My review of CityPlus FM Kuching 92.5MHz market and suggestion

CityPlus FM is a Chinese business radio station which operated by Cense Media Sdn Bhd, it is sister radio station of Sabah Kupi-Kupi FM 96.3MHz. CityPlus FM begins on air since May 2017, but for Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan, part of Melaka/Pahang on 106.0MHz from Gunung Telapak Burok. In Kuching, CityPlus FM 92.5MHz went on air on May 2018, a year later than FM 106.0MHz CityPlus FM.

Kuching CityPlus FM 92.5MHz has different content and programmes from Peninsular Malaysia CityPlus FM 106.0MHz. This is because Kuching listeners taste and demand are hugely different from other regions of Malaysia, just like MY FM Sarawak has different contents from Peninsular Malaysia MY FM and Sabah MY FM.

In my opinion, CityPlus FM Kuching 92.5MHz has good direction by launching Kuching studio, but unfortunately the market in Kuching is small for this radio station. Kuching market is smaller than Penang.

For advertising revenue, Kupi-Kupi FM has more advertisers among Cense Media radio stations, which created largest revenue for the company. For City Plus FM, Klang Valley/Seremban 106.0 has better advertising revenue than Kuching 92.5. Maybe Kuching 92.5 is still new, so there is less advertisers.

In terms of radio coverage, CityPlus FM 92.5MHz is transmitted from Bukit Djin, which is far away lower than Gunung Serapi, but other commercial radio stations such as Tea FM, Astro, Media Prima and Bernama are also transmitted from Bukit Djin (also known as Bukit Antu) too. I have no idea why don't many broadcasters choose Gunung Serapi as transmission site for Kuching. Gunung Serapi has wider radio coverage than Bukit Djin for Kuching of Sarawak.

 

Compare with the coverage between Bukit Djin and Gunung Serapi, the population gain of Bukit Djin is smaller than Gunung Serapi. 

In Kuching, Chinese are the second largest ethnic after Sarawak Malay, meanwhile Iban are no.3 largest, then Bidayuh is no.4.

It is common if a radio station has less revenue during first two years from operation day. Imagine if CityPlus FM 92.5MHz has less advertisers after two years from May 2018, CityPlus FM can go for tri-lingual radio station to make its Kuching market wider by launching Iban and Bidayuh segments.

By not affecting current CityPlus FM 92.5MHz Kuching Chinese programme line up, Iban and Bidayuh programmes can be launched on non-peak hours of the radio stations such as weekdays nights (from 8pm till 12am), then weekends morning till noon.

The most challenging thing is to hire presenters who can speak Ibanese and Bidayuh languages fluently.

Mainstream broadcasters (except RTM) so far never makes Sarawak ethnics radio stations, but small broadcast company can make it.

On weekends, CityPlus FM Kuching 92.5MHz plays non-stop Chinese music. To me, 92.5 can feature Iban and Bidayuh programs on weekends, maybe 3 hours per languages. For Iban and Bidayuh languages programs, they're not business talk, but entertainment oriented to provide more localized touch to Kuching market.

In conclusion, I may believe CityPlus FM 92.5MHz Kuching may get better revenue by featuring Iban and Bidayuh languages programs. Mandarin Chinese is still the mass language of CityPlus FM 92.5MHz, meanwhile Iban and Bidayuh can become niche one.

Maybe 60% Chinese, 20% Iban and 20% Bidayuh for programs division.

For those Iban and Bidayuh people who stay outside of CityPlus FM 92.5MHz Kuching coverage, they can listen online or download CityPlus FM mobile app. Besides that, they can download their favorite Ibanese and Bidayuh programmes podcasts. So, CityPlus FM 92.5MHz Kuching can gain revenue again by attracting advertisers to advertise on highest download rate podcast.