2CH confirms Bob Rogers won’t be replaced ahead of move to DAB+
Bob Rogers presented his last show on 2CH over the weekend, marking the end of a career spanning almost eight decades, including 25 years with the Sydney music station.
Rogers’ retirement follows the confirmation that 2CH’s new owner, Pacific Star Network, plans to permanently move the format to DAB+ in favour of installing its SEN sports format to 1170AM.
That change is scheduled to happen on October 17, despite the fact that 2CH rated 4.8% in Survey 6 and was one of only two commercial stations in Sydney to grow its audience share.
Classic Hits 2CH general manager, Cherie Romaro, said Rogers would not be replaced.
“Reminiscing will retire with Bob, as a mark of respect to his legendary career,” she said.
Stardust will launch in the Saturday night timeslot this weekend, offering listeners a showcase of timeless artists like Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Norah Jones, and Diana Krall.
“There will be no presenter, the music will be the star,” Romaro said in an email to media.
Despite some reports suggesting that 1170AM would retain a Classic Hits format after the takeover, management later revealed it would instead become “Sydney’s new home of sport”.
1170 SEN has been on a hiring spree over recent weeks, adding Matt White and Matty Johns to the new lineup alongside Andrew Voss on Breakfast and Bryan Fletcher and Joel Caine on Drive.
Someone needs to explain to me how SEN can afford to hire people like Andrew Voss, Matt Johns etc when the station will struggle to rate a 1% share
Where is the return on investment here?
Peter, i think thats why they are keeping 2CH on DAB. It will hopefully generate revenue SEN just cant get. I cant see SEN rating well. Sports station just dont seem to fair well.
70 year olds don’t have DAB radio’s
So they think 1170 will become “Sydney’s new home of sport”. Personally I think it’ll become the new home of nothing and struggle to attract 1% of the audience. It will be just like Macquarie Sport Radio.
I remember Bob from the 70’s .
Cheri Romeo is still around
Thought she had given radio away
Will 2CH keep it’s presenters when they move to DAB or will it be back to back music?
Three of my friends aged 60 plus have already switched to 2UE.
John Petersen….this 70 year old has three DAB radios.
I strongly believe over time the new Sydney SEN 1170 home of sport radio will do pretty well…. just like Melbourne SEN 1116 has been since it was launched around January 2003 Slowly but surely developing a strong sport following
If 2UE didn’t make it as a sports radio station, I can’t see 1170am doing the same because they are taking a long time Sydney institution away that listeners loved so Sydney siders will probably boycott the radio station.
If SEN had any comonsence , should used another frequency and then they might get listeners.
Magic 1278 in Melbourne has risen slightly in the ratings after taking on sport and so will 1377 3MP will improve with their easy music format after coming from sport.
Here in Melbourne, we had no am music stations and now it’s great. But listen to them on DAB+ as it sounds 100% better.
@John Peterson you’re wrong. A lot of older listeners have DAB. In fact I would say more older listeners have them and listen via DAB than younger people. The fact that older music listeners are increasingly forced to look to AM to find the music they want (4KQ, 4BH, 2UE, Magic, Cruise etc…) the bigger the opportunity for the radio operators to promote DAB to the older audience – the ones who actually have money to spend!
You have lost me 1170…Sport, nah, there’s enough of that elsewhere. The attraction of 1170 for me, there was no sport.
Switching to 2UE
I’ve been a listener of 2CH for a long long time enjoying the music, if I wanted sports I would have listened to a sports channel, you have lost me and thousands of other people, you can stick your new channel right up where it fits GOODBYE.
I am annoyed that I can’t listen to 2CH
music in my car – definitely a wrong move as I loved 2CH. I do not have DAB in my car so this is one person who has switched to 2UE.
Please fix 2ch dab radio unreliable other stations are working fine this happens to frequently on1170 am it was at least reliable please fix don’t see why you had to ruin 1170 am love the music however.