Newcastle radio ratings: the slide continues

31Jul09

Haha been saying for ages now that newfm need rock it is the only proven format they’ve had. Guys really you’s need change straight away as of next week. An a new brekkie team..

No matter what Guy Ashford does at NEW in particular he is going to find it tough going against a well-led, strong programming team at Charlestown.

As a radio person I strongly believe NEW’s programming team need to talk to people like Graeme Rodgers, Mike Webb, Katie Porrit, Garth Russell, Carol Duncan and all the old hands who made NEW the brilliant station it was in the early 90s. They can get their perspective on what NEW meant to them, but also the listeners of the day. It would be an interesting discussion.

Nowadays we’re all in our 30s or 40s and have families and have settled down, but we still love our rock.

A few weeks ago driving home from Dubbo with my 15 year old daughter, we switched on and got NEW Nights. We heard Richard Marx and love song dedications. My God, it was like listening to Fiona Cameron on 2KO nights. The memories. But it doesn’t suit what NEW FM is/was. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

The 30-44 format of Hottest Songs works for Hot Tomato on the Gold Coast because it is a newer station – it has no heritage. When I tune into 105.3 I expect to hear stuff like Screaming Jets, Hunters & Collectors, Guns ‘N Roses and Whitesnake not Pussycat Dolls and Beyonce.

Leave the girly music for NX and start to chew at KO’s rock, particularly the younger KO audience who are only there because they play the rock stuff. Make KO go older. Send them back to 35-54 audience and make 18-39 males yours again.

It’s hard when the station is run on smaller resources than the opposition but if you think smart, work hard and chip away, I’m sure it can be done.

Good luck Guy.

Its interesting that most constructive comments this blog has received over last year regarding how to improve NEWFM all have same theme. Go back to rock, reclaim the male 18-39 demo, drop the girly stuff.

What’s also interesting is that most of the people who make these comments are ex-radio or current radio people. They are speaking with knowledge and experience.

And despite some of the digs at Sandgate and Caralis, I believe most of these people genuinely want to see NEWFM improve and become competitive. The local radio & advertising industry needs it.

Hopefully the team at Sandgate will take some of this advice on board.

Well said craig an woopsie daisy. Im sure no1 at newfm reads our comments because 90% of every1 on here knows newfm is an can only be best suited as a rock station not a loving mothers station. Infact my mum would rather listen to rock anyday over wat newfm are playing now. Try get dave brown back he was fantastic along with many others that new has let go. The breafast show on new makes me sick i think there trying an wanting to be david an tanya yuk. Really Guy Steve an Brad are pretty much running newfm atm an into the ground at that, you’s have the chance to fix it before it’s too late guys. ive heard new now an it’s bad real bad I no longer can listen you’s lost me when you’s started mother thing..
Newfm now = 4.1
Newfm 2003= 13.4%

Evolution,

Yes, New breakfast is at 4.1%, but your 2003 figure is incorrect.

New brekkie went from 5.5% in survey 1, 2003 down to 5.3% in survey 3, while New crashed from 10% in survey 4, 2002 to 6.7% in survey 1,2003; with slight gains in survey 2 & 3 to be at 7.3% by the end of the year after Steve St John left.

I believe the best overall figures for New Fm since it became a Super Network station were achieved in survey 4, 2001 (12.7%), with the Fatboys (11.1%) at their peak. The last time New made double figures was in survey 2, 2006 (10.3%).

Yes your correct i thought it was a little later, i didnt think the fatboys were at newfm till the end of 2002. My bad

But what do u think they need to do to inprove?

I am 37 and a mum i like my rock but every so often i enjoy the latest pop or dance hit thrown in there. its called New fm so bring on more new hits. Keep it fresh. new hits mixed with the earlier rock can sound great. I stop listening there for a while but have recently tuned back in and fill in the hot or not survey….i can see they are trying and good luck to them.

Evolution,

There’s no easy answer to your question.

Personally, I think NEW needs to re-claim it’s heritage as the first commercial FM station in the Newcastle/Hunter region.

Let’s face it, the average 15-year old who first listened to and loved NEW-FM when it launched in 1989 is now 35-years old with kids, mortgage and commitments.

I believe NEW is trying to capture this individual without appearing to be too nostalgic. It’s a tough ask, but I believe it can be done.

Perhaps they made a mistake by not re-launching with a full-on female skew a year ago. But I think the Newcastle market is a bit different, in that, most 35-year-old females love rock music (because it’s what they grew up with), as well as other styles which appeal to them.

I think perhaps Maree is typical of the type of mid-thirties female in the Newcastle market.

Yet, NEW has always been a more male-oriented station, and I don’t think they want to lose that either.

I don’t know if going for a softer MIX-style format (even changing the callsign to MIX) is the right way either.

Whatever they do, I believe NEW needs to focus on a core Rock-based format and build around that with the best of the current stuff (not just Rock) which appeals to the average 30 and 40 somethings (female and male), along with the Classic Rock hits they grew up with. This can be done without the need to call it a ‘Rock’ station, which I think is widely regarded these days as a niche format, because it denotes ‘hard’ rock, which perhaps your average stressed-out 30 or 40-year old parent wants.

“which perhaps your average stressed-out 30 or 40-year old parent wants”.

That should read:

“which perhaps your average 30 or 40-year old parest DOESN’T want.”

hope i think you might be right when it comes to hard rock and also when you say “average 30 or 40 year old parent doesnt want”

Unfortunately for NewFM it can never be fixed while Caralis owns the joint as he has too much say on programming and no idea of what he’s talking about. He has already totally destroyed 2HD with his networking and NewFM is no better. Both stations are now off my listening list, although I do flick them on accasionally to see if there’s any improvement but to date they do not rate.

NEWFM when first conceived swept the scene with vitality, new talent and most importantly people listened laughed enjoyed there was not a thing broke. So when Caralis came into the chair we saw innovation go out the window.
Whilst you limit your scope to small minded egotistical so called station wanabe’s, the station will continue to slide to depths of silence with only the neighbours across the road listening.The property should be picked up for a song in the not too distant future.
Pity the next station manager!!!!!

When Bill Caralis bought 2HD & NEWFM he took over Newcastles top rating radio station. The stations had the two top rating all important breakfast shows. He then dismantled 2HDs top rating format and substituted his own what has turned out to be illfounded ideas in its place with the result being that 2HD went from #1 station to a distant #4.Does anyone think (other than Bill) that this was good for 2HD, its earning potetial or its listeners? If, as many suspect Bill lets Richard King go from his infomative and entertaining Breakfast Programme after the Christmas – New Year break and syndicate Grant Goldman from 2SM the station will more listwners and come closer to being unviable. If this does happen, 2HD will have only 1 hour of proper local content on weekdays which is a clear breach of the act. In December 2007 Bill entertained John Laws at several long lunches and everybody knew that Lawsy would wind up at 2SM asa soon as his 2UE agreement expired. A question that many might ask is did Bill trim his staff to cut wages to employ the thin chap? True Lawsy would be a ratings winner, but what about every other session? Many beleive that Hunter listeners want local content instead of syndicated network broadcasting.It will be interesting to see or hear just who will be doing 2HD bteakfast on Monday January 11 2011. Will it be Richard King or Grant Goldman?