER FORMER WSFM ANOUNCER WILL BE SIGNED BY NINE MUSIC RADIO AS WILL SMALLZY FROM NOVA WILL BE PART OF NINE RADIO IN MELBOURNE MIKE PERSO FROM SMOOTHFN & JASE & PJ FROM KIIS NINE RADIIO AILL POACH CRAIG HUGGUNS & GAVIN MILLAR BOTH FROM GOLD 104.3 MELBOURNE WILL BE POACHED BY NINE MUSIC IN BRISBANE EVERYONE FROM 4KQ WILL COME TO NINE MUSIC RADIO
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Totally agree.
One wonders how they arrive at these decisions, I’m guessing wet behind the ears decision maker’s
Looking for instant results,Not understanding hard work and patience is a requirement for long term success.
Fancy dumping ox and marko, they were brilliant together on radio.
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Heavy metal guitar neck with sign of the devil tuners, the hoariest tagline in the history of radio, a roll call of artists that semaphores predictability before you even listen, and the revival of the Magic brand? I’m worn out already!
The opportunity is there, you can do it on a shoestring budget, and make money from it. As George Michael once sang, “If you’re gonna do it, do it right (right) …
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I’m sure Smallzy is in a big rush to get onto an AM station featuring hits from the 70s and 80s.
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Has anyone noticed 9 has gone all bolshie in its news especially with its hatred of trump the aus media is a marxist think tank these days
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As someone who worked at was a great station (2UE) many years ago… I just feel sadness at this announcement. The Sports programming was great. But hey why not use the Nine personalities they already pay for to broadcast at least during breakfast and drive (they could even rotate them so they only work 1 or 2 days a week on radio) and target people under 65 who like talk + news and are looking for something different to the same old announcers offered by GB. If I want 70s, 80s and 90s music I just turn on Spotify. Then I can skip those annoying tracks. It’s sad loss for radio. FYI Smooth tried it without announcers for a while…disaster. This format will not last 12 months.
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Good riddance to Macquarie sports. It always rated poorly.
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This is the most disgraceful decision yet. We have Smooth, 2CH WSFM for this stuff. The ‘gap in the market’ that he talks about is SPORT !!
Why not call it Wide World of Sports Radio.
Piggy, Levi, Thirsty, Marco, Ox, Maynard and JK were all great at their job and entertaining as well.
I’ve gone back to BSB in the morning and Talkin Sport in the afternoon. Good Bye 2UE.
DISGUSTING !!
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The amount of ads they play will go for longer then the music. That’s why I can’t listen to 2gb. Only 2ch has a reasonable amount
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I’m trying to find out what time the soft launch at 2UE will be on February 2nd without success. Does anybody know, thanks.
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What’s happening with the EPL coverage.
Personally just simulcast talkSPORT UK 24/7 magnificent entertaining radio.
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Couldn’t agree more.
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Well done 9 network. Another crazy decision.
They have turned 2GB into 9GB and destroyed 2UE.
I am not a fan of the 9 network.
Why can’t they bring back talk back, with sports and lifestyle included.
There is no competition for 2GB and they will win all the ratings and say how good they are.
I will not be listening to 9GB and I will listen to WSFM for my 70s 80s and 90s music.
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It won’t rate at all, there is already Triple M, 2CH, WSFM and Smooth all playing 70s 80s & 90s.
Then you have 2day FM playing 80s & 90s tunes also.
How could they possibly think there is a gap in the market???
Best format would be New Country. Like Ray Hadley plays on 2GB every Saturday night. That show is number 1 in it’s timeslot.
So there is definitely a huge market for New Country.
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