The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 52

The Guide 2B1 MeffreslhiiMgly, rapwarfflynnniolbile No longer a straggler, 2BL's ratings are up. IAN HORNER examines why. Time (4-7 pm) Peter X. Thompson (his middle name, Xavier. distinguished him from Channel 9's Him critic).

Thompson, who has been in radio for ten years, returned to 2BL in January after doing a master's in public administration at Harvard. "It's extremely difficult to build a following if you're not on air," said Thompson, 34. "But it's great to have a new 2BL after floundering around for a long time." There are plans to begin midnight-to-dawn broadcasts from August I and a new promotions producer, Michael Mason, has been installed to stage manage the station's sound, giving the station the feel of a commercial station without the ads. Wall didn't expect the new survey results to be outstanding because four weeks of parliament intruded into the eight-week survey period. "We're looking to survey three but.

even so, our goal for that was five per cent and we reached it in our first survey. Just as 2UE needs time, so docs 2BL." Andrew Olle (8.30-9 am) was new to radio, but with impressive television and print experience. His brief: "To produce a gutsy, fast-moving, authoritative look at stories of the day from a Sydney, perspective." Olle's great strength is his unique "talent-pulling encompassing every big name in the country except Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who won't talk to him again after their famous discussion on Four Corners last year on Queensland's gerrymandering and croneyism. Olle is "loving" radio. And it's obviously loving him: his time slot rated 3.4 last year but shot to 7.6 after he took over.

"The improvements are obviously flowing right through the station. We inherit something from AM, and something from our show flows through to Margaret Throsby," Olle said. Throsby's 9 am-noon slot in the the new-look 2BL has jumped from 3.0 to 5.3. The other new recruit is in Drive "We needed clearer direction and it needed to be understood and supported by management and staff. The most important aim was colour, and for that we needed good presenters who were well-produced, smartly packaged and coupled with a good music policy, and all that needs fine tuning daily." He started with Breakfast am), which had had no constant presenter.

He chose Ray Taylor who had performed well in the same slot in Melbourne. Taylor was installed with a new producer and a new music policy aimed at the over-30s. His first survey result (6.9) was up 70 per cent on his time slot in the previous un-revamped survey period. The news show, AM (6.30-6.45 am8-8 30 am), is one of the station's institutions, 20 years old this September, and it stayed. It's relayed to 50 stations and is required listening for politicians.

But it did get a new presenter, John Highfield, replacing the crusty Red Harrison. about the renaissance, you can read about it 2BL personalities are all over town on the sides of government buses, in line with David Hill's self-promotional drive. The man behind it all is Peter Wall, who replaced Mike Jeffreys in January as station manager. Wall, former manager of the ABC's 2NC and 2NA (both Newcastle) and 2UH (Upper Hunter), was told to revamp 2BL. "The station was down to a 2.9 per cent audience share, so we had to look closely at the rundown, the presenters, the formats and the time slots," he said.

"The station's strength was, and is, the credibility of its news and information service but there had been a drift away from 2BL which had accelerated over a year and a half, accompanied by listener irritation and apathy combined with the attractions of other radio stations. OVER at 2UE they can take heart. Last Christmas saw 2BL in the doldrums but, six months later, the station which many had left for dead is alive and well and even prospering, 2BLs audience has jumped from 266,000 (fourth survey last year) to 406,300 (first survey this year). Led by two new morning personalities, current affairs man Andrew OUe and breakfast announcer Ray Taylor, the station has a brighter and sharper tenor filtering right through the day. Whereas, in the past, 2BL would straggle after the midday news, current affairs and chronic parliament broadcasts, the afternoons have been boosted with the arrival of new drive-time host Peter X.

Thompson ahead of regulars Holger Brockmann and Bob Hudson. And, in case you haven't heard I and a The integration of Audio and Video mixed bag elsewhere SHAYNE COLLIER on the fickle fortunes of commercial radio. ID i -1 ft '3D Ik. Ay 6A MARK KNIGHT The New Yamaha AudioVideo Control Centre In audio. Yamaha 's digital Surround Sound Processing can reproduce the exciting feeling of being in Carnegie Hall, a jazz club, cathedrals and many other environments.

