Triple M Does Not Rock
Dr Dan needs to take a long, hard look at himself. Image: Sweded
During the ’90s those bumper stickers were everywhere: “Triple M Rocks”. You could get them made to order so that Triple M would rock your workplace, your suburb, your club or team.
However, Triple M does not rock any more. According to the latest Nielsen ratings survey, its Melbourne and Sydney audiences have hit 4.3 per cent – an all-time low for the network.
In Melbourne, Myf Warhurst and Peter Helliar presided over pitiful breakfast ratings of 3.2 per cent. Sydney’s breakfast team of Ugly Phil O’Neil and Sami Lukis, who were brought in last December, struggled up 1.2 per cent to 3.6 percent. Things are looking shaky for Pete and Myf’s jobs, and Ugly Phil might also get the flick.
It’s a sad state of affairs for a station that once held a huge sway over Australian pop culture and, in its heyday, boasted a larrikinish format of rock, sport and comedy (”no doof-doof, no rap crap”) that is still arguably found nowhere else on the FM dial.
Over its almost 21-year history as Australia’s first commercial radio network (2MMM was founded in 1980, but Triple M was born in November 1988 when the Sydney station took over Melbourne’s 3EON and changed its callsign to 3MMM), it has been so synonymous with rock that a 2008 ad campaign by George Patterson Y&R simply replaced the word with the Triple M logo.
However, 2008 was a dog of a year for the network, which saw itself squeezed on one side by golden-oldies stations and on the other by youth-oriented stations playing pop music. Despite plentiful supplies of Foo Fighters songs, its trademark cock-rock was starting to look as tired as Angus Young’s school uniform. In October, Triple M got a real fright when it was beaten in the ratings by baby-boomer station Vega, the newest player in FM radio.
By the end of the year, Triple M realised it had to change. “In the last ten years people have been exposed to and enjoy more styles of music, so we can’t just get away with rock like we’ve always done,” content director Scott Muller told the Daily Telegraph. It subtly changed its format to “music that rocks”, thus enabling the playlisting of artists including Pink, the Potbelleez and MGMT.
Was this a short-sighted decision? Triple M seems to be suffering from radio’s equivalent of a mid-life crisis. It’s grasping for relevance while losing sight of the joyful and even kind of innocent guitar-worship that made it great in the past. Let’s face it – people want to rock. Kings Of Leon, perhaps the quintessential Triple M band, topped the 2008 triple j Hottest 100. Perhaps Austereo management should bring in Jack Black (or perhaps Bill and Ted) to remind everyone that rock is awesome, and also that no matter how many tartan mini-kilts and shredded fishnets Natalie Bassingthwaighte wears, Rogue Traders are not rock.
“I think they should call it the ‘We Don’t Know What We’re Doing’ format,” says Peter Grace, a former Triple M presenter who no doubt relished the chance to vent to The Age. Grace was sacked in last year’s purges, despite claiming his ’80s music show had steady ratings. “Every time Triple M goes down in the ratings, they respond by lowering the bar,” he says.
In Sydney, Triple M sacked long-time presenter Rob ‘Duck’ Duckworth, whose afternoon show was rating steadily but who “[didn't] suit where we’re going”. And in 2007, angry fans of Get This, Tony Martin’s cult comedy show, picketed the studios when it was axed.
Now the schadenfreude may begin. But it’s sad and frustrating to observe that at this stage, Triple M is unlikely to step aside from the trail of ‘meh’ it has decided to blaze.
I’ll leave you with perhaps the best indication of what’s wrong with Triple M: a compare-and-contrast of two TV ads. The first is the still-epic ’80s ad in which the network mascot, winged, guitar-shredding faun Dr Dan, is forged in a surreal factory inside an exploding radio.
And then there’s the embarrassing Pete and Myf ad for a show that Melbourne definitely does not wake up to.
That comparison is very cruel, Mel.
I have never thought that Triple M was any good. After watching the latest commercial (Myf and Pete) I’m glad I didn’t waste valuable life on a radio station that clearly has no budget to a) create a decent ad, or b) devise a quality programming strategy.
Given the agony EON FM & then Triple M put everyone through in the eighties, broadcasting non-stop crap in the form of Bransey, Farnsey, the Crawl, and The Choir Boys, and ignoring the inner-city pub rock scene which spawned the real classic rock of the era (ever heard of Nick Cave dickheads?), I can only quote the classic eighties comedy “Flying High”, and say that in respect to the (hopefully) imminent demise of the never-great station, “…I say, let ‘em crash”.
To add insult to injury, the musical charlatans at the Haus of M’s realised that there was a buck to be made from dancing on the ashes of the Gen X Jim Morrison (aka Kurt Cobain), and jumped on the grunge-lite bandwagon in the early nineties (if I ever hear Jeremy by Pearl Jam again I’ll be climbing the closest tower with a high powered rifle fitted with a telescopic site to take pot-shots at clean cut passers by), claiming the scruffy inner-city kids to be theirs.
