Smooth 95.3
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Products | Radio broadcasting (easy listening format) |
| Owner | Nova Entertainment |
| Website | www |
Smooth 95.3 (call sign: 2PTV) operates as a commercial radio station situated in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is owned by Nova Entertainment, which also manages its sister station, Nova 96.9. The station broadcasts an easy listening format that encompasses music selections from the late 1950s and early 1960s through to contemporary tracks, appealing to a diverse age demographic.
History
The station commenced operations in 2005 under the name Vega 95.3, initially aiming at baby boomers aged between 40 and 60 years with a combination of talk segments and music spanning the 1960s to the 2000s. In 2006, it transitioned to a purely music-oriented format to broaden its listener base. Its primary competitors within Sydney’s radio market include 101.7 WSFM, KIIS 106.5, and Triple M.
At launch, Vega recorded modest audience figures, obtaining a 1.8% share in its inaugural AC Nielsen ratings survey in 2005. The management team expected gradual growth due to the specific target audience. By mid-2006, changes such as revising the breakfast show lineup and removing talk content were implemented; however, ratings remained low at approximately 1.7%. By the end of that year, Vega improved slightly, reaching a peak share of 2.8%.
In early 2007, Vega expanded its music library to include popular tracks from the 1970s, 1980s, as well as current hits, supported by focused promotional efforts. This approach led to a steady increase in listenership, reaching around a 3% share in early surveys and continuing upward into 2008. During this period, it surpassed Triple M as Sydney’s lowest-rated commercial FM station. By late 2008, Vega’s audience share had grown to 5.7%, placing it fourth among commercial FM stations within key age groups.
On 12 March 2010, after five years under the Vega brand, the station was rebranded as Classic Rock 95.3, adopting a classic rock music format.
The station underwent another relaunch on 21 May 2012 as smoothfm 95.3, with Michael Bublé serving as the first on-air presenter. By August 2015, smoothfm had risen to become Sydney’s leading FM station with an audience share of 8.2%, reflecting considerable success in the market.
Announcers
- More Music Breakfast Show hosted by Bogart Torelli
- Ron Wilson
- Ty Frost
- Simon Diaz
- Byron Webb
- Cameron Daddo
- Melissa Doyle
- Richard Wilkins
- David Campbell