Wave FM
Wave FM (Wave 96.5) is a regional commercial FM radio station serving the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, operated under Australian Radio Network (ARN) ownership and monetized through local advertising across broadcast, iHeartRadio streaming, social, and event channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWarrawong, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wave FM does
Wave FM (branded on-air as Wave 96.5) is a regional commercial FM radio station licensed to serve the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia — including Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, and surrounding communities — operating on the 96.5 MHz frequency. The station is operated by Wollongong Broadcasters Pty. Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australian Radio Network (ARN), one of Australia's largest commercial radio broadcasters. Programming is locally produced and segmented across breakfast, mid-morning, drive, and evening dayparts, anchored by recognizable on-air personalities.
The core technology stack is conventional broadcast radio: an FM transmitter covering the Illawarra license area, supplemented by digital extensions including the iHeartRadio streaming platform (via ARN integration), the station's owned website, and social channels on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Native product surfaces include a "What's On Illawarra" community events listing and a "Support Local Business" feature that surfaces SME advertisers alongside station content.
Wave FM's revenue model is advertising-led. Monetization spans on-air spot inventory, digital display on the station's owned web properties, sponsored content, and event activations. Commercial go-to-market is dominated by long-tail local SMB advertisers, packaged for larger commitments through the Wave Community Partnerships program, which bundles on-air, online, and event sponsorship slots. With a stated 11–50 employee headcount, Wave FM operates as a single-market regional station within ARN's broader portfolio rather than as a standalone growth-stage entity.
Wave FM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wave FM
- Legal name
- Wollongong Broadcasters Pty. Limited
- Website
- https://wavefm.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wave FM (Wave 96.5) is a regional commercial FM radio station serving the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, operated under Australian Radio Network (ARN) ownership and monetized through local advertising across broadcast, iHeartRadio streaming, social, and event channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wave FM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Radio Networks (National/Regional) (MPABABAA), Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)
Keywords
Where Wave FM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Warrawong
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wave FM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: Wave FM generates revenue primarily through advertising. The station offers various advertising options including radio commercials, online content, and sponsorship opportunities. ARN Advertising Terms and Conditions govern all advertising arrangements for ARN-owned regional stations including Wave FM.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Radio and digital advertising packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Wave FM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wave FM (Wave 96.5) is a regional commercial radio station broadcasting on 96.5 MHz to the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It produces and broadcasts music, local news, weather updates, community event information, and entertainment programming, and extends its reach via digital streaming on the iHeartRadio platform. The station also runs the 'What's On Illawarra' events platform and a community partnerships program supporting local businesses.
Product overview
Wave FM (Wave 96.5) is a regional commercial radio station operated by Wollongong Broadcasters Pty Limited (ARN). The station operates a traditional broadcast radio format combined with digital streaming via iHeartRadio, and offers a portfolio of scheduled radio programs including '22 Songs in a Row with Beau' (weekday mornings), 'Workdays with Deano' (weekday afternoons), 'iHeart Countdown' (Saturday), and 'Lyndal & Crammy's Legends Club'. The station complements its core radio broadcasting with digital content services including local news coverage, the 'What's On Illawarra' events platform, community partnership programs, and competition/prize promotions. The offering combines linear radio with online streaming and community engagement features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wave 96.5 FM Radio Broadcast Regional commercial radio broadcast service delivering music, entertainment, local news, weather, community event listings, and competitions to listeners across the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia.
- Wave FM iHeartRadio Streaming Digital live streaming of Wave FM broadcast content via the iHeartRadio platform, extending listener access beyond the regional FM broadcast footprint to a global online audience.
- Wave FM News Local news content service providing Illawarra regional news coverage, local weather forecasts, and trending stories via the Wave FM website and on-air bulletins.
- What's On Illawarra Community events listing and submission platform promoting local events across the Illawarra region, integrated with the Wave FM website and on-air promotions.
- Wave Community Partnerships Community partnership program that supports Illawarra-based local businesses and organisations through advertising features, on-air promotion, and editorial coverage.