Truth be told, their grunge kids all came from the outer suburbs, and were dressed from the pages of the infamous Target Get into Grunge catalogue, with flannelette shirts & designer ripped jeans, no doubt the products of a bloated, and now threatened music industry, whom were sending A & R tossers in their thousands into the once mean streets of Newtown & Fitzroy to find the next gimmicky punk pop band that fit the image. I wonder if the death of these suburbs to gentrification can also be attributed to them? Gavin Wood has most certainly got blood on his hands.
If Triple M is still persisting with the like of yesterday’s non-hero Ugly Phil, they’ll next be resurrecting the likes of John Peters & Lee Simon, whom will no doubt claim that Come Said the Boy by Mondo Rock, or Change in Mood by Kids in the Kitchen is seminal.
Die Triple M, die.
The problem isn’t that their playing Pink and MGMT now, it’s the complete rubbish they’ve been playing for the last five years that has led them there.
Utter gash like Hinder and Matchbox 20 has polluted their station for years. As much as I hate Nickelback at least that’s the kind of stuff you’d expect to hear from them. Melodic soft rock is fine for somebody but fark me good luck basing a whole playlist around it.
It’s not my cup of tea but if they’re going to get serious they need to bogan up and drag out the Oils/Chisel playlist. There’s still a gap between Gold (too much John Farnham) and Vega (too much modern pop) in the ‘classic rock’ market. I’m not suggesting they should start playing Key Largo by Bertie Higgins or the Pina Colada Song but ffs do something lively. The core artists like U2, Springsteen, Led Zep and the Rolling Stones are a decent base to build on - now find some new and local music that isn’t pissy solo singer-songwriters and man up.
If you’ve got to boost the Australian content and can’t find anything new what about throwing a bit of You Am I in there. If you played Berlin Chair on Triple M five thousand people would ring up and ask where they could buy it in the shops.
Anyone else remember when they had a similar crisis in the late 90’s and came back with a very, VERY shortlived ‘alternative’ playlist. That didn’t help them either.
P.S - Bring back Get This
Wow, that factory ad seriously rocks. I had no idea.
Amen to pretty much everything said so far. They should take it back to some actual proper rock. Crank out some You Am I and Cruel Sea and see where that takes them. It’ll never happen, of course, because of the tools in charge who won’t see it as marketable music or whatever. I say let ‘em crash.
P.S - Bring back Get This.
People, the format of commercial FM radio has fundementally not changed since the first ststion was launched in Sydney in the early 80’s. Amped up, overblown, insincere, often unfunny and always repetitive.
The “new” formats and announcer changes are all just old wine in new bottles, all smoke and mirrors. The fact is that it’s a money making business that plays the lowest common demonator music in order to maximise audience and make money from advertisers and sponsors.
I have worked in the industry myself and its truly amazing how many program directors (or “content directors” as some are now calling themselves) think they are being innovative.
Really want to hear your kind of music? Then log onto internet radio in the USA. Stations like Radio Io, Digitally Imported, Sky FM and SOMA-FM (none of which are “FM” at all) are playing your kind of music. All have multiple genre music channels to choose from and they really do cover everything for their international audiences. There’s no constant interruptions by announcers either, just occasional ID’s.
Some of these online stations play the music for free, others give you the choice of music with commercials for free or an ad-free stream for an annual subscription of no more than $80 Australian. I’ve been a fan for years.
Commercial FM radio? Meh.
I really believe the seeds of Triple M’s demise were planted with their axing of Get This two years ago
They took a show whos ratings punched way above its class, moving Triple M or three or four spots in every major capital city compared to Triple M’s pre and post Get This ratings.
The show did not require a large writing staff, and their listeners voted with their ears, based on the ratings spike, non-listeners came running to them.
Tony Martin was an icon within Austereo. As a key member of the D-Gen, he was instrumental in building Eon-FM in the 1980s. In the 1990’s the Martin Molloy powerhouse dominated Today.
Triple M mentioned at the time they axed get this becasue it didnt attract the usual Triple M listener, and to devote more resources to breakfast shows. Well, the typical Triple M listener no longer exists, and the breakfast shows have been dismal failures.
It is time for Guy Dobson to go, you cant keep executing the on air talent when the problems start at the top
Nellie - Awesome comment! But still I have always been mystified by the appeal of commercial FM. It makes commercial tv look like PBS. It just seems so frightfully.. how does one say.. ‘common’. Also, everytime I jump in a cab I marvel at how little it has changed since I first heard it in the 80’s. That jet sound still pans across the speakers followed by an impossibly low voice drenched in some stereo maximising effect announcing the stations callsign and slogan, back into a panning jet sound and into an AAMI insurance ad, more jet sounds and ads before some abrasive dickhead actually, finally plays a song.
Couldn’t agree more with those who observe that commercial FM radio in Australia has been a timewarp for a quarter of a century. Did they ever stop playing The Choirboys - or Chisel’s Choirgirl for that matter?
Entire eras, genres and sub-genres of music have gone by without it ever being noticed up by the cowboy boats and stonewashed jeans patrol at rock central, MMM.
Of course, they would argue that it’s not about music. It’s about delivering audiences to advertisers. But this was the most inert, brain dead programming strategy. And now they are wearing the results. No audience. No advertisers.
