Michael Bodey reports in The Australian on the failure of the format at the VEGA stations in Sydney and Melbourne: RADIO'S baby boomer experiment has ended. From tomorrow, DMG Radio Australia will rename its two vega stations - on 95.3 FM in Sydney and 91.5 FM in Melbourne - Classic Rock.
The move is final acknowledgement the much-vaunted vega stations aiming to please a baby boomer audience desiring both music and talk failed.
I went through essentially exactly the same experience more than twenty years ago as the first breakfast presenter on FOX FM in Melbourne.
Bodey quotes DMG Radio Australia assistant group program director Dan Bradley: “It is one of the things we’ve really grappled with because when you research a music position, what comes through (from listeners) is a broad music position is very, very appealing.”
FOX was founded on the same premise.
A research company had been hired. They came up with the result Bradley describes. The programmers then had to base their format on the findings.
Like VEGA, it was really an exercise in attempting to lure ABC listeners to a commercial station.
As well as an on air lineup dominated by ex-ABC identities (myself included) FOX even broadcast the ABC 7.45 news bulletin every morning as part of the breakfast show.
(That wouldn’t be possible now because the relevant act was subsequently changed.)
But just like VEGA, it was never going to work.
Although the ABC’s success can in large part be put down to their extensive information gathering resources, for many (if not most) of their listeners, it also represents an important life style statement.
Ratings trends over the years show that if ABC listeners grow tired of their usual station of choice they switch to another ABC outlet.
And even if some do stray from their taxpayer funded enclave occasionally, they’re unlikely to admit it to researchers.
By the way, did no one at VEGA stop to consider that one of the most appealing aspects of ABC radio is that it doesn’t have commercials?
(I don’t count those dopey little promos for ABC product. They’re acceptable because they’re part of the aforementioned lifestyle).
The manager and architect of the FOX plan was a likeable fellow who had had successes in the past with formats he’d been told wouldn’t work, so for a long time he refused to listen when I warned him he was making a huge mistake and blowing one of the best ever opportunities in Australian radio.
He was a great supporter of mine and really enjoyed what I did on air, but when I attempted to persuade him he was headed for disaster, he would laugh and tell me everything was “going great” and that I was “such a neurotic’.
Eventually though, after a great deal of money had been spent for little result, he had to admit defeat.
He then asked me and News Director Michael Schildberger to put our heads together and devise the first ever all talk FM breakfast program on Australian radio.
I said I’d give it a shot, but I wanted a week out of the place to think about it.
While I was away he was rolled by the board. (Well, I did warn him).
Imagine my surprise more than twenty years later to see the same thing being tried for the same reasons and the same rationale being spouted even when it’s all over.
In case anyone thinks I’m being wise after the event, when VEGA first went on air in Sydney I made my predictions of sure and certain failure to a network owner of my acquaintance.
He disagreed absolutely.
He was convinced that because of the track record of those behind VEGA, the station would be a huge success.
We had a bet on it.
It took a couple of years, but he eventually paid me the $100.
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