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SAFM scrapped after 34 years

Oct 13, 2014
A screenshot from a "farewell" video posted by SAFM this morning.

A screenshot from a "farewell" video posted by SAFM this morning.

Radio station SAFM has been scrapped, more than three decades after it pioneered commercial FM radio in Adelaide.

The station’s owners announced today that while SAFM’s life was over, “something new” would replace it on the 107.1 frequency.

SAFM told its Facebook followers this morning that the end was nigh: “Today we say goodbye to SAFM but never fear something new is about to hit Adelaide! Keep your eyes right here as we say farewell to SAFM and get ready to welcome something totally new!!”

The station is part of the Southern Cross Austereo network, which also runs Adelaide station Triple M and other commercial music stations across Australia.

This morning the network wouldn’t provide any more information about the replacement for the station.

The company will reveal its plans for the valuable frequency on Thursday, with the new entity to begin broadcasting next Monday.

SAFM, which was a ratings powerhouse for much of its history, has been struggling in the ratings in recent years.

In the last survey it rated a distant fifth behind Mix102, 891ABC, Nova and FIVEaa – a far cry from the 1980s and 1990s when it appeared unstoppable as Adelaide’s number one station.

SAFM has been positioned as a youth pop station, but today’s announcement suggests that the format is set to change.

The station began broadcasting in 1980, with the call sign 5SSA-FM.

The first track it played to air was ‘Sultans of Swing’ by Dire Straits.

Since then, it has launched or sustained the careers of a vast array of Australian media and comedy talent including Adam Hills, John Vincent, Anthony Lehmann, James Brayshaw, Amanda Blair and David Day, to name a few.

 

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