MTR vs 3AW

[scott]

I have made the switch to MTR (Melbourne Talk Radio), never been a fan of FM stations except Gold 104.

I used to listen to 3AW a lot (as I have grown up with a family who were addicted to it) and at the moment, 3AW is getting very boring, Neil Mitchell is an old grump, Denis Walter is boring (but better than Sigley), Hinch is past it, Sports Today is tolerable, Bruce and Phil are past it and annoy me and Keith McGowan, don't get me started on him, 3AW weekends are crap, Darren James is crap and so is Tom Elliott, and the football is not the same without Rex.

Ross and John are the only people I would listen to 3AW for now, Ross is so smart and witty and has a comment for everything, and John Burns is funny, even talking about his many traffic fines.

MTR is very fresh, Steve Price excepted, the night time show is very good, and Saturdays are great with Graham Ross (learnt so much about gardening) and Glenn Ridge. There is a lot of Sydney content on MTR but I enjoy listening to things from another angle.

I am only 28 years of age, and outside the target demographics, but I like to keep with the news and learn things, rather than hear songs I cannot sing along to and understand, and artists who cannot sing to save their lives. I love the 80's music on Gold 104 though, when I am driving mainly.

[John]

Keith McGowan, don't get me started on him

He is easily wound up.

I remember calling him years ago to complain about water restrictions and how I was unable to maintain anything that half resembled a garden. His reaction was priceless and I was soon hung up on.

[scott]

The old ladies that ring him are often hilarious, he lets one of them go on for five minutes before he loses his patience.

Bruce Mansfield is also another gruff person to deal with, I met him in person when he and Philip Brady did a personal appearance, and when I said Hi to him and how much I liked the show (then) ,he nearly had me in tears after the way he spoke to me.

[pakenhamtrain]

I very much seldom listen to 3AW these days unless I'm in the car.
Darren James spends way too much time crapping on about the weather and Collingwood. Don't really like McGowan.
My sunday evenings used to be Remember when but now it's a show from BBC Lincolnshire(A BBC local radio station for the Lincolnshire county in England) called Pirate Gold. It's 1000x more entertaining than anything radio here could offer!

[Alex on the Bus]

Ah, a discussion about the merits of one bunch of right-wing squawkers over another bunch of right-wing squawkers. Give me 774, Triple J and a stack of podcasts any day.

[John]

The old ladies that ring him are often hilarious, he lets one of them go on for five minutes before he loses his patience.

I remember he use to have a chap he dubbed "Al from Frankston" who would ring up on a weekly basis and give a little recital with his trumpet. McGowan would often tell him that he is very talented, etc, and Al would play the trumpet for what seemed like forever whilst McGowan would put him on hold and attend to other calls. He would periodically check in on Al and say things like "Gee, Al, that is amazing".

[scott]

This morning, while waiting for Ross and John to start, I listened to a bit of Keith McGowan, he had this guy on from Broadmeadows who was going on about his girlfriends, case managers etc, he went on for a goof 5 minutes or so, until Keith played something to the effect of "If you've lost your marbles, just call Keith".

[John]

This morning, while waiting for Ross and John to start, I listened to a bit of Keith McGowan, he had this guy on from Broadmeadows who was going on about his girlfriends, case managers etc, he went on for a goof 5 minutes or so, until Keith played something to the effect of "If you've lost your marbles, just call Keith".

He likes to play "medication time" (from One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest) and "what a whacko" a fair bit too.

His wife, Angela, use to always ring up at the start of every show, usually asking him to pick up something for breakfast on the way home. They would then discuss what they had done over the weekend. Riveting conversation.

[John]

On the topic of 3AW, I had to laugh at this:

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/up-yours-darling-howson-slammed-over-radio-meltdown-20110214-1at0l.html

[scott]

I heard this replayed on Ross and John this morning, John Michael Howson is just a nasty windbag and past his use by date. He should get his marching orders, or they should stick him on with McGowan.

How dare he talk to a producer like that, they should be treated with respect, without them, there is no show. They should get rid of the segment on Sunday morning, it is a waste of airtime, we have enough news and current affairs during the week, how about a light hearted sports program or interviews with entertainers etc. Put someone like Andrew McLaren on for two hours and for each of those two hours, have a special guest such as an entertainer, actor or someone else.

[Paul_Nicholson]

Does anyone on this forum listen to MTR1377?

Paul in Melbourne

[system improver]

Does anyone on this forum listen to MTR1377?

Paul in Melbourne

Do they still play "beautiful music" from Frankston?

[Denning-6V71]

While I'm only 24, I much prefer the music from the likes of Gold 104 and Classic Rock 91.5, especially when driving. Never been into talkback much myself, I find it downright boring.
But each to their own.
Cheers,
John

[Kitare]

Does anyone on this forum listen to MTR1377?

