Ben Latimer has barely had time to get his toes below the desk, however the ABC’s head of audio has already began tackling the challenges the broadcaster faces throughout the dial.
“I hit the bottom operating,” says Latimer, who joined the ABC on the finish of July after six years at Nova, the place he was joint head of programming. “I like a problem, I actually do. I simply discover it extra fascinating.”
The hit listing for Latimer is lengthy and different, with massive challenges in native radio, Triple J and Radio Nationwide. However at core, it comes all the way down to a easy proposition.
“We’re critical about getting ABC native radio again to the place it must be,” he says, referring to the viewers share for the primary station in every capital metropolis. “Pre-COVID is the place we consider we must be, and we could be.”
In the latest radio survey outcomes delivered two weeks in the past, ABC Radio held a 7 per cent share of the market in Sydney, 8 in Melbourne, 5.9 in Brisbane, 7.4 in Adelaide, and seven.2 in Perth. In the identical survey interval in 2019, the numbers had been 8.1 in Sydney, 9.2 in Melbourne, 6.6 in Brisbane, 10 in Adelaide and seven.2 in Perth.
Craig Reucassel has been drafted in to host Breakfast in Sydney from subsequent January.Credit score: James Brickwood
Clearly, there’s work to do – and Latimer has already began. This week, main line-up adjustments had been introduced for Sydney, with The Chaser’s Craig Reucassel coming into Breakfast, James Valentine transferring from that shift again to the Afternoons chair he occupied for greater than 20 years, and Renee Krosch changing Indira Naidoo, whose present she has been producing, in Evenings.
In September, the same shake-up of the Melbourne line-up was introduced, with Raf Epstein transferring to Mornings and Ali Moore to Drive till the top of the yr (extra bulletins are imminent, Latimer hints).
On the identical time, ABC Melbourne’s rival within the discuss radio house, 3AW, underwent its personal shake-up, as Neil Mitchell – who offered his final present on Friday – introduced he was stepping down after 35 years on air.
Raf Epstein moved from Drive to Mornings as a part of the Melbourne shake-up introduced in September.
All of it units the scene for a uncommon second in radio, which is probably probably the most loyal of mediums, through which listeners is likely to be prepared to dip their toes (or ears) in unfamiliar waters for a quick interval.
“The change coming is important for the ABC and important for native radio, so we’d count on to see some viewers sampling throughout the brand new yr,” says Latimer.
To capitalise, the ABC plans a giant marketing campaign on TV and in print – “probably the most funding in advertising our native radio community has had in years”, he says. However there’s been loads of work behind the scenes, too, to make sure the second isn’t squandered.
“The actually massive half was focusing the presenters and the producers on understanding their viewers, which is 50-plus,” Latimer says. “We’ve reimagined our music, designed a playlist that’s actually catering for that 50-plus viewers. I’m wanting on the on-air imaging, the concepts you hear on air, they want a freshen-up.
“I don’t assume it’s right to say we went younger,” he clarifies, “however I feel you’ve obtained to slim it all the way down to that concentrate on supreme listener and make it actually clear who we’re speaking to.”
Whereas the primary stations are the jewels within the crown, Latimer is aware of there are additionally massive challenges going through Radio Nationwide and, particularly, the ABC’s youth community.
“I feel Triple J is an extremely essential model for us,” he says. “However the 18-24s are a really tough demographic to seize.
Latimer involves the place on the ABC after a profession within the industrial media, together with ARN and Foxtel.Credit score: James Brickwood
“The problem with Triple J is that we’ve obtained this exceptionally engaged viewers on the digital providing, however a declining viewers on linear [traditional broadcast radio]. We’re greater than a radio station, we inform individuals this on a regular basis, it’s a multi-platform youth community. However we will need to have a powerful linear broadcast attain and proper now, the present 5 capital metropolis share is 4.2 per cent, so clearly we’ve obtained to do some work round that.”
Latimer and his staff have two key focuses as they attempt to flip Triple J’s fortunes round: “working extra intently with our talent-led reveals, notably Breakfast and Drive, on content material, technique and execution, and taking a greater take a look at music preferences for youthful audiences”. He’s additionally eager to develop the following “iconic model” to bolster a secure nonetheless dominated by the Hottest 100 and Like A Model.
Radio Nationwide, in the meantime, generally struggles to draw a share of viewers larger than the margin of error within the rankings surveys. “We’ve to be partaking with a share above the present 1.4 per cent on linear radio, we simply must be,” he says.
More and more, persons are consuming RN content material on the app or on the weekend, exterior the printed schedule. “Information avoidance is having some affect on the linear figures, however our digital viewers is constant to develop,” he says. “The technique for subsequent yr is to have a look at rising the RN weekend viewers on linear, and actually use that as a gateway to showcase the breadth and high quality of RN’s professional presenters and applications.”
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One change Latimer categorically guidelines out is the temptation to take a star like Reucassel – who already has a nationwide profile because of his TV work – to different cities.
That may work for the FM gamers like KIIS, which lately introduced the Kyle and Jackie O Present could be broadcast stay into Melbourne for the primary time from subsequent yr, however it will be opposite to every thing ABC native radio stands for.
“The dedication to being native and stay is 100 per cent. It’s every thing we do,” says Latimer. “That’s our great level of distinction. We’re unashamedly native and stay and we’re firmly dedicated to that.”
Contact the creator at kquinn@theage.com.au, observe him on Fb at karlquinnjournalist and on Twitter @karlkwin, and browse extra of his work right here.
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