Type Radio network Country Australia | Branding Hit Network | |
Slogan Australia's Most Listened To Radio Network Broadcast area Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Adelaide
Perth
Canberra
Newcastle
Hobart
Regional Australia Owner Southern Cross Austereo | ||
The Hit Network is a network of contemporary hit radio stations run by Southern Cross Austereo in Australia.
Contents
History
The Hit Network started in 1980 as the Austereo Network, with Austereo securing the first commercial FM licence in Adelaide in 1980. Double SA FM would be joined by Fox FM in Melbourne in 1986, B105 FM Brisbane in 1988 and 2Day FM in Sydney in 1989. The network also grew through joint-ventures in Canberra with 104.7 and NXFM Newcastle (now fully owned). Austereo expanded into Perth in 1998 when it purchased PMFM now known as Hit92.9, although it wasn't until 2005 that the station exclusively joined the Today Network, after also being affiliated with sister station Triple M for many years and taking programming from both networks.
The network was previously known as Today's Austereo Network and the Today Network.
After Austereo was purchased by Southern Cross Media, it began incorporating its regional CHR network into the Today Network. Only some of its Sea FM stations, including those in Hobart and the Gold Coast, began adopting similar branding to the metropolitan stations.
In December 2014, Southern Cross Austereo announced that, off the back of re-branding SAFM as Hit107, the network would be re-branded as Today's Hit Network. The rebrand took place on Wednesday 14 January 2015 - by mid-2015, the station would drop the Today moniker as the Hit Network.
In December 2015, Southern Cross Austereo and Australian Radio Network announced that FM104.7 will re-brand to Hit104.7 on Monday 18 January 2016.
In February 2016, Southern Cross Austereo forged ahead with rolling out the Hit Network branding to more markets. The launch saw the regional centric Sea FM Hobart brand dropped to be replaced with Hit100.9.
In December 2016, all Star FM & Hot FM stations were re-branded with the Hit branding, however Sea FM on the Gold Coast, Central Coast and Bundaberg retained their Sea FM name but adopted the Hit logo (like Fox FM & 2Day FM).
Network shows
Digital radio
The Hit Network simulcasts each metro station in the network on Digital Radio in their local markets.
Choose The Hits was a station only broadcast on Digital Radio and ran between 1 February 2010 and 24 May 2010.
The Hit Network launched Caravan Radio on 24 May 2010. It is a "pop up" Digital Radio station that plays the best bits from Hamish & Andy's Caravan of Courage journeys while they toured the United Kingdom on their fourth Caravan of Courage.