Paul in Melbourne

Looking at their ratings so far, perhaps the question you should be asking is does anybody listent to MTR? Period.

[Paul_Nicholson]

Back to System Improver's inquiry, the MTR format introduced in April 2010 replaced Easy Music 3MP.

For several years, 3MP and Magic 1278 had been playing very similar formats with Magic moving ahead of 3MP.

3MP remains as a digital format but the easy music is more modern than Magic but without the "edge" of Gold 104.3.

The talk format on MTR is unashamedly right wing; a clone of the successful 2GB in Sydney. Some of the programs are networked from 2GB..."redneck radio"!

The format is something quite new to Melbourne and the ratings suggest that it hasn't taken on.

MTR hates the Labor Party and its programs generally contain material highly critical of the federal government in general and Julia Gillard. Some of the criticism gets very personal and goes into areas not previously heard on Melbourne radio.

At the same time, MTR takes a "white supremacist" view and the overnight programs (clearly emanating from Sydney) often make disparaging remarks about the Muslim communities in Bankstown and Lakemba.

The 1377 frequency was OK for 3MP when it was (originally) a commercial radio station for the Mornington Peninsula area (hence the MP callsign) but MTR has proved to be difficult to hear in parts of Melbourne especially in the northern and western suburbs.

2GB is the #1 station in Sydney but the format seems to have flopped in Melbourne. At the same time, 3AW remains Melbourne's top station but its sister station in Sydney, 2UE, has seen a general decline in ratings in recent years especially since it adopted a format and "sound" similar to 3AW.

At the end of the day, it seems that what works in Sydney doesn't go in Melbourne, and v.v.

3AW and ABC 774 are the dominant talk stations in Melbourne and rate well in the older (40+) age groyups.

Paul in Melbourne

[scott]

Good news for some people, Keith McGowan has announced he is retiring, his last show is on July 22nd. I wonder who will replace him, I read a rumour that Darren James is in contention for the role, but I doubt very much he will take it. I hope Chris from Broadmeadows rings him on his last show, he was hilarious this morning.

Also Neil Mitchell has lost is No. 1 ratings spot to Jon Faine on 3LO.

[Andrew]

They should get Frank Walker from Naaaaaaaaational Tiles..

[Denning-6V71]

With his beautiful range of Italian design wall and floor tiles? If I ever meet Frank Walker, he won't be saying "Helloooo!" much longer as I'll lockwire his bloody mouth shut!

[scott]

I wonder if he says Helloooo when you walk into the shop?

[Denning-6V71]

He'd wind up with my size 10 steel cap boot in his gob if he did!

[Paul_Nicholson]

Denning-6V71's post reminded me how violent bus enthusiasts, as a group, can be, preferring to "sort out" things with baseball bats, boots or guns.

Paul in Melbourne

[Denning-6V71]

Umm.... Firstly Paul in Melbourne, surely you're not so brain dead as to believe for a second that I was being serious in any way?

Secondly, what makes you think that I'm a "bus enthusiast" anyway? I work in the industry from time to time and used to work as a coach driver full time, so I have an interest in the industry. But enthusiast? No. Might want to be a little bit more careful as to who you label what in future.

Finally, where's your proof that "bus enthusiasts" prefer to sort things out with baseball bats, boots or guns? I'm not exactly a news junkie, but I don't recall any headlines screaming "Gunzel brawl over photographing latest Ventura SmartBus ends in 3 dead, 7 injured" lately, so where exactly are you getting your perception of the demographic that would comprise the vast majority of this board? And what gives you the right to label bus enthusiasts, as a whole, as violent? Would you make the same assertion for train spotters, bird watchers or Greens voters?

[scott]

Sorry to dredge up a dead thread, but I have converted to the MTR Drive show with Luke Grant (replacing Martin King), much better than that whinging, whining, self absorbed monotone Tom Elliott on 3AW, who is filling in until Derryn Hinch is released from home detention. The weekend line up on MTR is much better, even though most of it is fully imported from Sydney.

[AEC Decker]

At the same time, 3AW remains Melbourne's top station but its sister station in Sydney, 2UE, has seen a general decline in ratings in recent years especially since it adopted a format and "sound" similar to 3AW.

A lot of Sydney ex 2GB listeners, including AEC Decker, have changed to 2UE as 2GB was more of the same old tired and boring programmes.
2UE has variety and is entertaining, especially the 2 Murray's from 6pm to 9pm, weekdays.

At the end of the day, it seems that what works in Sydney doesn't go in Melbourne, and v.v.
Paul in Melbourne

AEC Decker agrees especially where sport is concerned.