Hot FM: I'm the Malaysia's No.1 Malay language radio station.
Era: No, you're not. I'm the only real Malaysia's No.1 Malay language radio station!!!
(Listeners: STOP QUARRELING EACH OTHER)
Era and Hot FM are fighting each other to claim who is the No.1 Malay language radio station in Malaysia, many people are confusing who is the no.1 radio station in Malaysia.
We know that Era and Hot FM are the traditional competitors of Malay language radio stations. Era is a Malay hot contemporary radio station by Astro Radio, meanwhile Hot FM is Media Prima Audio's Malay language hot contemporary radio station. Both radio stations are competing each other since 2006 until today.
Hot FM claims as No.1 Malay radio station, then Era also claims as No.1 Malay radio station, but both radio stations are using different radio listenership survey method.
The radio listenership survey of Hot FM is conducted by Niesen Consumer & Media View (CMV) which counts the listeners rating for 12 months, instead of 6 weeks in random condition, meanwhile Era appoints GFK as the radio listenership survey company to count its rating, meanwhile GFK conducts radio listenership survey twice annually, each survey counts how many listeners tune a radio in 6 weeks randomly.
Both companies conduct the radio listenership survey in Peninsular Malaysia only through frequency transmission platform, excluding digital tuning, and also the listeners from Borneo and neighboring countries.
Since both radio stations are using different survey methods to claim who is the no.1 radio station in Malaysia, causing more confusion to the public, by not involving radio listenership survey, between Era and Hot FM, who is the real no.1?
Category 1: By comparing the frequency coverage between Hot FM and Era in Peninsular Malaysia
* While both radio stations have the tuning frequencies in the main major towns and cities, Era has two more additional frequencies in Langkawi (90.7MHz) and Tapah (102.0MHz) where Hot FM has no local transmitters there.
* Hot FM in Tapah is tuned weakly on 104.5 and 97.6, meanwhile Langkawi on 88.2MHz with weak signal.
* Result: Era wins.
* Note: Era in Tapah on FM 102.0MHz was formerly carried by Time Highway Radio (THR FM) from 1995 to 2008.
Category 2: By including Borneo listenership ratings in the survey (Sabah and Sarawak)
* Although Hot FM and Era have tuning frequencies in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, but Era has more coverage than Hot FM in Sabah and Sarawak by having additional frequencies in Sibu, Miri and Sandakan.
* In Sarawak, Hot FM is only available in Kuching (94.3), meanwhile Era can be tuned in Kuching (96.1), Sibu (96.3) and Miri (101.3). Moreover, Era's Miri frequency 101.3 is still available in part of Brunei.
* In Sabah, Hot FM is only available in Kota Kinabalu (87.7), meanwhile Era has frequencies in Kota Kinabalu (102.4) and Sandakan (103.0).
* Result: Hot FM wins over Era in Kuching, Sarawak, but Era wins in Sabah and Sarawak due to additional frequencies in Miri, Sibu, and Sandakan.
* Note: Hot FM 94.3MHz from Gunung Serapi was launched as Wow FM since 1998 before switching to Hot FM in 2006.
Category 3: By comparing coverage in Singapore and Batam Indonesia
* Hot FM (90.1) and Era (104.5) have tuning frequencies in Johor Bahru, Johor, both are transmitted from Gunung Pulai.
* The radio reception of Hot FM 90.1MHz in Singapore and Batam Indonesia is better than Era FM 104.5MHz. For Era, 104.5 has strong interference from Batam radio stations (Seila FM 104.3 and Big FM 104.7) in Singapore and Batam.
* Result: Hot FM wins in Singapore and Batam.
Category 4: By comparing the overall coverage in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, but excluding neighboring countries
* Era has more coverage than Hot FM due to additional frequencies in Miri, Sandakan, Sibu, Tapah and Langkawi.
* Result: Era wins
Category 5: By comparing the coverage in Kuching, Sarawak
* Era and Hot FM are using different transmitter sites in Kuching, Sarawak.
* Era on FM 96.1MHz is transmitted from Bukit Djin, meanwhile Hot FM 94.3MHz is transmitted from Gunung Serapi.
*
In terms of coverage, Hot FM 94.3MHz dominates more coverage than Era
FM 96.1MHz. Outside Kuching, Hot FM 94.3MHz can be tuned in Sematan,
Lundu, Serian, Simanggang and Sarikei where Era FM 96.1MHz has no signal
there. Besides that, Hot FM 94.3MHz is still available in several
locations of West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia.
* Result: Hot FM wins.
Category 6: By comparing coverage in Southern Thailand
* Hot FM can be tuned on 88.2MHz in part of Songkhla, meanwhile 88.6MHz is available in Sungai Golok, Sungai Padi and Tak Bai
* Era can be tuned on 103.6MHz in part of Songkhla, meanwhile 103.3MHz is available in Sungai Golok, Sungai Padi and Tak Bai. In addition, its Langkawi frequency 90.7MHz is available in Satun, and part of Trang.
* Both Era and Hot FM are available in Betong, Thailand weakly via 103.6 and 88.2 respectively.
* Result: Era wins.
In conclusion, by combining 6 different categories in terms of coverage, Era is the real no.1 Malay language radio station in Malaysia with the score 4-2. If I compare with RTM Nasional FM in terms of coverage, both radio stations don't win the game.
However, Era and Hot FM are not comparable in Borneo region because Era in Sabah and Sarawak are different from Peninsular Malaysia's feed by localizing the content. Hot FM has no localized branch like Era in Sabah and Sarawak.
The actual radio listenership survey is not fully judged for the coverage of the radio stations, but the listeners themselves. The radio listener ratings are subject to the listeners' taste and the quality of the content.
(DISCLAIMER) As an independent writer, I'm not biased towards either one of the radio station in this article.