Companies that use Wave FM
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wave FM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Wave FM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Australian Radio Network (ARN)coreWave 96.5 is owned and operated by Australian Radio Network Pty Ltd. ARN is the parent company providing operational infrastructure, advertising sales, programming guidance, and corporate governance for the regional radio station. The station is published by the licensee of Wave 96.5.
- iHeartRadiocoreARN is the exclusive authorised licensee of iHeartRadio in Australia. Wave FM content is available for live streaming via the iHeartRadio platform, extending the station's reach beyond traditional FM broadcast to digital listeners.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Wave FM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- iHeartRadio Australia: ARN's exclusive Australian licensee streaming platform. Comparable as the digital distribution and monetization layer Wave FM relies on for non-terrestrial reach; an enabling technology partner rather than a competing station.
Direct peers
- 2GB (Nine Radio): Sydney-based commercial talk radio station owned by Nine Entertainment. Comparable as a competing Australian commercial radio operator with regional/metro advertising, local news content, and digital streaming distribution.
- KIIS 1065 (ARN Sydney): ARN-owned contemporary hit radio station in Sydney. Direct peer sharing parent network, programming format, advertising infrastructure, and digital streaming via iHeartRadio.
- Hit Network (ARN): ARN's contemporary hit radio network across Australian regional and metro markets. Sibling network to Wave FM with shared parent, shared iHeartRadio streaming, and shared advertiser base.
- Smooth FM (ARN): ARN's easy-listening/adult contemporary radio network across Australian metros. Sibling ARN network with shared parent infrastructure, iHeartRadio streaming, and overlapping SMB/local advertiser mix with Wave FM.
- Gold 104.3 (ARN Melbourne): ARN-owned classic hits commercial radio station in Melbourne. Comparable as a sibling ARN regional/metro station with identical advertising sales infrastructure, iHeartRadio streaming, and local SMB advertiser mix.
- 3AW (Nine Radio Melbourne): Melbourne's leading commercial talk radio station owned by Nine Entertainment. Comparable commercial radio broadcaster with similar local-news + advertising + digital streaming business model competing with ARN stations including Wave FM.
- Triple M (ARN network): ARN's heritage rock/sport/commercial radio network across Australian metros and regions. Directly comparable as a sibling ARN network station competing in the same commercial radio ad market with shared digital streaming distribution.
- Nova 96.9 (Sydney): Sydney contemporary hit radio station operated by NOVA Entertainment. Comparable as a major Australian commercial music radio competitor to Wave FM, targeting similar demographics and competing for the same advertising budgets.
- 97.3 FM (ARN Brisbane): ARN-owned music-focused regional/commercial radio station in Brisbane. Direct peer given shared parent (ARN), shared iHeartRadio streaming integration, and shared local-advertising + hyperlocal newsroom business model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wave FM social profiles
Digital presenceWave FM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wave FM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Wave FM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wave FM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wave FM
What does Wave FM do?
Wave FM (Wave 96.5) is a regional commercial radio station broadcasting on 96.5 MHz to the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It produces and broadcasts music, local news, weather updates, community event information, and entertainment programming, and extends its reach via digital streaming on the iHeartRadio platform. The station also runs the 'What's On Illawarra' events platform and a community partnerships program supporting local businesses.
Is Wave FM a public or private company?
Wave FM is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Wave FM founded?
Wave FM was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wave FM based?
Wave FM is headquartered in Warrawong, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Wave FM make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising.
Who are Wave FM's main competitors?
iHeartRadio Australia is listed as an others. Direct peers are 2GB (Nine Radio), KIIS 1065 (ARN Sydney), Hit Network (ARN), Smooth FM (ARN), Gold 104.3 (ARN Melbourne), 3AW (Nine Radio Melbourne), Triple M (ARN network), Nova 96.9 (Sydney) and 97.3 FM (ARN Brisbane).
Does Wave FM have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wave FM.
What industry is Wave FM in?
Wave FM's product category is Regional Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAA, Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM), with a secondary code of MPABABAA, Commercial Radio Networks (National/Regional). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.