SCA revamps Adelaide and Brisbane stations, signs Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann and Bianca Dye
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), parent company of the Hit Network and Triple M, has rebranded its Hit Network stations in Adelaide and Brisbane, returning them to their heritage brands of SAFM and B105.
The new looks will be joined with new content strategies, including a new breakfast show in Adelaide. Perth is likely to follow, with the radio business saying an announcement would be made in the coming weeks.
The new Hit Network branding
SCA’s Hit Network began life as Today’s Hit Network at the end of 2014, before being rolled out as The Hit Network a couple of years later. Since then, there has been much discussion about whether all its brands sitting inside the network would be moved across – the Central Coast and Gold Coast channels were still branded as Sea FM until last year when the Gold Coast station was changed. Sydney is still 2Day FM and Melbourne is Fox FM, although the channels hold the same visual identity as the rest of The Hit Network which includes 50 stations around the country.
The latest branding change sees SCA embrace heritage naming with Adelaide’s SAFM, which will also include Hit 96.1 in Mount Gambier which will rebrand to SAFM, and Brisbane’s B105. SCA said the two brands would join ‘other metro heritage brands’ in 2Day FM and Fox FM.
Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann has joined the newly rebranded SAFM in Adelaide
Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann will return to SAFM to host its new breakfast show, Bec, Cosi and Lehmo, with Rebecca Morse and Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello. Morse and Costello joined the network in 2019 for Bec and Cosi in the breakfast slot and Lehmann began his radio career at SAFM in 2009.
In other talent changes, Bianca Dye, who confirmed over the weekend she had parted ways with ARN, has joined Hit 90.9 on the Gold Coast to replace Lise Carlaw and Sarah Wills in breakfast with Dan Anstey and Ben Hannant, creating the Bianca, Dan and Ben show. Brisbane’s B105 will continue with its current content.
SCA chief content officer, Dave Cameron, said: “The Hit brand was first launched in Australia in Adelaide and we have since built the Hit Network to 50 stations nationally. However, chaotic and crazy times such as these often drive a movement back to nostalgia and comfort, and as such there has never been a better time to bring back the much-loved and trusted radio brands SAFM and B105 to Adelaide and Brisbane.
“Our audiences have great, passionate memories of these stations and they’ll be hugely excited to have them back again in their cities. More broadly, the Hit Network will also deliver a new, mood focused, ‘feel great’ pop music format nationally that listeners will love, alongside the most entertaining breakfast and drive shows around the country. The network also introduces a new, emotive positioning line ‘Get that feeling’ which will bring its new ‘feel great’ music and show philosophy to life.”
The new content and brand-led growth strategy will see the Hit Network broaden its relevancy and appeal to a bigger target audience of people aged 30-54 years, with a female skew, the network says.
SCA chief marketing and communications officer, Nikki Clarkson, said: “The Hit Network now has a complementary and more sophisticated new brand with iconography and design assets consistent across all platforms and sub brands, reflecting the new content strategy. In conjunction with the new branding, the positioning line ‘Get that feeling’ reinforces what listeners can expect when they engage with the network.
“Around the country, the Hit Network will leverage its local heritage brands in metro cities and make audiences everywhere feel great with its positivity, entertainment and new music offering, all with a focus on a broader audience than ever before.”
Head of the Hit Network, Gemma Fordham, said: “Today is a historic day for the Hit Network and we’re excited to deliver a new look and sound to our audiences across the country to make them feel great! In addition, Bianca and Lehmo joining us are the cream on top of our already huge show and talent lineups.”
The new music content and branding launches today across the Hit Network.
A rebrand in a pandemic driven economic crisis is a big call. Looks good though. Hope the content lives up to the promise and gets the network back on track.
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“The new looks will be joined with new content strategies – both networks will receive new breakfast shows”
then
“Brisbane’s B105 will continue with its current content.”
Which one is it?
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I have read some marketing waffle before this takes the cake. SCA changed something that was not broken to save money and increase ROI. This failed and is reflected in ratings. Localism is key and senior management dont get this….. Now they have tip in millions more for the re-brand and promotions – SCA got $10 mill from government: https://www.radiotoday.com.au/regional-news-funding/
This is not what the taxpayer handout was for.. Instead they have hundreds of workers on Jobkeeper…..
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This is a MUCH better look for the network. Wider appeal, feels fresh and returns the names in radio that people identified with for so long.
I don’t know whether it will have an impact on the ratings, but it will help the brands to look cooler and be more visually appealing.
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Hi Ben,
There was a mixup between the new breakfast program on the Gold Coast and the programming in Brisbane. The story has been updated.
Thanks,
Hannah – Mumbrella
As someone who is quite partial to the old school names of various local radio stations, this makes me very, very happy. This is a decision I wholeheartedly support. It will be so good to have B105 back!
I always find it incredulous when network execs decide to remove much-valued names from local radio markets, both metro and regional, despite having provided an invaluable local connection between the advertisers and the audience.
From a branding perspective, to get rid of well-known iconic local station names in favour of generic national imaging such as “Hit” or “Triple M” is just plain stupid, in my view.
In Queensland, we’ve seen iconic and symbolic heritage names such as 4TO and 4GR fall by the wayside in favour of the stations being lumped with the broad national “Triple M” branding. (As an AM station – having 4GR branded as Triple M from my perspective is just so awkward.)
For many Gold Coasters, Triple M and Hit 90.9 will always be Gold FM and Sea FM. The rebrand there, in my view, was quite pointless.
So it’s good to see that SCA are actually beginning to realise their mistake and actually embrace the much loved local identities their stations have, and the affinity their audience has with them.
Let’s hope Southern Cross Austereo’s decision to revive the B105 and SAFM names is a sign that things are about to come full circle.
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It’s pretty safe to say, Gemma Fordham doesn’t have a very good track record. It fact, she may as well be steering the Titanic.
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