Media Man Australia - The Online Home of Greg Tingle

"2GB #1 in the Australian internet space”
by Greg Tingle

The 2GB website is arguably Australia’s most impressive online representation of a news media organisation. Certainly as far as Australian radio station websites are concerned, there is no equal.

2GB’s website combines the right blend of up-to-date news, functionality, interactivity, personality and usability to cater for an audience as diverse as typical Australians, journalists, sports fans, “punters”, technocrats and technophobes.

The bright and vibrant website is an inviting home for Sydney’s number one rating radio station; the flagship of the Macquarie Radio Network.

The website is as functional, as it is informative, with its recognizable logo, and the inviting blend of blue’s and white throughout.

As you enter and explore the multi award winning 2GB site ( www.hitwise.com.au ), you are warmly invited by the profiles of the 2GB announcers. In fact, who could resist the invitation to listen live, via the Real Player technology.

One gets the feeling of becoming part of the winning 2GB team as you scroll through the "personality profiles" of announcers such as Alan Jones, Ray Hadley, Chris Smith, Brian Wilshire, Phillip Clarke, Andrew Moore, the Two Murray’s , Jim Ball and more. Get to read about your favourite broadcasters’ pastimes, watch them via the webcam, and send in an e-mail, thus beating the gatekeeper. The announcers may even mention you whilst on-the air.

2GB sends out e-mail newsletters to their database, with the information they have garnered from this facility.

I can tell you from personal experience that the announcers do respond promptly to their listeners’ correspondence via the website. This important feature further reinforces the bond between callers and announcers.

Visitors can even take a sneak look at the station, by clicking on the webcam option, to see what’s really going on in Studio 1 and Studio 3!

One can also quickly glance at the vital "on-air schedule" to see when their favourite announcers and segments are scheduled. The programming section lists the details of; Breakfast with Alan Jones, the Ray Hadley Morning Show, Afternoons, Drivetime, Sundown Rundown, SportsZone, and a plethora of evening programming. Furthermore, the weekend line-up is listed, including the popular 2GB Travel, Motor Torque and Garden Clinic.

The online programming schedule is further enhanced by dedicated subsites having been established to serve the audience, such as Ray Hadley’s Continuous Call Team www.continuouscall.com and Sandra and Graham Ross’ Garden Clinic located at www.gardenclinic.com.au

A smorgasbord of archived audio news and interviews is also offered in the Audio Library; including Alan Jones’s Daily Comments, and such “treats” as the Jones – Christopher Reeve interview, and Jones’ tribute to well-known broadcaster, Owen Delaney.

The community feeling is further enhanced by the 2GB’s free Community Noticeboard, where website visitors can post information about upcoming community events, in addition to accessing information about such events in their part of Sydney.

The "one on one" experience encourages a feeling of closeness, and strengthens the bond, while enhancing loyalty of the listener. This experience is a public relations dream; and listeners who utilize the service will likely advise others of the positive experience, and encourage those people to tune in to Sydney’s #1 radio station.

The photo gallery provides yet another opportunity for 2GB’s fans to humanize the radio personalities. Even the infamous head shaving for charity event, Bluey Day, was documented, the website ensuring this memorable event will not be soon played down.

2GB makes public its commercial agreements with its advertisers. Additionally, 2GB displays its announcers' "commercial agreements", thereby becoming public information, whilst helping avoid allegations and litigation.

There has long been a hunger by members of the public towards those in the media and entertainment business, and Radio 2GB has clearly capitalized on this hunger for a “brush with fame”, utilizing convergent mediums, via their website, resulting in a truly memorable online interaction.

Overall, 2GB’s website combines the definitive blend of news, information, sports, branding and interactivity for both commercial and public audiences.

2GB; number 1 in Sydney on the air, and on the web!

References
Radio 2GB: Trevor Long

www.2GB.com.au: online information *

www.macquarieradio.com.au
Australian Bureau of Statistics www.abs.gov.au