It has taken some time, but WorldAudio’s Radio 2 has officially launched nationally, with Mikey Robins and Ian Rogerson on air this morning co-hosting ‘The Big Australian Breakfast’.
Joining them on Radio 2 are:
* Nick Bennett (ex-Triple M), filling the drive slot with ‘Nick’s Nation’ from 3-5pm
* veteran tv newsreader, Ross Symonds, presenting a Sunday morning business show, ‘The Bottom Line’ from 10-11am
* Colin Turner, hosting ‘Sportswatch Australia’ each weekday from 6.30-7.30pm.
Robins and Rogerson are veterans of Triple M and Triple J, with Robins well known to viewers of ‘Good News Week’ and ‘The Fat’.
One of their first significant guests this morning has been Jono Coleman in a phone interview from the UK.
Radio 2 is also promoting national and international news.
Ian Rogerson says the attraction for him and Robins was to broadcast on a national platform and to be at the forefront of change.
“The beauty of digital delivery is, suddenly you are able to broadcast to a much wider area than you ever were.”
Robins says: “We are going to do a show that we’d like to listen to. The whole nature now of the digital global entertainment structure is that if you do a show that people want to listen to, they’ll come to you… I intend to have a cult following in New Delhi by the end of the year.
“The great thing about being on the ground level with a project like this is that the show will grow and evolve as the network does.”
WorldAudio has created a national radio network, buying cheaper narrowcast licences outside of the official broadcasting services band. It can be heard on 1611, 1620 and 1629 at the top of the AM radio dials.
The AM network has spent up to $25 million in three years, buying the licences and infrastructure to operate its digital network at a fraction of the cost for other networks.
Radio 2’s big signings coincided with the close of submissions to the Federal Government on the development of policy and regulatory framework for the introduction of digital radio.
Communications Minister, Helen Coonan, is expected to decide how the Government will regulate the transition to digital radio within months, perhaps by mid year.
Commercial Radio Australia is strongly opposed to WorldAudio’s digital broadcast plan, while Senator Coonan has indicated only incumbent commercial radio broadcasters will receive digital licences.
WorldAudio Chief Executive, Andrew Thompson, says the company is an incumbent player and should be awarded a licence.
“We have 50 transmission sites around the country and can be picked up by 93% of all radio receivers.
“WorldAudio was the first commercial radio network in Australia to broadcast free to air terrestrial digital radio and is continuing its digital trials in Melbourne.”