Melbourne tuned in for new sports radio station

RADIO in Melbourne is set for a shake-up, with plans for a new sports station to launch on the AM band next month.

Macquarie Media executive chairman Russell Tate at the Talking Lifestyle launch. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

MELBOURNE will get a new national sports radio station on the AM band next month.

The Sunday Herald Sun understands plans are being put in place to rebrand Talking Lifestyle to a sports-only station.

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Talking Lifestyle runs on the 1278 AM frequency in Melbourne and was also broadcast in Sydney and Brisbane.

The new station would be a rival to SEN, which is in the process of being taken over by Craig Hutchison’s Crocmedia.

Macquarie Media, which owns radio powerhouse 3AW, also owns the Talking Lifestyle brand.

Macquarie Media executive chairman Russell Tate emailed all staff late last week to tell them about the change.

“This is to advise that the ‘Talking Lifestyle’ format … on our 1278 AM Melbourne … stations since late February 2017, will be broadcast for the last time on Friday March 30,” the email said.

“It will be replaced by a sports format, networked across the same three stations and featuring presenters drawn from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The new format’s launch will coincide with the Commonwealth Games, which commence on the Gold Coast on April 4.”

Mr Tate thanked “all of the ‘Talking Lifestyle’ team, on-air and off-air” for their professionalism. But it was unclear whether there would be job cuts as part of the change.