COMMUNICATIONS 101 seminar Oct 16, 2011 John Feary – TV & radio

Metropolitan TV (Channel 2, 7, 9, 10) Commercial TV – and ABC too – is a juggernaut. If you get a spot on the main news, you get a very large instant audience.

Ratings ‐ News: Seven 189,000 ABC News 113,000 Ten News 87,000 71,000

Channel 7 also dominates the two major demographics, doubling the next best in the 18‐49 age bracket (59,000 to 27,000 for Ch.10) and 25‐54 age bracket (61,000 to ABC’s 32,000).

Current affairs Today Tonight (7) 194,000 A Current Affair (9) 67,000 7.30 (ABC) 67,000 – Friday state version 7PM Project (10) 78,000

World-wide coverage of events from sport, news and current affairs to emotion-charged events. Television will rarely run a story, however important or interesting, unless it has vision to go with it. TV newsrooms are geared towards the main nightly bulletin. ABC TV newsrooms may have more interest in issue-based stories, but also prefer to have visual content. Unless you personally know an individual journalist, about the only way to approach a TV newsroom is via the news director.

Rural TV (WIN, GWN) GWN7 and WIN (aligned with Ch 9) are adding new digital channels across regional WA. Generally programs and major news bulletins are relayed from their metropolitan partners, supplemented by a half-hour daily bulletin of local news including regional journalists.

RADIO: Metropolitan and Country Radio (ABC and Commercial News, Talkback) As the most immediate medium, radio has a big appetite for news but tends to drop stories quickly to maintain the appearance of variety. Each station has a news director/chief of staff (in ABC , the same person runs both the TV and radio news crews). Commercial radio stations generally have very few journalists. ABC local stations in Perth and major regional centres and commercial “talkback” stations (6PR in Perth) run live interviews on human interest stories. Many prefer the interview subject to visit the studio, but phone interviews are sometimes okay particularly if it can be done on a land-line rather than mobile phone. Try to identify individual presenters who seem sympathetic. Approach the presenter directly or, more commonly, the producer of the program. Most stations run community noticeboards or public service announcements.

Perth stations (Average listeners): Mix 94.5FM. Music variety, target 25-54, Strong support for major community events (33,000) ABC 720AM. News, talkback (25,000) 6PR Newstalk 882AM. News, sport, talkback, target 35+ (25,000) 92.9FM. Hit music for under 40s (24,000) 93.7FM. Target 18-39 (24,000) 96FM. Rock, target 25-44 (22,000) ABC 6JJJ FM. Youth, alternative music. (17,000) 6IX 1080AM/105.7FM. Classic hits, target 45-59 ages (10,000) ABC Classic 97.7FM. Fine music. (7000) ABC 6RN . News, current affairs. (4000) ABC News Radio. 24-hr news. (4000)

Community Radio Recent McNair research shows over 9.5 million people, 57% of Australians aged 15 and over, listen to at least once a month. Up 10% in two years. Individual numbers may be small (rarely advertised) but they are popular for localised content and specialist programs. Most community stations broadcast community announcements from organisations relating to their coverage area; and low-cost advertising (sponsorships) available. Individual program presenters also look for stories or subjects to interview on air. Opportunities for partnerships with local events – must be in coverage area. Listen to station to gauge their target audience.

Capital Radio 101.7FM – Perth metropolitan. Seniors. RTR 92.1FM – Perth metropolitan area. Wide range of music and talks 100.1FM – Perth metropolitan area. Over 45s RPH Information Radio 990AM – Perth. For print handicapped Sonshine 98.5FM – Perth metropolitan. Christian. Noongar Radio 100.9FM – Aboriginal community Ethnic Broadcasting 6EBA – Perth metropolitan. All ethnic groups Heritage 107.3FM – Armadale, Gosnells, Canning. Music, strong community focus Radio 107.9FM – Fremantle, Hamilton Hill.

Country radio: ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt, 6DL 531AM, Dalwallinu ABC Goldfields/Esperance, 6GF 648AM, Kalgoorlie ABC Goldfields/Esperance, 6ED 837AM, Esperance ABC South Coast & Great Southern, 6WA 558AM, Wagin ABC South Coast & Great Southern, 6AL 630AM, Albany ABC South West, 6BS 684AM, Busselton ABC South West, 6MJ 738AM, Manjimup ABC South West, 6BR 1044AM, Bridgetown

Commercial Coast FM Mandurah Radio West, 6SE 747AM, Esperance Radio West, 6TZ 756AM, Margaret River Radio West, 6VA 783AM, Albany Radio West, 6BY 900AM, Bridgetown Radio West, 6NA 918AM, Narrogin Radio West, 6TZ 963AM, Bunbury Radio West, 6KG 981 AM, Kalgoorlie Spirit 621 South West, 6EL 621 AM, Bunbury. Classic gold/current hits commercial Radio West, 6WB 1071 AM, Katanning Radio West, 6MD 1098 AM, Merredin Radio West, 6CI 1134 AM, Collie

Community Collie Community Broadcasting Association, 1089AM, Collie

Narrowcast Vision Radio Network 1017 Bunbury (Christian) Vision Radio Network 1431 Kalgoorlie (Christian) Vision Radio Network 1611 Margaret River (Christian) 6TAB 1404 Busselton (Racing) 6GS 1422 Wagin 6GS 1611 Wagin Gold MX 1611 Albany