In video, Dolby Surround Sound enhances movies incredibly. Yamaha have brought these together in the new AVC-30 control amplifier, with 3 video and 8 audio inputs, 4 separate amplifiers (2 100 watts. 2x20 watts), and remote control. Audition at Leisure Sound today! MUSIC EVENING: July I AJuly 8 Hear Yamaha 's new digital surround sound systems. Book your free seat on 908 3611.

CREMORNE 908361 Cnr Military Rd Clover A CCORDING to a survey by A the Federation of Austra-- lian Radio Broadcasters JL iL in the year to June 1986 -43 of Australia's 138 commercial radio stations ran at a loss. Between exorbitant contracts for talk-back personalities and high staff turnovers, some AM stations are finding it increasingly difficult to be profitable. Although strong ratings do command higher advertising rates, they don't necessarily bring higher profits. Research results published by Potter Partners Limited noted that FM stations, in most cases, were significantly more profitable than their AM counterparts. Staffing was often as low as half, new technology was generally more rapidly embraced and the audience mostly commanding high advertising rates.

2DAY-FM is Sydney's most profitable station, with 2WS believed to be next, according to industry sources. Although 2GB is the highest rating radio station in Sydney, it is the most expensive to run. 2D AY-FM's reported earnings of $4 to S5 million are based on stability and consistent success with its target audience. Most important is to retain the 25-39 years group, valuable for the advertising dollars it attracts. "In the last two or three surveys i we have won that audience.

That's where the disposable dollars are," says Noel McGnrgan, the general manager of 2DAY-FM. "We employ no superstars and so don't have to pay out superstar money." Although 2WS is an AM station, it has much in common with its FM competitor such as commercial success. It does not employ superstars and has generally stood by the same format for six years. "A lot of stations have changed station positioning, logos, announcers," said Greg Milne, the general manager of 2WS. "People like to be familiar with something that's comfortable." Geoff Duncan, the general manager of Sydney's highest rating commercial radio station, 2GB, agrees with the comments made by Nigel Milan, the deputy general manager of the Macquarie network, that 2GB, 2DAY-FM, 2MMMM-FM and 2WS have 65 to 70 per cent of the total Sydney advertising dollar.

Commercially, 2GB doesn't need to be number one, says Duncan, but concedes that it's healthy to remain near the top of the ratings ladder. "We don't live and die by the ratings, but we strive to be number one." If 2GB is the most expensive station to run, then 2UE is the second most expensive, according to 2UEs general manager, Mark Collier. Collier said 2UE's celebrated ratings failures and financial losses before April, 1987 the latter reported to be up to $100,000 a week had been reduced significantly. "Now the revenue is increasing month by month, but the pressure is on to maintain the direction we've taken," he said. "It took 2GB four years to get to the top.

We don't have that long to carve a new niche in the market place but you don't keep spending the sort of money on a format like we are unless you are convinced that you can earn a profit." One problem for the non-news radio AM stations is the monopoly ou-FM licences. Although there have been submissions from AM stations to switch to FM, no change is likely in the short term. UM R0UIOTE rr-T mm J22 PIRIMAI Hl-R VIDEO BURW00D 747 2533 Westfield Shoppingtown, Burwood Rd, Burwood IiT3rara AIWA Qale jvc ST If CD is the perfect system for sound.then the Sony CD-Roulette is 5 times perfection. The rotary table holds 1, 2. 3, 4 or 5 discs at one time while the Remote Commander lets you play your desired disc and control the main functions from your armchair.

Sony's innovative features such as Shuffle Play and 5-Way Repeat are also incorporated and of course Sony's 2fs Digital Filter and Unilinear converter combine to deliver perfect sound reproduction. Available in 430 or 355mm widths to suit your system, the Sony CDP-C5 Roulette can multiply your CD enjoyment for just $999 or $793 DUTY FREE. NAO Urn ONEYO HE EZ 1 if IT UU WHEN IT COMES TO SONY WE CANT BE BEATEN rasa sony thorN5 Also: Dual. TDK, Stanton. Ortofon.

Maxell. Aaron Koss. Monster Cable. Sennheiser. Shure.

Pioneer Hitachi. Tannoy. Garrott. CHATSWOOD HOME ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 505-507 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood (Off Pacific Highway) Phone 41 1 209041 1 7948 HI Fl VIDEO SMH The Guide. Monday, June 29, 1987.