KO FM has News on 2HD in Newcastle

In most markets in which Bill Caralis’ Supernetwork operates, his stations don’t compete. That is to say that either there is little or no competition – or at least no survey by which to measure it. Or, as is the case with 2SM in Sydney, the station simply doesn’t participate in the ratings process. But in Newcastle, where the Caralis owned 2HD sits in a respectable third place with 15.6% of the overall audience (and rising), the competition is fierce, and at times nasty.

Much of the latest ratings rise (Nielsen Media Research Survey #2) for HD could be attributed to the Steve Price Morning Show, piped in from 2UE Sydney. Newcastle has become Price’s happiest hunting ground since he took over the shift, and the NSW network, from the venerable John Laws who retired last year.

Price tops the ratings in Australia’s 7th largest market with 21% of the available audience between 9am and midday. Not bad against the might of Austereo’s KO FM which manages 19%. On the other hand, Austereo’s NX-FM absolutely creams Supernetwork’s NEW-FM 20.4 to 7.0. So there’s not much rivalry (and not much of a story) there.

Last week, as it transpired, Newcastle became a hot news item in NSW with a double shooting at nearby Metford and, naturally, Steve Price wanted to provide his state-wide audience with up to the minute reports from the scene. You would be entitled to expect that a journalist from 2HD would provide that service.

Not so. In fact it was KO FM’s news director, Gia Hayne who bobbed up on 2HD’s Steve Price show as he crossed to her and said, “At Metford, is KO FM’s Gia Hayne covering the story…good morning Gia.”

This left some folks at KO giggling with glee as they got a free plug on their competitor’s airwaves. The cynics among them quick to suggest that due to the tight budgeting imposed by its owner, 2HD doesn’t have the resources to cover such stories with legs on the ground.

“Not so!” says 2HD General Manager, Guy Ashford who told radioinfo, “2HD/New FM employs 5 fulltime (in the process of being increased to 6) and 1 part time journalist. 2KO/2NX employs 2 fulltime and 1 part time journalist. Maybe 2KO’s tight budgeting should be looked at.”

He went on to say, “Yes Steve Price did cross to the KO Journo as they do reports for UE. However we did have our own reporter on the scene, Ian Crouch, who filed reports to the Super Radio Network.

“I think you will find that it was KO who rang the Price programme. It appears to me that some people have nothing better to do than continue to try and stir shit even if the facts are far from the truth.

“I have no interest at all in worrying about the short comings of our competitor. The only battle field for us is the ratings and given a little time I’m sure will be all the “shut the f*ck up” we need !!!!!…..

“Watch the result for survey 3 which finishes Oct 25,” Mr Ashford said.