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SEN SA

From Alfawiki
1116 SEN
Company typePrivate
IndustryRadio broadcasting
Predecessor3AK
FoundedJanuary 19, 2004; 22 years ago (2004-01-19) in Melbourne, Australia
FounderSports Entertainment Group
Headquarters
South Melbourne
,
Australia
Area served
Victoria, Australia
Key people
Danny Staffieri (Managing Director), Craig Hutchinson (CEO)
ProductsSports radio broadcasting
OwnerSports Entertainment Group
Websitewww.sen.com.au

1116 SEN (call sign 3AK) operates as a sports radio station based in Victoria, Australia. It is owned by the Sports Entertainment Group and broadcasts from studios located in South Melbourne.

History

The station first went on air on 29 November 1931 under the callsign 3AK. By October 2003, struggling with financial difficulties and poor audience numbers, Data & Commerce Limited decided to put the station up for sale. The following month, the company leased the station to the newly established Sports Entertainment Network, which launched SEN 1116—a dedicated 24-hour sports radio outlet headed by managing director Danny Staffieri, previously associated with FIVEaa. Promoted as 'entertaining radio with a sports focus', its goal was to rival the horse racing broadcaster Sport 927.

SEN 1116 officially commenced broadcasting on 19 January 2004. The "Morning Glory" breakfast program featured former AFL stars Garry Lyon, Tim Watson, and Billy Brownless; Kevin Bartlett hosted mornings; Francis Leach took afternoons; while Dermott Brereton and Anthony Hudson presented the drive-time show. The station's listenership grew from a 1.2% share as 3AK to 2.1% under SEN in the initial 2004 survey, eventually reaching 2.8% by the year's fourth survey despite limited coverage of major sporting events. In July, SEN secured rights to broadcast the 2004 Summer Olympics, alongside other stations such as 2GB and FIVEaa, and also covered the 2004 NRL Grand Final and 2004–05 FA Premier League matches.

In December 2004, Sports Entertainment Network expanded into Adelaide by leasing news talk station 5DN from Australian Radio Network to establish SEN 1323. Launched on 1 February 2005 as a simulcast of Melbourne’s SEN with one local segment titled "The Boys Next Door," the Adelaide outlet experienced declining ratings despite airing coverage of the New Zealand cricket tour and the 2005 VFL season. Confronted with $3.5 million in losses, Sports Entertainment Network entered voluntary administration and terminated the SEN 1323 lease. Subsequently, ARN relaunched Cruise 1323 featuring an easy listening format, while the Melbourne station was sold back to Pacific Star Network (formerly Data & Commerce Limited).

2010s

In July 2015, the shared newsroom operation between SEN and sister station 3MP was shut down and replaced by Victorian news content from Macquarie National News at 3AW.

By November 2015, Francis Leach returned to SEN to co-host SEN Breakfast alongside David Schwarz, taking over from The Morning Glory. Co-host Andrew Maher transitioned to afternoons with SEN Lunch Break, while Daniel Harford assumed the drive slot with Mark Allen. Despite losing their regular programs, contributors Andrew Gaze and Tim Watson continued their involvement with the station.

In January 2018, SEN updated its lineup with former ABC commentator Gerard Whateley joining as chief sports caller and presenter for mornings. Following Harford’s exit, Kevin Bartlett moved into the drive-time position. In April that year, parent company Pacific Star Network merged with sports media firm Crocmedia, recognized for producing the AFL Nation broadcast across regional Australia.

By July 2019, SEN and Crocmedia had secured ownership of 23 narrowband radio licences nationwide, extending their presence into major markets such as Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Darwin, and Alice Springs.

Present Announcers


Past Announcers


Sports Programming

SEN holds both exclusive and shared broadcasting rights for a variety of major Australian sports:

Australian Rules Football

Basketball

Cricket

Soccer

Golf

Horse Racing

Rugby League

Rugby Union

Tennis

SEN SA

On 13 October 2018, Pacific Star Network, the parent company of SEN, secured an AM narrowband licence in Adelaide, bringing the SEN brand back to South Australia. The station commenced broadcasting on 1629 AM starting 6 December 2018, featuring local presenters such as Kane Cornes, Andrew Hayes, Kym Dillon, and Michelangelo Rucci. Syndicated programs including Gerard Whateley's morning show and live sports broadcasts originate from Melbourne.

Starting 9 September 2019, SEN SA Breakfast began simulcasting on RadioTAB’s 1539 AM frequency in Adelaide. Later, on 2 December 2019, SEN launched an additional South Australian frequency at 1629 AM targeting Mount Gambier.

SEN Track

SEN Track is a dedicated radio network introduced on 28 March 2020 that focuses on horse racing, thoroughbred racing, and greyhound racing coverage.

1170 SEN

Operating under the callsign 2CH, 1170 SEN is a Sydney-based sports radio station broadcasting on 1170 AM since 22 October 2020. It delivers sports-related content tailored for audiences in New South Wales.

SEN Top End

Commencing broadcasts on 17 October 2021 via 1611 AM Narrowcast, SEN Top End delivers coverage of the Northern Territory Football League as well as horse, thoroughbred, and greyhound racing events.

SEN Hobart

Operating since 7 July 2021 on 1629 AM Narrowcast, SEN Hobart provides both local and national sports content, including Cricket, AFL, and racing. It features live programming originating from Hobart on Friday, Saturday, and Monday mornings.

SEN Gold Coast

Launched on 3 March 2021, SEN Gold Coast transmits on 1620 AM Narrowcast and covers Cricket, AFL, horse and greyhound racing, alongside other prominent national sports.

SEN 1323

SEN 1323 began in Adelaide on 1 February 2005 as a successor to 5DN, primarily simulcasting the 1116 SEN feed with minimal local programming. The station discontinued operations after its parent company entered voluntary administration in June 2005.

SEN+

Debuting on 13 August 2018 as a replacement for Classic Rock Radio (3MP), SEN+ aired live NFL, NBA, A-League, and Super Rugby matches in addition to live and time-shifted content from SEN. It was superseded by SEN Track on 28 March 2020 and later acquired by ACE Radio Broadcasters for relaunching as 3MP.

Notable programs

Former

  • No Man Should Ever Walk Alone, a weekly Monday night program hosted by Danny Frawley that addressed men's health issues including mental health, addiction, and lifestyle topics. Frawley remained host until his passing in 2019.

Podcasts

SEN offers a variety of podcasts such as:

  • Tiger Tragics, concentrating on the Richmond team, hosted by SEN fill-in and weekend presenter Tony Schibeci along with producers Mitchell Scott and Karl Bianco.
  • The Carlton Show, which focuses on Carlton and is co-hosted by Maher.
  • The Geelong Show, dedicated to Geelong, co-hosted by Ben Casanelia from Inside Football, SEN's AFL publication.
  • SEN America, covering major American sports leagues like the NBA.

Controversy

In February 2025, SEN dismissed cricket journalist Peter Lalor due to social media posts concerning the Gaza genocide. CEO Craig Hutchinson commented that the posts "caused Jewish communities in Melbourne to feel unsafe."

External links

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