2CC is expanding?
January 7th, 2010 at 11:27am
I caught the tail end of a promo on 2CC earlier this morning while I was between rooms. Apparently they are “expanding” and will have an exciting addition to their on-air staff…the announcement will be made by Mark Parton at 7:45am on Monday (Mark returns from holidays on Monday).
I’ll chuck a disclaimer in here and say that I know absolutely nothing about what the changes are…but if I had to make a wish, it would be that Mike Frame is getting a weekday slot replacing one of the 2UE shows. With any luck it would be Tim Webster’s show (oh what I would give to have Andrew Daddo take over that shift permanently).
I would also rate 2CC dumping the 2UE Steve Liebmann show in favour of the 2GB Ray Hadley show to be an outside chance.
And, just for the fun of it…wild and bizarre speculation time. Perhaps the rumours about John Laws returning to radio are true and he will be joining 2CC on Monday.
Regardless…announcement at 7:45am on Monday. Hand me a survey book because 2CC will easily win me in that quarter hour.
Update: I just had another thought which I had dismissed earlier…but the word “expanding” just keeps bringing me back to it. Perhaps 2CC will steal my idea (and guys, feel free to do so) and launch their own syndicated morning show hosted by either Mike Welsh or Mike Frame, initially networked to 2GN and 2XL, with the other Mike hosting the Drive show. That sort of morning show could be more relevant to the local region than either Sydney show is. End Update
Another update: One wonders if Steve Liebmann’s noticeable absence from 2CC’s presenters list and the (more comprehensive) “Presenters & Shows” menu means anything? One also wonders if the fact that, right now during the Mike Welsh Drive Show, the listen live box isn’t showing the name and photo of the current presenter means anything? End update
Samuel
Entry Filed under: Canberra Stories,TV/Radio/Media
9 Comments
1. newtaste | January 7th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
If 2CC do start their own networked morning program, as well as going to 2GN and 2XL, could it also go to 2ST and 2EC? As Grant owns 2ST, 2EC and 1/2 of 2CC and 2GN. The show could focus on the ACT and South East NSW.
Liebmann is a very nice guy, with a great voice. But his 2UE program is dead boring. So can understand if 2CC are planning to axe Liebmann and can also understand the rumour that 2SM’s regional stations are also looking to drop Liebmann for John Laws if Laws does sign with 2SM.
However, 2CC may well indeed take Hadley then have a local afternoon program.
2. Samuel | January 8th, 2010 at 1:09 am
Now that’s a good idea. As far as I know, neither EC or ST have had a morning talk show in recent times but they were both Laws relay stations. (The old Laws website server still exists: http://esvc000856.bne001tu.server-web.com/6Contact.html)
It would certainly be a boost for talk radio in this country if 2SM and/or 2CC were to produced syndicated shows in the same timeslots as 2UE and 2GB. Genuine competition…it’s just a pity that many rural centres don’t have enough stations to feasibly take more than one of the shows. At the very least, it’s good to see some players who are willing to give Fairfax a run for their money.
You’re right that it’s likely that 2CC will just swap to the Hadley show and run a local afternoon show. It’s probably more likely than them launching their own networked show, but it wouldn’t meet their own hype.
I need to emphasise, again, that I have NO inside information on this and don’t pretend to. I’m just running with what seems likely to me…and things that I would consider doing if I was PD there.
I will make official contact with them today to see if they’re interested in saying anything either now or on Monday. I hope this lives up to the hype…because I’m gonna look really silly on Monday if this turns out to be a bigger office with listener morning teas on the second Thursday after each full moon.
3. Samuel | January 8th, 2010 at 1:25 am
While I have another look over the 2CC website…I can’t work this one out. Their local content statement says they provide “44.5 hours of local programming are provided Monday to Friday”.
Well that doesn’t add up for me. Currently:
Mark Parton: 3.5 hours per day, five days per week = 17.5 hours
Mike Welsh: 3 hours per day, five days per week = 15 hours
Total: 32.5 hours per week
If you chuck in the top of hour news at the top of the 9am-2pm hours (6 x 5 minutes), the total goes up to 35 hours per week. This would be a slight under-calculation as the bulletins are a tad over 5 minutes and midday one fills a 12 minute window.
The difference between 32.5 hours per week and 44.5 hours per week is 2.4 hours (2 hours and 24 minutes) per day.
The difference between 35 hours per week and 44.5 hours per week is 1.9 hours (one hour and 54 minutes) per day.
I’m confused.
4. newtaste | January 8th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Jock’s Journal is reporting that it looks like the Super Radio Network is dropping Liebmann. If the Grant and Super stations all drop Liebmann there will be next to no stations remaining. Surely this should be wake-up to Fairfax that Liebmann is just not working and is just plain dull. While Steve Price was not everyone’s cup of tea, he was never dull and never boring.
5. padders | January 8th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I agree with newtaste about Leibmann. Steve has a very sonorous voice – great for the mid-dawn shift, but not prime time. I do hope 2CC don’t take Hadley’s morning show. Putting up with him on the weekends during the footy season is penance enough. 2CC really need a local personality for the 9 – noon shift, and it would be great if the show were networked – hopefully, then, we would hear the views of different callers, which would be a nice change. But who could do it? I suppose if the show were to be networked, then the host wouldn’t necessarily have to be a Canberran, but it would make sense, seeing as Canberra would be the emanating hub. Samuel, I think you need to hold a competition calling for airchecks or demos from those in already in the biz(!), or yearning to be(!!), post them on your blog and let your readers be the judge of who gets the guernsey.
6. Samuel | January 8th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
newtaste, yes I noticed that one this afternoon. Losing the Super Radio Network has to be a blow. It’s nice to see Bill Caralis doing something that the radio industry likes and/or is interested in for a change.
As I think I’ve said before, I liked Price on his drive show. The watered down version of him we got on the morning show was disturbing.
padders, a radio talent competition? Not a bad idea at all. I know from this website’s logs amongst other things that people at 2CC read this blog…maybe they saw my ramblings about KXNT’s annual “radio star” competition (from which most of their local talent has come) and have decided to do something similar. Think Australian Idol for talk radio hosts.
7. Samuel | January 8th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
All of this reminds me that, according to Fairfax Syndication, The Liebmann show has extra pulses which are used to fire off local station ID a few times an hour. From memory, these pulses did not exist on the Price show.
Not once have I heard 2CC run a local ID from those pulses…instead I keep hearing the 2UE IDs. Sounds to me like they haven’t bothered to program the automation for the extra pulses and are just taking the 2UE IDs to avoid dead air. Make of that what you will…I know what the says to me.
Especially when I add in the fact that almost all of Liebmann’s efforts at filling in for Price last summer were dumped in favour of Mark Parton. I did hear that this may have been due to technical issues (pulses not being sent by 2UE causing headaches for panel operators) although it wouldn’t surprise me if the fact that Parton tends to be more interesting than Liebmann had something to do with it.
On that note, I heard Liebmann filling time by rambling about how he could see aeroplanes through the window this morning…and 2UE wonder why they get flogged in the ratings?
8. newtaste | January 8th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
This afternoon Clinton Maynard filled in for Tim Webster on 2UE. Clinton said that Tim was away but would be back on Monday MORNING. Later he said Tim would be back at Midday on Monday. As he is the News Director, does Clinton know something, or did he just slip-up!
9. Samuel | January 9th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
I think it was a slip-up, but that will be really funny if it happens.