In June 2021, Ripple (Media Prima Radio Networks) gets all new management team. Mr Nazri Noran is new Ripple CEO, meanwhile Datuk Jake Abdullah is consultant of Ripple. The new management team members are mostly former Astro Radio talents.
Recently many existing DJs within Ripple radio networks such as Fly FM, Hot FM, One FM and Kool FM resigned and some of their employment contracts are not renewed, this indicates Ripple is performing a full overhaul of its radio stations to keep the company growing and deliver relevant as well as fresh content to the listeners.
Kool FM, the 4th radio station from Ripple. Pi Mai FM 90.2MHz and Ultra FM 101.3MHz were acquired by Media Prima, and both were rebranded as Kool FM, launched in March 2016. Kool FM was Malay language Gen X radio station, playing songs from 1980s till today, its rival station is Sinar FM. On January 2020, Kool FM rebranded to talk radio station with the tagline "Suara Semasa" (Current Voices), while radio announcers were retained as well as it plays 1980s, 90s, 2000s and current songs.
Talk about coverage availability of Kool FM on radio, unlike Hot FM, One FM and Fly FM, Kool FM has less frequencies because many regions have no available frequencies. Hence, MCMC does not accept frequency application due to spectrum traffic is full.
Kool FM initially starts with FM 101.3MHz Kuala Lumpur (Bukit Sungai Besi) and FM 90.2MHz Penang (Bukit Penara) on its first day on air, later it expanded to Kuala Terengganu on FM 93.6MHz (Bukit Besar) in July 2016, Kota Bharu on FM 88.6MHz (Peringat) in October 2016, Alor Setar on FM 107.3MHz (Menara Alor Setar) and latest Kuching on FM 104.3MHz (Bukit Djin) in 2017.
Until today, Kool FM is not available of its frequencies in:
1. Ipoh (Gunung Kledang)
2. Seremban (Gunung Telapak Burok/Bukit Gun)
3. Johor Bahru (Gunung Pulai)
4. Melaka (Gunung Ledang)
5. Kuantan (Bukit Pelindung)
6. Kota Kinabalu (Bukit Karatong)
Taiping (Bukit Larut) is less important as the town can receive Kool FM on 90.2MHz from Bukit Penara, Penang.
By performing basic FM bandscan with radio receiver to check vacant frequency, there are unavailable frequencies in Seremban, Melaka, and Johor, so I don't even think Kool FM will get frequencies in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia. Under this situation, Kool FM can only expand coverage to Kuantan, and Kota Kinabalu, meanwhile Ipoh is not really available.
In addition, Kool FM Klang Valley frequency 101.3MHz coverage is not fully covering whole Selangor state because it is transmitted from Bukit Sungai Besi. To cover more areas, Kool FM 101.3MHz should be transmitted from Gunung Ulu Kali.
However, this won't really affect listeners to tune to Kool FM because Kool FM can be tuned on digital platform alternatively such as Kool FM mobile app, YouTube LIVE streaming, and MYTV myFreeview. When it comes digital listening platform, I would choose YouTube LIVE streaming to listen to Kool FM because YouTube is very straightforward and easy to me.
Talk back of its frequencies coverage expansion, it is difficult to get frequencies in Ipoh, Seremban, Melaka and Johor due to spectrum is fully occupied. Look at its sister radio station, One FM, frequency coverage expansion in Johor Bahru is basically transmitted from Gunung Pulai, but due to unavailable frequencies, Media Prima already spent two years to get One FM Johor Bahru frequency, so One FM finally got its Johor Bahru frequency FM 105.3MHz, however transmitter site is located in Johor Bahru City (Taman Sentosa) and operating at low power transmission instead.
Future of Kool FM is my question actually.
Will Kool FM merged into Hot FM, then Hot FM becomes unformatted Malay language radio stations to target Gen X, Y and Z Malay listeners, also classify as "mass scale radio station"?
Currently Ripple performs transformation on One FM, Kool FM, Fly FM and Hot FM, I'm thinking if Kool FM will remain same branding or dissolve, or even rebrand to another format radio station?
As Kool FM can't expand coverage under FM radio in West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia due to unavailable frequencies spectrum,
1. If Kool FM closes down existing West Coast frequencies (107.3MHz Alor Setar, 90.2MHz Penang and 101.3MHz Klang Valley), the frequencies would be returned to MCMC. However, if Kool FM retains its existing East Coast frequencies (93.6MHz Kuala Terengganu and 88.6MHz Kota Bharu), then adds Kuantan frequencies, Kool FM will become Malay language East Coast radio station. This can compete with THR Gegar and Manis FM in east coast region.
If 107.3MHz Alor Setar, 90.2MHz Penang and 101.3MHz Klang Valley are closed and returned to MCMC, MCMC can make open tender to new broadcasters on those defunct frequencies.
2. If Kool FM dissolves, existing west coast frequencies are closed down and east coast frequencies becomes Malay East Coast radio station to compete with Gegar and Manis FM, then its Kuching frequency 104.3MHz becomes Fly FM. Hence, with adding Kota Kinabalu frequency, Fly FM already enters East Malaysia region at the first time and ends monopoly of Hitz, Mix and Lite from Astro Radio in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
3. If while Kool FM rebrands its existing Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu frequencies to Malay East Coast radio station, then West Coast existing frequencies become Tamil radio station to compete with Raaga, I don't think it would happen because Ripple can't expand further coverage in West Coast Peninsular region (Ipoh, Seremban, Melaka, Johor) for Tamil radio stations due to unavailability frequencies.
If Kool FM is still alive, and its frequencies lineup still exists, Ripple has to continue concentrating digital platform in order to keep the radio station in relevant condition.
While the transformation is on going, we have to just wait and see about Ripple's new plan and direction in near future after the overhaul is done.
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