1 May 2018

Public holiday catches out radio station on pre-recorded traffic reports

| Ian Bushnell
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Traffic

Did Mix FM mix up the traffic updates?

If you tune into Mix 106.3 FM for your peak hour drive to work it may pay to take its traffic reports with a grain of salt.

Tess in Kingston posted this message on Easter Monday after hearing the 106.3 traffic report.

“Easter Monday today, Canberra’s dead, everyone is down the coast or elsewhere. But turn Mix on & their traffic report tells me the GDE is chockers, Horse Park Drive is slow & Parkes Way is building? They’re obviously desperate for Hardley Normal’s advertising revenue, but these 30 min updates are bullsh*t!”

Maybe it was programming stuff-up but it’s not the first time The RiotACT has heard about 106.3’s traffic reports not reflecting the conditions of the day.

Who’s to know on a normal work day when it’s pretty likely that the generic description above is more or less correct about our main arterials?

Unless you are in the middle of it, just passed a bingle that’s closed a lane and it’s pouring rain.

Or as on Monday, it’s a public holiday and the robo-program doesn’t care.

So, is the Mix 106.3 traffic report a community service or an advertising opportunity?

Well it can be both, but if a pre-recorded generic report that covers all possibilities is what we’re getting, then the station’s credibility is on the line.

Maybe nobody takes it seriously and it’s just part of the background noise of our commutes.

But what if someone does heed the advice, changes their route and the journey goes pear-shaped?

Does the Mix bear some responsibility, or sorry the joke’s on you?

And if you want some real traffic advice, check out the Australian Traffic Network (ATN) on 103.9 ABC News Radio every half hour or download the ACT Traffic app.

Canberra FM General Manager Craig Wagstaff said the station’s traffic reports also came from the Australian Traffic Network.

“We also receive a lot of positive feedback on these reports and I can assure you that ATN and our delivery is focused on being as up-to-date and accurate as possible with information taken from a range of sources, as frequently as possible, during peak travelling times of the day,” Mr Wagstaff.

“With respect to the day(s) you mention, I have also received feedback (and seen other reference points from various posts on social media) that there were in fact, considerable traffic hold-ups across some parts of Canberra and surrounds even with it being a public holiday Monday.”

He conceded that on rare occasions there had been technical difficulties and errors where redundant updates had gone to air.

“I can assure you that this is of course, not a common occurrence, and that I am confident in the substance and frequency of our traffic report offering,” Mr Wagstaff said.

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My favourite highlight was driving home from work, every day for at least a month 104.7 mentioned during the traffic update that Townsend Place would be closed from 7pm. That’s the road to John Knight Memorial Park in Belco.

Not entirely sure how the traffic there would impact anyone. It seems they know the regular suspects (Northbourne, Parkway, GDE, etc), but given that traffic in Canberra is really fairly insignificant compared to larger cities, they feel the need to make up additional “road hazards” to pad things out.

Don’t get me started on the accuracy either. The number of times I’ve been on roads which I’ve been told is “a carpark” but freely flowing is ridiculous.

Looking forward to the traffic update that tells me that there are only 50 available parking spaces at the Hyperdome.

Thank the lord for podcasts so I don’t need to listen to radio drivel. Gary? Gareth? SSDGM.

I’ve felt for many months that 104.7 and 106.3 (which are the same station anyway) just make up their traffic reports, which is pathetic. Best solution is to use the app “Waze” on your mobile which will calculate the best route to work or home in real-time. Let’s be thankful we are not having to deal with Sydney traffic! 🙂

Kaylee Wandel8:29 pm 05 Apr 18

There have been many days coming home from work around 2:45pm and hearing that traffic is backed up in both directions along lathlain street in Belconnen… I am often sitting on Lathlain street and there is little to no cars… and feel asif I hear the same report every couple of days.

2CC is also an offender, pre-recording its news bulletins. Quite often I’ve been listening to the “highlights” (cough, cough!) of the Alan Jones show at around 11:20AM and the newsreader’s voice comes in over the top welcoming us to the midday bulletin before the panel operator realises it is going to air and flicks the switch off midway through the first story.

Commercial radio is bad. Who listens to it anyway?

Well yeah don’t need a public holiday to know the traffic reports are nonsense and just useless.

You just need to be on the roads they are talking about so see what they say Vs reality are two different things.

Though just admit I had thought they were doing the ‘reports’ based on what the could see by looking at traffic in google maps not just making it up. Though not surprised to hear.

Same thing on Good Friday. We were driving home from a bushwalk, and heard the mix 106.3 traffic updates a couple of times late in the afternoon. Yep, apparently Constitution Ave was to be avoided, and traffic was bumper to bumper through Phillip. Sure it was…..not. I don’t listen to commercial radio very often, and I suggest it’ll be even less often now!! What a crock!!

Capital Retro5:50 pm 03 Apr 18

They are just building receptivity for us to handle the real traffic congestion that will ensue from the Trolley Folly whenever is gets going.

Lol when will people get over it! It’s being built and it won’t make things worse. Though we could debate how better it will make things. My answer would be not by very much but increase traffic congestion no way. More people living out in the burbs of Gungahlin will do that.

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