Media in Melbourne
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Melbourne media is unusual in its size and diversity.
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[edit] Newspapers
Melbourne has two major and one minor paper. Melbourne's daily newspapers include the broadsheet format The Age, the Murdoch-owned tabloid format The Herald Sun, and the free afternoon tabloid format MX.
A third major paper, the The Argus was discontinued in 1957.
[edit] Television
The three commercial television channels; Seven, Nine and Ten Networks, and the government owned ABC produce a nightly news bulletin in Melbourne. Commercial stations Seven and Nine also produce nightly current affairs programs. The ABC also produces a weekly state-based current affairs show, Stateline, in Melbourne. The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) provides world news coverage, as well as an assortment of foreign film and television. Channel 31 is a public access television station which screens mostly foreign-language television for migrant communities, and amateur lifestyle programs.
See also: Television broadcasting in Australia.
[edit] Radio
Melbourne has a wide range of radio stations.
[edit] Sports radio
One sports-focused radio station in Melbourne is SEN 1116, a station that took over 3AK's old radio license and replaced it with a 24-hour sports format.
Sport 927 (formerly known as 3UZ) covers all sports but specializes in total coverage of Horse Racing, Harness Racing and Greyhounds.
Triple M is noted for its sports coverage (with hourly sports updates from the likes of Brett Phillips), and is a contender in the AFL radio broadcasting rights - currently there are 4 Victorian radio stations that have the rights: Triple M, 3AW, ABC and K-Rock.
3AW's sport coverage consists of the show Sports Today with Dwayne Russell and Gerard Healy, as well as its AFL coverage.
774 ABC Melbourne's sports coverage includes the Coodabeen Champions who are a comedy-music group (led by Greg Champion) that usually appear on the morning of most cricket and AFL matches. They also cover a wide variety of sporting events, including taking BBC's Test Match Special, the Australian Open, and international and domestic cricket.
[edit] Talk Radio
In terms of current affairs radio, the most notable locally-produced stations are ABC Local Radio (774 ABC Melbourne, formerly 3LO) and usual ratings winner 693 3AW, both featuring extensive local news coverage and talkback. SEN 1116 is also a talk station focused on sports.
[edit] Community Radio/niche stations
Australia's most successful community radio station, 3RRR, is a Melbourne institution. SYN FM, at 90.7 FM, another community station, is staffed and presented entirely by youth up to age 26. Other community stations in Melbourne include 3PBS, which plays mostly specialist music programming, and 3CR, an AM radio station run by a broad coalition of left-wing activists. Melbourne is also home to Australia's first and only gay and lesbian community radio station, Joy Melbourne 94.9 FM. In addition to the major players in Melbourne, there are many smaller radio stations catering to particular community interests. 3CR caters to a diverse range of community groups and community languages, 3XY 1422AM provides Greek language programming, 1593AM (Rete Italia) presents 24 hr/day Italian, 3CW 1341AM Chinese, and Pacific Islanders are now catered to on 3XX 1611AM which is better known for its 80s and 90s music during the day, and 3KND presents indigenous community programming. The FM band also features smaller suburban stations, and low powered services in various suburbs featuring programming ranging from dance music to English radio, Arabic programming and more. Light FM on 89.9 FM is Melbourne's community Christian station with the slogan of "Good friends, great music and a message of hope".
[edit] Commercial music radio
For years, Triple J, the ABC's national youth broadcaster, has been extremely popular with Melbourne's youth, featuring mostly alternative or experimental music, and local talent, though in the late 1990s, the distinctions between it and commercial radio (especially stations with a more 'alternative popular' image like Nova 100) have become somewhat blurred. Nova100 and Vega915 are owned by DMG. Vega is Melbourne's newest commercial radio station. Vega after the first radio ratings survery while being on-air performed extremely badly compared to sister station Nova 100's Number 1 debut in Melbourne. Triple M and Fox FM are both owned by the Austereo Network in Australia and consistently rate highly in the city's radio ratings surveys. Fox FM are a 'top 40' style station, much the same as its main rivals Nova 100 and Mix FM.
See also: List of Australian radio stations.
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