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  Issue No 91 Official Organ of LaborNet 06 April 2001  

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Review

The Battle for 96.9Fm is Over

By Peter Zangari

What would you get if you crossed 2DAY FM, 2MMM, JJJ and MIX 106.5 FM? A fairly commercial radio station that wouldn't know the difference between throwing up, stuffing up, growing up or breaking up.

 
 

Peter Zangari

Now it wouldn't be fair to tar the newest addition to the Sydney FM airwaves with the brush that tars its competitors, but one would say that Nova 96.9 FM, launched on Sunday 1st April 2001 is trying to be all things to all people. It has elements of all the above stations, but hopefully not the worst.

As for the similarities:

There is a bit of commercial dance on Nova but not the cheesy variety Who Let the Dogs Out that you sometimes hear on 2DAY Fm

There is a bit of classic hard rock on Nova but you wont be hearing 'another non-stop block of non-stop rock' like Khe Sahn all day every day like 2MMM.

There is a bit of alternative stuff on Nova but not the nauseous guitar noise like you sometimes have to listen to on JJJ.

There is a touch of commercial adult popular music on Nova, but you won't be subjected to Michael Bolton or Tina Arena Love Song dedications as you do on Mix 106.5 Fm

But wasn't the 96.9fm dial set aside for a special community station? Over 5 years of special broadcasts were heard from various community groups. Remember FBI, Wild Fm, Radio Dex and Free Fm. All of those faxes of support came to no avail, a commercial station got the goods in the end anyway.

Maybe the launch date of Nova 96.9 was appropriate, April Fools Day.

Should we really takes this seriously at all when you consider how much the licence cost DMG, a staggering $140 million. I may not be an authority in valuing radio stations in the millions but I do know that's quite a lot when you are starting afresh and trying to tap into the millions of listeners the other stations have.

The radio business is funny business. Re-badging of old stations, re-modelling, a lot goes on.

After the first six days of broadcasting, it might be is a little early to start making predictions about the station.

Something that we have learnt by listening to Nova so far is that, there is more music for the listening hour. I hope it stays that way. There is nothing worse than sitting through

10 minute ad and announcer breaks to listen to the next song.

At least Nova has got it right in that department, with advertising and back announcing limited in some respect.

Another unusual thing about the station is the selection of the Radio jockeys.

I was pleased to hear Merrick and Rosso back on radio for breakfast. Since first seeing the duo at the Harold Park for their Mardi Grouse tour in 1997, I've been a fan. And fans won't be disappointed because Merrick and Rosso still know how to deliver the goods. We'll wait and see if they are able to play "Teenage Mullet Fury"- a cult classic.

Something else, I don't know how that annoying Ugly Phil got a Guernsey, he is making the station sound as cheap as 2DAYFM.

I was quite surprised the other day when in a sequence of four songs I hear Smell like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, followed by Walking Away by Craig David backed up by Blister In the Sun by The Violent Femmes then Silence by Delirium. Go figure what the producers are trying to get to.

Whilst I think Nova has a long way to go before it cements a base in the Sydney radio market, they'll soon find out how tough it is so you might just start seeing Nova Black thunders at a corner near you, dishing out those 'icy cold cans of coke'.

Current Playlist from NOVA

Expect to hear this sort of music when you tune in, its not that bad at all:

Dido,

3 Doors Down

Fat Boy Slim

Daft Punk

Creed

Armand Van Helden

Superjesus

Powderfinger

Smashing Pumpkins

ATB

Go check yourself, you might just like it.


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*   View entire issue - print all of the articles!

*   Issue 91 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Costa on Compo
Labor Council�s secretary gives his take on the Big Stink over Della�s workers compensation package.
*
*  Politics: Della's List
All Labor members of Parliament were this week asked to indicate whether they would support injured workers. More than half said 'yes'. Here they are.
*
*  Unions: Picketing Joy
Rowan Cahill chronicled the definitive dispute of 2000 for Workers Online. He looks back on the battle and the lessons to be drawn from the workers at Joy.
*
*  History: Vale Tony Mulvihill
The environment, migrant workers and the hairy nosed wombat have reason to be thankful for the active citizenship of Tony Mulvihill.
*
*  Economics: Stopping the Rot
A national campaign is underway to persuade politicians from both the major parties that they need to be addressing the issue of poverty within Australia.
*
*  International: East Timor � Beyond the Headlines
It�s now more than 18 months since the violence and bloodshed following the popular consultation on the future of East Timor was front page news in Australia.
*
*  Technology: Online Breathing Space
The global collapse of faith in new technology has given journalists a chance to prepare themselves for the real revolution, writes David Higgins
*
*  Satire: Howard Cuts Beer Price to Get Voters Drunk
Prime Minister John Howard has agreed to cut the excise on beer, in the hope cheaper drinks will help get the country drunk enough to vote for him.
*
*  Review: The Battle for 96.9Fm is Over
What would you get if you crossed 2DAY FM, 2MMM, JJJ and MIX 106.5 FM? A fairly commercial radio station that wouldn�t know the difference between throwing up, stuffing up, growing up or breaking up.
*

News
»  Compo Wars: Week Two to the Workers!
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»  Doctors Don�t Want to be Judges
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»  Cops Eye Ball Compo Changes
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»  Armoured Car Drivers To Consider Stop Work
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»  IT Workers � We Need You!
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»  Banks Workers Show They�re No Bunnies
*
»  English Teachers Ripped Off
*
»  Beazley Gives Boost To Bakery Workers
*
»  Employment, Environment Vital to US-Australia Trade Deal
*
»  Extra $1.37 Billion Needed for Unis
*
»  Campaigning Workshop Establishes Local Campaign Initiative
*
»  Activist Notebook
*

Columns
»  The Soapbox
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»  The Locker Room
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Tool Shed
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Letters to the editor
»  Organising - Dools Causes a Storm
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»  Dools Replies
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»  Singalong with Della!
*
»  Compo Forum - A Lib Responds
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»  Like a Lamb to the Slaughter
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