2CH bidders line up, with Grant Broadcasters and Council of Churches tipped as front runners
Grant Broadcasters and the NSW Council of Churches (NCC) are thought to be the lead contenders to buy Macquarie Radio’s easy listening radio station Radio 2CH.
Mumbrella understands that both parties have approached Macquarie about buying the station, which was put up for sale following the merger of the Fairfax and Macquarie Radio Networks.
While the sales process is ongoing Grant is thought to have tabled a $6m bid, while NCC, which has a long standing relationship with the station, has tabled an offer of $1 in a proposal which would allow Macquarie to continue operating the station under a revenue share model.
Macquarie has been forced to put the station up for sale because of licensing rules which prevent a broadcaster from holding more than two licenses in any city. The merged entity now holds licences for Radio 2UE, Radio 2GB and Radio 2CH.
Oh no, we don’t want the Council of Churches back in the radio game again. 2CH listeners are still suffering from the Churches’ previous ownership having to suffer constant religious programming which Singo was forced to keep when he bought 2CH off them. Grant Broadcasters should get the station and insist that the religion has to go!
If Grant Broadcasters was to purchase 2CH Sydney they would have to sell either Wave FM Wollongong or Power FM/2ST Nowra and Bowral to someone else. Also they would be problems at the present time with online streaming as all of Grant’s stations as well as the other regional radio stations across Australia don’t stream at the moment because of an ongoing streaming dispute, It wouldn’t be a good look for a Sydney or any metropolitan radio station as a matter of fact to switch off streaming but by the time 2CH is sold off to a different owner hopefully this streaming dispute would have be resolved.
EON Broadcasting (which owns radio stations on the Sunshine Coast in QLD) and Pacific Star (whichowns SEN/3MP in Melbourne) would also make great owners of 2CH and bring in new players into the Sydney Radio Market but this will likely never happen.
We will wait and see what happens to 2CH in Sydney now that Fairfax and Macquarie Radio Networks have merged and now own 2GB/2UE in Sydney while selling 2CH because ownership rules prohibiting owning more than 2 stations in the market.
I think you will find that Grant would not have to sell Wave, 2ST or Power if they bought 2CH as there is little to no overlap between the Wollongong and Nowra radio licence areas with Sydney.
Jayme you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.
Wollongong and Sydney are not official ‘overlapping’ markets so Grant Broadcasters could, in theory legally own 2CH and retain Wave and Power. In fact they could even buy another Sydney station if there was one available and still be within the regulations.
And its a big statement to say they would turn off streaming on 2Ch if they bought it. They did with 6IX, but perth ain’t sydney.
To the last 2 commenters, Thanks again for clearing some of the statements in my last comment some of which was incorrect i said that Grant Broadcasters would had to sell Wave FM in Wollongong or Power FM/2ST Nowra and Bowral but thanks to the last 2 comments Sydney and Wollongong Radio Markets are not officially overlapped with each other, Wave FM and i98 Wollongong could be received in some parts of Sydney (particularly the Southern Parts of Sydney as you head towards Wollongong), Thanks for clearing that up. I do know what I was talking about but now I know, I’m sorry if I confused some people with my last comment.
As for the online streaming I (myself) and many others really don’t want to see 2CH turn off online streaming if Grant Broadcasters was the purchase 2CH it wouldn’t be a very good look for a Sydney or Metropolitan Radio Station to turn off online streaming. Hopefully with ownership changes to 2CH i do hope the new owners will retain the online streaming of 2CH.
That is my point of view again it could be interesting to see what happens to 2CH 1170 in Sydney.
If NCC takes over, they’ve lost a listener in me. Not interested in hearing biblical quotes every hour and religious services every Sunday morning followed by religious talkback in the evening, which is what went down with the old 2CH station years ago. The programming mix 2CH have now is about right – don’t change it.
I feel sorry for Mumbrella when people outside their usual audience begin making comments that drag down the informed feeling the site has,
At the end of the day, Grants would be a good choice for 2CH. Whilst many of (Grant Broadcasters) their stations are primarly local, they have largely been a successful operation and whilst some stations have networking, they are generally focused on their local product.
Lets hope that this will be the case, and the Council of Churches regain 2CH, then it will be back to the back old days. In fact, it would be better if 2UE was let go and 2CH, along with the Magic stations in Brisbane and Melbourne would make a strong East Coast radio network in the 50’s market, which is largely focused on talk formats.
2CH will hand it over to the Council of Churches based on a revenue share model, rebrand it as Magic and run networked programming across the Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne stations.