KIIS 106.5
- This article is about the Mix 106.5 radio station in Sydney, Australia. For the similarly-named station in Baltimore, Maryland, see WWMX (FM), for the Mix 106.5 station in Cleveland, Ohio, see WMVX, and for the Mix 106.5 station in San Jose, California, see KEZR.
| Broadcast area | Sydney, Regional NSW, Victoria, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 106.5MHz FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic Hits |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Australian Radio Network |
| History | |
First air date | February 1925 |
Former call signs | 2UW (until April 1994[1]) |
Call sign meaning | 2 = New South Wales W (likely from former callsign 2UW [citation needed]) |
 | This article contains promotional content. (December 2007) |
MIX 106.5 (official callsign 2WFM) is a music radio station based in Sydney, Australia.
The Australian Radio Network is the largest owner of radio stations in Australasia, with investments in 12 radio stations in Australia and over 111 in New Zealand. In Australia, ARN has a dual brand strategy, with a MIX and Classic Hits music stream in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra. ARN is one of the leading broadcasters in the commercially important 25 to 54 demographics in Australia.
The station was formerly known as 2UW, broadcasting on 1107 kHz AM, before converting to FM in 1994. This frequency is now assigned to SBS Radio under the callsign 2EA.
History
The station now known as Mix began life as 2UW, commencing transmission on February 13, 1925 on 1125 kHz on the AM band. On September 1, 1935 the frequency changed to 1110 kHz and in 1978 changed again to 1107 kHz. In the 1970s the 2UW announcers were known as the 11-10 Men possibly a throwback to rival 2SM's popular Good Guys moniker in the 1960s.
2UW was one of two Sydney AM radio stations to be successful in bidding for the right to convert to FM, and on April 30, 1994 commenced transmission on 106.5 MHz on the FM band. The familiar 2UW call sign was now broadcasting as Mix 106.5, adopting its name and logo from the United States. The official callsign became 2WFM though this is not used on-air.
The 1107 kHz frequency is now assigned to SBS Radio
Management
Mix is owned by the Australian Radio Network, which also owns the "Classic Hits" brand. In total ARN owns 12 radio stations in Australia and over 100 in New Zealand.
Mix 106.5's equivalent stations in other Australian cities include New South Wales, 's Mix 101.1 FM, South Australia & Western Australia's MIX 102.3 FM, Brisbane's 97.3 FM and Canberra's Mix 106.3 FM.
Programs
Mix Mornings with Sonia Kruger & Todd McKenney 5:30am - 9:00am
Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney host Mix's Breakfast slot. regular news, traffic and weather updates.
Marnie T, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Begin your workday with a MIX of hits with Marnie T.
Matty White, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
MIX hits throughout the Afternoon with Matty White.
Drive Home with Lars Peterson, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Enjoy the Drive Home with Lars Peterson with a variety of music.
Love Song Dedications with Richard "The Love God" Mercer, 8:00pm - Midnight
Richard "The Love God" Mercer has a mysterious profile and one of the deepest voices on radio. He takes calls and reads mail from listeners wanting to dedicate songs to their spouses, partners, boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes, exes, etc. Love Song Dedications consistently tops its timeslot and has had five volumes of its most dedicated love songs released as CDs. Mercers plays classic artists like The Righteous Brothers as well as modern artists like Katie Melua (one of Mercer's favourite), all having an easy-listening sound.
The Friday and Saturday Night Party Mix with Brad Mac
Every Friday from 4pm - Every Sunday 6am, Brad Mac serves up one of Australia's Record-Breaking Event, the Friday Night Party Mix, designed to celebrate the end of the working week and launch the weekend. The Friday Night Party Mix often broadcasts from outdoor or indoor special events. Numerous times of songs during the week are played via MIX 101.1 and 2WS AM 101.7, businesses/schools/etc are given the opportunity to have Brad Mac broadcast the Friday Night Party Mix "LIVE" MIX 106.5, MIX 101.1 and 2WS AM 101.7's their headquarters, and they play massive hits from Madonna, Michael Jackson, Kylie Minogue, The Bee Gees, Vanessa Amorosi, Cyndi Lauper, The Young Divas and Cher.
Sammy & Subby - Remixed, Sunday 10:00am - Noon
All the best bits from the morning show during the week.
Bedrooms to Boardrooms, Sundays 10pm - Midnight
Psychotherapist Jacquie Furey takes calls from troubled listeners on all areas of life; from problems at work to complex relationship issues. No matter is too confronting for Jacquie, and she treats every caller with genuine sympathy and respect.
Music
Mix's former catchline was "Continuous Smooth Variety". This was recently replaced by "Sydney's Best Mix". Mix generally plays pop music from the last two decades as well as current Adult Contemporary hits. It has an hour of 80's music at 12pm (the 80's Mix).
Artists played most frequently on Mix include Delta Goodrem, Damien Leith, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey, Robbie Williams and Maroon 5.
Other artists which feature prominently include Missy Higgins, Tracey Chapman, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Eurythmics, Nelly Furtado, Rob Thomas, Merril Bainbridge, Whitney Houston, Jewel, Wendy Matthews, Dido, Savage Garden, Natalie Imbruglia, Celine Dion, The Corrs, John Farnham, Vanessa Amorosi, Cyndi Lauper and Cher.
Recently, the station has moved towards soft rock, playing music from Evanescence, matchbox twenty and even Simple Plan.
Schedule
Between 11am and 8pm and Midnight and 5am, Mix's music runs to a strict schedule. The station promises "More than 30 minutes of Sydney's Best Mix" every hour. A typical hour between these times on Mix would look like this:
Up to five past: News and traffic
Five past to around thirty-five past: Music (more than 30 minutes of Sydney's Best Mix, usually 10 songs)
Thirty-five past to around forty-five past: Ads
Forty-five past to around fifty-five past: Music (usually 4 songs)
Fifty-five past to O'Clock: Ads
In all of these hours, music played is a mix from the 80's, 90's and now. However, exceptions to this involve the 80's Mix (12pm-1pm).
All other programs on Mix have no rigid music/ads pattern.
Recently, following moves by its equivalents in Brisbane and Melbourne, Mix 1065 has introduced 106 minutes of "Sydney's Best Mix" from the 80s, 90s and now, beginning at 9am on weekdays.
Mix has also come under criticism for having too many ads. Before the "more than 30 minutes" policy, it used to play half an hour of music, five minutes of ads, twenty minutes of music then five minutes for ads, more music than is currently played.
Competitions
The $50,000 Secret Sound
During early 2006, MIX had run the "$50,000 Secret Sound" competition. Listeners were given five chances every day (6am, 7am, 8am, 10:45am, 4:30pm) to ring up and guess what the secret sound was. Winners received $50,000. Incorrect guesses were available on MIX's website. The competition ran for about 6 rounds with different sounds.
The Perfect Mix
Running several times a year, and promoted heavily, listeners listen for two particular songs played in a row. If they ring up Mix when they hear these songs and are the right number caller, they win a prize. Past prizes have included $10,000, Holidays, or a Mitsubishi car.
The Winning Song, Love Song Dedications
Every night on Mix in Love Song Dedications, two winning songs are played, one around 9pm, the other around 11. If listeners call up and are caller seven, they receive a prize. Usually modest, prizes include copies recent CD releases, "Roses Only" Roses, overnight luxury hotel packages or Concert Tickets.