Last month, we reported on the news that Triple M was shutting down its popular classic rock digital station because it was just too successful. Classic Rock Digital was apparently so popular it was cannibalising Triple M’s listeners.
“We found that Classic Rock Digital was eating into the [cumulative audience] audience for Triple M,” SCA Chief Creative Officer Guy Dobson said. “We will be adding more of that classic rock content to the Triple M music format.”
The news was not met with a positive reception from listeners. “Dumbest decision ever,” wrote one listener. “I refuse to listen to Triple M on FM because it’s endless talk and sport and the same songs flogged over and over.”
Indeed, it seems many fans will not heed Triple M’s call and make the switch over to the terrestrial network, bemoaning the prevalence of ads and quality of the on-air talent, and expressing a degree of skepticism as to just how much classic rock they’ll hear.
Well, there’s good news for the skeptics out there – you don’t have to make the switch back to Triple M. As Mumbrella reports, Melbourne sports radio station 1116 SEN is launching a new classic rock digital radio station.
“For men 40+ classic rock is a very popular genre and we wanted to provide a station for the men we have where they can listen to that,” Cathy Thomas, general manager at Pacific Star Network, the company that owns SEN, told Mumbrella.
“With SEN our listeners currently get 24/7 sports coverage and we wanted to offer them a music alternative, so for those times when they want music let’s give it to them. Lets provide men 40+ with that opportunity.”
“We will be playing classic rock from dawn till dusk with minimal interruptions,” she added. According to Thomas, the timing is merely a coincidence and the new station is not a response to Southern Cross Austereo shuttering their classic rock station.
“I would hope we would certainly grow but we’re not trying to broaden, we are men 35+ and this is probably aimed at men 40+, and there’s men out there that don’t listen to sport but love classic rock,” she said.
According to Mumbrella, the new Classic Rock Radio station will stream on DAB+ and on the 1377AM Band, as well as on the official website. You can listen to Classic Rock Radio for yourself right here.