I’m 50 and long ago gave up on commercial radio. I keep up with music by listening to NPR podcasts like All Songs Considered. You can hear in one program interesting new music by the likes of Wilco, the Decemberists, Midlake, Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power. But the MMM generations will never know.
Being in my late 30’s I have listened to EON/MMM for years, Gracie’s comments (the first annoucer on FM ) are so right on so many levels. Some of the decisions MMM management have made are shocking to say the least (Pete & Myf, Will & Lehmo)…it seems they are catering to the Jules Lund demographic. (Didn’t he win a radio contest on FOX)
They have had some great annoucers with loyal followers who have moved on (Richard Stubbs, D-Gen) or have been sacked or discontinued (Spoonman, The 80’s Guys, Get This, Nightmoves etc….)
One positive that wth the latest results is turning into a negative is the football coverage….I’m not a traditional Melbourne male but I love listening to the footy banter between The Chief, Quartets, JB etc….also miss the Friday night sports hour with JB & Sam.
MMM have heaps of rock to choose from over the years without reverting to Nickleback every hour.
Triple M management continue to sack talented radio people but keep the same sad management. Funny creative people are hired slogg their gutts out on the air everyday, in the back ground program directors how have no ability or talent verbally abuse their staff until they are a crumbeling mess. If the ratings don’t arrive straight away they sack them. One programer in the north brought about the demise of Austereo’s most consistant and oldest breakfast show. the created a new show that didn’t rate so was promoted , not sacked and moved to Triple M and took the number 1 station to number 7 . Yet these people never get fired , They sack the creatives and leave the untalented bullies in charge. The culture and programing has to change before radio ever will. It’s a shame because Australian radio used to be the World leader.
Now we have 6 stations in each city playing the same music and tell us they are “different” . Radio is not about entertainment anymore , its all about advertising money .
So kids if you want a career in radio , become a program director , no matter how bad you are you’ll never get sacked .
I agree with Matt that their only shining light is the footy coverage
The problem with Triple M was that it had a very retarded idea of what “rock” is. Nothing punky like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols. And their idea of metal is Bon Jovi - not Motorhead or early (pre-Black album) Metallica. And what about good ol’ fashioned Australian rock band like Radio Birdman? Never hear them.
Stuff Triple M.
I haven’t regularly listened to MMM for decade or so, (JJJ & FBI for music anyway). As a dedicated MMM fan in 80s, I went to their great 1st birthday party, enjoyed DougM, & loved that they used to play entire albums & lots of ‘B’side tracks. Why does all comm radio have such short repetitive playlists?
People listen for the music there is a gap on the dial for a real wide mix of rock - known & obscure particularly OZ music.
vale MMM
2MMM need to incorporate more AOR into their day. Listen to WBCN in Boston http://www.wbcn.com and see how they are doing it. One of the best rock stations online. Their night show is awesome. I heard tracks on there that weren’t hits from u2’s joshua tree album and Tool’s Schism album. Also a “non-hit” track from Pearl Jam’s Ten album. Brilliant station.
More Album Orientated Rock on MMM will make a difference I reckon. They have to throw what they think they know out the window.
I only listened to Triple M for Tony Martin - when he left so did I, but I will still happily listen to any of the 200 odd bootlegs of get this I have before I listen to anything on the FM dial…
Shaun Micaleff, Tony Wilson, Peter Grace, Spoonman, Marty Sheargold etc etc etc, seems if you’re any good you should try your luck elsewhere.
Triple M treated its talent and listeners with contempt and I have nothing but joy watching them capitulate into ruins.
PS Bring Back Get This
No wonder Marsland killed himself.
Well, it’s happened – Pete and Myf have been fired.
I feel kinda sorry for Myf, considering that she jumped ship from triple j, where she was immensely popular and they begged her to stay. Of course, she was way too old for triple j, but not actually being yoofful hasn’t impeded its current, thirtysomething, breakfast team.
Poor taste Mel. Very poor taste. I’m hoping someone is cruelly using your name to post that comment. Otherwise you just severely pissed off a lot of people.
Really? A lot of people? How did I manage that?
How did you manage that? By making an insensitive comment about someone’s death on a public internet forum. Hopefully you’ll come to your senses and apologise or perhaps somebody is pretending to be you ,which is in and of itself a terrible thing. The idea that someone would come on a website and use your name to make a bad joke about the death of a much loved person in the comedy industry, which resulted in everyone who has ever told a joke being angry at you is pretty low but then again so is the comment.
James, I think you have your wires crossed. Perhaps our comments layout is a tad confusing, but have another look and you’ll see that someone called “Tim” made the comment you’re referring to. You’d better demand an apology off him.
I certainly do and I apologise completely. While it is obvious when you examine it carefully it is a convention that when you read something and then it has someone’s name underneath it directly you. do come to the conclusion that they wrote it. Obviously the incorrect conclusion. I thought it unlikely that you would write something like that which is why I assumed it was posted by someone else. I think you need to consider reformatting to protect yourself from reactionary stupidity.