Rumour Mill runs rampant at ACRAs

If SCA’s decision to announce the launch of hit107 in Adelaide last Thursday, on the eve of the annual Radio Convention and ACRAs, was to create speculation and uncertainty in the minds of their competitors, then they’ve succeeded in spades.

Over the weekend we heard more ideas about what SCA were going to do next than at a conspiracy theorists’ convention. Roll the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 mysteries together and you get an idea of the amount of scuttlebutt surrounding the possibility of KIIS being networked to Melbourne.

For a start, there were those who believe that hit107 isn’t targeting Nova as claimed at the launch but is going after the market leader, Mix102.3. The sweetspot of a 27 year old female is more in keeping with the ARN brand than Nova. Others say that the hit107 logos and imaging says the station is actually targeting 17 year old females not the 27 year olds SCA claims.

In our report from Adelaide last Friday  we spoke to SCA’s Craig Bruce and explored the possibilities surrounding the ‘hit’ brand extending to Sydney and whether Hamish and Andy could fit into it doing Breakfast on 2Day-FM.

Over the weekend, though, the idea emerged that if Hamish and Andy are to return to the Today Network at all, it will be back on the national Drive Show, not Breakfast on 2Day. If so, then incumbents Dan and Maz could find themselves on Breakfast instead. Or maybe, suggested one pundit, SCA will get their own back on ARN for poaching Kyle and Jackie O by pinching Mike E & Emma from The Edge 96.1 – arguably the highest rating non-rated station in Australia.

The ‘hit’ brand, say many, will also be applied to B105 in Brisbane but not to Melbourne’s FOX where the station is number one FM. Nor will it apply to Mix94.5 in Perth which is number one overall. But it could be on the cards for 92.9 which occupies 5th spot.

ACRAs goers have also put their money on Mix101.1 Melbourne becoming KIIS next year with, get this, Chrissie Swan and Jane Hall moving to Drive. Where that puts Tim Ross who has been performing well in that slot is less clear.

But in what would be an incredibly brave move, a particularly wild rumour has it that the Kyle and Jackie O Breakfast show will be networked from Sydney to Melbourne.

On the other hand, there seems to be little truth in the rumour that Steve Price will be replacing Lehmo on GOLD. But you never know.

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