SCA reverts back to heritage Sea FM branding on the Gold Coast
Southern Cross Austereo’s (SCA) trends of reverting back to heritage radio branding around Australia has continued, with a move to restore 90.9 Sea FM on the Gold Coast.
The move comes just over two years since the network rebranded the station as Hit 90.9, during a long period in which SCA installed Hit Network branding across a significant number of radio stations.
Embracing SCA’s heritage brands has been a clear focus of chief content officer Dave Cameron since he took on his current role in December, 2019.
Other stations to have re-adopted their heritage branding are SAFM in Adelaide and B105 in Brisbane, while SCA no longer has a Hit station in Perth either after launching Triple M and moving Mix94.5 to the Hit Network at the beginning of the year.
Sea FM first launched on the Gold Coast in 1989, and Cameron said it is exciting to continue the Hit Network’s strategy of returning heritage brands to markets around the country.
“It’s exciting to once again put the much loved 90.9 Sea FM back into the Gold Coast as the final part of the Hit Network strategy of returning those big heritage brands back into our key metro markets that our audiences have such great, passionate memories of.
“90.9 Sea FM has always been a legendary and hugely successful local radio brand owned by Gold Coast listeners, as it will be again.”
Head of the Hit Network, Gemma Fordham, added: “Our new content director Kim Czosnek also joins 90.9 Sea FM tomorrow and brings her immense experience with leading teams and bringing creative and compelling ideas to life.
“Having started her radio career at SCA, we are so delighted that she is returning. We can’t wait for listeners to once again see the 90.9 Sea FM name on the Gold Coast and all the wonderful memories that go with it.”
Hit 90.9 will switch back to 90.9 Sea FM as of 12 August, with current breakfast show Bianca, Dan and Ben to continue.
Breakfast host Bianca Dye said: “Growing up on the Gold Coast, I remember listening to the Sea FM brekky crew on my way to school at Nerang High. I would listen to Dean and Suki and that’s when I decided I wanted to do breakfast radio.
“To see Sea FM back on the airwaves, it’s honestly like a dream come true for me. It’s almost surreal, what an honour and I’m so excited. The station we all grew up with is coming back and I can’t wait!”
SCA advised Mumbrella that there are no other plans to bring back the Sea FM branding in other markets including the NSW’s Central Coast.
Got a tip?
Zanda Wilson was a reporter and podcast producer at Mumbrella, specialising in radio reporting. He left Mumbrella in September 2021.
Linkedin
topics
90.9 Sea FM
Dave Cameron
Gemma Fordham
Hit 90.9
Hit Network
SCA
Sea FM
Sea FM Gold Coast
Southern Cross Austereo
