‘Nine cocked it up’: Where did it go wrong with 2GB and 3AW?
Slightly wonky: Insiders say the wrong people were let go at Nine Radio
As Nine Entertainment goes through the process of reviewing expressions of interest in its radio network, questions have been asked about why Nine took on the business and why it is selling out.
Nine Radio has only been under direct Nine Entertainment management since it acquired total control of 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR in 2019. At the time of the Nine-Fairfax merger, the newspaper publisher was the major shareholder in the business, and it subsequently bought the remaining shares it didn’t own.
Some of the assessments from industry observers have been harsh about the initial years of Nine’s management post-2019.
“Nine completely cocked it up,” was one of the milder assessments from an onlooker who works in the sector.
I think 3AW moved too far the right. It attracts lots of right leaning Baby Boomer listeners but not the ones that spend a lot money at a certain age. A bit of recentreing would be welcomed by many more who dropped off sick of the same old, same old rehashing of the Herald Sun and Sky Left bashers.
Spot on background and analysis — but I think what happened in Brisbane and Perth is equally, perhaps more instructive. In Sydney and Melbourne, the mission for Nine Radio management was not to (expletive)-up already successful stations. You be the judge whether they succeeded. In Brisbane (and, I believe, in Perth), the challenge was to build something new that was “live and local”, and they failed because the Sydney bosses didn’t listen to people on the ground or even countenance the idea that audiences in the “outposts” might have different interests and priorities to those in Sydney. A sense of superiority and contempt oozed down from the top, and the result was successive failures to launch and relaunch.
Like many, I was a none stop listener of 3AW for 30 odd years and recall Remember When starting with very few adds to begin with and then controlling evenings.
While Ross & Dean the John controlled the breakfast. With radio rarely off.
Now in the morning I only tune in for David Armstrong’s Melounrne news at 5.30am or 6am, even though I have to listen to that blood cannel nine new music (NSW)
I then turn it off, as the actual show time after Ads, News & sport of about 60 odd minutes is mostly music and the backroom producers waffling on.
I wouldn’t of heard the Rumour file now, more than a dozen time in 2 or 3 years
“If I wanted to listen to music I would tune into a music station”
Brian