Talk of change at 2UE. And hope of none at 2CH

Through the corridors of 2UE it has pretty much been accepted, for some months now that come the new year the station will have a different format and likely, a different line-up.

It will still be Talk but in a very different style to what it has been over recent years. “We’re the owners of two talk radio stations in Sydney,” says Adam Lang, COO of the recently rebranded MRN, now known as Macquarie Media Limited (MML). “We’ll be adopting a strategy of one complementing the other, not competing head to head.”

Mr Lang would not be drawn on what exactly the new format will be, saying only, “We’ll be making an announcement in a few weeks.” 

Our mail is that the station will lean heavily towards ‘lifestyle’ with shows that cover topics such as health, finance, travel, real estate, cooking, gardening and more. In other words, shows that attract advertisers looking to reach an audience with a special interest in their products and services.

Meanwhile, MML remains the proud owner of 2CH and is showing no urgency in closing a deal with any one of a number of interested parties, despite the fact that the ACMA imposed deadline for divestment (March 31, 2016) looms.

We asked Mr Lang, if in the meantime media laws happened to change (as has been mooted by the Goverenment) so that a licensee could own more than two radio stations in a market, would MML keep 2CH?

“Absolutely! The only reason we’re selling it is because we have to according to law. We’d love to keep it – similar to ARN with The Edge. We love the station, we genuinely would love to keep it,” he said.

Added to MML’s Magic brand that’s now networked into Melbourne and Brisbane, 2CH, Sydney would make a formidable east coast network.

 

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