2Day FM Puts Its Chips On New Music

Sydney’s embattled 2Day FM has today revealed a format shift that will have the music industry cheering, moving from a safer adult format, to the elusive younger audience – and they’re betting on new Australian music to bring them in. 

According to the press release, the music mix will “feature a dynamic mix across the day from artists like Troye Sivan, Doechii, The Kid LAROI, SZA, Kita Alexander, Kendrick Lamar, Dom Dolla, Sabrina Carpenter, Young Franco, Drake, Billie Eilish, Tobiahs, and CYRIL.”

Speaking to The Music, The Hit Network’s Senior Music Director Kiri Martin said the new focus on “hits before they hit” was unlike anything the Sydney market has seen from commercial radio in decades. Or according to the billboards, they’re going to be ‘2Day AF’.

“We are a new music station in Sydney, so we are playing the hits before they hit. Giving all the big domestic and international artists a platform to break and playing new Australian artists on commercial radio in peak times: breakfast, workday, drive. Sydney was screaming out for something new and something fresh. And we believe we are going to deliver that.” 

2Day FM has had somewhat of an identity crisis since losing Kyle and Jackie O from breakfast to rival Kiis a decade ago, shifting demographic targets and breakfast shows with alarming regularity, before landing this year on former nights presenters Jimmy and Nath who have teamed up with R&B Fridays presenter Emma Chow to create a trio that 2Day FM is banking on to revive its fortunes.

With traditional thinking saying that young people are deserting radio, the latest 2Day FM experiment is also a lifeline for a music industry that had all-but given up on commercial radio as a new music-breaking sector. 

“I feel like a lot of radio is playing it safe right now and there's a point of difference in Sydney with us coming in with a new music strategy and targeting that younger demo,” explained Martin. “I believe no other commercial radio station in Sydney is doing what we are doing, and it's giving our domestic artists a platform where we can support and showcase artists by giving them a space that can support their careers.”

The station will sit in a musical space somewhere between triple j and CADA on the left and Kiis and Nova on the right, aiming at building a large younger audience that can engage around music.

Martin said the new station would aim to exceed its mandated target of 25%, not just in off peak listening times, but supporting new Australian artists in key listening hours. The station was previously questionably self-categorised as “easy listening”, giving them a quota of 10% and in 2023/24, reported 16.54% Australian music between 6 am and midnight. If the new quota is indeed exceeded across key day parts, this could mean a near doubling of the Australian music heard across the station.

Just days after The Music revealed triple j’s rotation changes to give more airings of its most-spun tracks, it seems that radio is stepping up to the plate to contribute to the current efforts to turn around our domestic invisibility problem in music charts.

When asked about commercial radio reclaiming their role in breaking new music, Martin emphatically agreed that they needed to play their part. 

“Oh, it's so important. I mean, if we're not bringing through the next superstars, where to next? We're looking for that next Tones And I, that next Amy Shark. DSPs play their role. Radio plays their role. We take risks. We go with gut feel on sound. It's super important to bring through those next superstars to keep the game alive.”

At an event in Sydney last night, Hit Network Content Director Dave Cameron introduced Aussie artist Kita Alexander, excitedly proclaiming: "We need more of Kita on more of our stations. From tomorrow, you will be on high rotation on 2Day FM. We look forward to hearing even more of your amazing songs."

When quizzed on what other Australian artists we’ll hear on 2Day FM from today that are exciting her the most, Martin said:

“Oliver Cronin is a big one for me. Love the guy. Love his music. Great performer. Mia Wray is another one on the radar. We’ve already had a chat with her as well. Great voice and great music. I'm really excited about supporting Boy Soda as well. Sydney guy, perfect sound for where the new 2Day sits. Tobiahs, another Aussie DJ also doing big things. I'm super passionate about bringing through those next bunch of superstars. If we're not giving these artists a platform to showcase on, then where are we getting the next generation from?”

The Hit Network’s advantage with format experimentation stems from the fact that it is one of the few left that is only selectively networking its music logs. While its Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide stations are sharing playlists, it retains the flexibility for its Perth and now Sydney stations to break from the pack where the market provides opportunities. 

“We found a hole in the market, so we're going to go for it,” explained Martin. “I've gone through many format changes here, but this is the dream gig. You know, this is the most exciting time to be programming a radio station.”

When asked about whether the station could focus on the culture of music the way other stations focused on football, Martin said that the station was ‘all about the music’ and would focus on interviews and in-person events connecting their audience with the artists they play. She said the key was the station’s passionate music-loving staff and announcers.

“We have Nic Kelly, who hosts the Hot Hits. We've got Seany B, who's the workday announcer. They're very talented presenters, but they've also got fingers on the pulse in the current music scene. And that’s super important.

“We love going to live music [events], whether it’s the showcases or the big concerts. We get to enjoy the music, but we're also there doing our job and searching for those next up and coming artists who now have a greater opportunity to be promoted on commercial radio in peak listening time.”

Martin believes the relationship between the music industry and radio remains strong, but that the new format will give even more opportunities for the two industries to collaborate to break new artists. 

For those that have been around the block a few times, the new 2Day format has all the hallmarks of Nova’s hot CHR entry into the market back in 2001. The format was launched into a stale radio market that was ready for something fresh, and while 2Day won’t be expecting the kind of immediate success Nova saw in those early days, they are quietly confident that their latest pivot will show results. 

When The Music cheekily asked whether they had considered using Nova’s original ‘Sounds Different’ tag line, Martin smiled down the phone line. 

“Hey, a lot of names were thrown up in the air, but we thought “2Day AF” had a better ring to it.