i98FM - WIN Corporation Pty Ltd

What i98FM - WIN Corporation Pty Ltd does

i98FM is a regional commercial radio station broadcasting on the 98.1 FM frequency to the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, operating from Mt St Thomas, Wollongong as WIN Radio Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of diversified media group WIN Corporation Pty Ltd. The station produces a full daypart schedule including Christian & Bella for Breakfast (6-9am), Nath for Workdays (9am-3pm), Maje for Drive (2-7pm), and Ned & Josh at Night (7-9pm), complemented by The Dragons Den podcast for the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Street Fleet community outreach team. According to the Xtra Insights Wollongong Survey #1 (September 8 - October 4, 2025), i98FM holds 25.6% market share and 106,800 cumulative audience, leading second-place Wave FM by 4.1 points and retaining number one position for over two decades.

The underlying technology stack is traditional FM broadcast with a digital extension layer: live audio streaming via the i98fm.com.au website, native iOS and Android applications, social media presence on TikTok and Instagram, and podcast distribution through Apple Podcasts. The station relies on a roughly 30-person team for content production, advertising sales, and community activations. No APIs, SDKs, MCPs, or proprietary AI/ML systems are documented.

i98FM's business model is single-stream and advertising-led. Revenue is generated by selling on-air advertising spots and competition sponsorships to local small and medium businesses in the Illawarra region, with pricing handled through direct sales via Account Managers on a quote-based basis rather than published rates. Notable advertisers include Charlie's Liquor Barn, Wollongong Golf Club, Shellharbour GWM, Mortgage Rate Finder, and Industrial Distributors. Sponsorship-linked competitions (Mystery Word with over $30,000 in prizes, Footy Tipping, Birthday Wheel, The Riddler, School Takeover) and community event presenting (Legacy Lunch, Talk2Me Bro Gala, Sounds of Rock) function as both engagement mechanisms and additional advertiser inventory. The station also holds rights-related partnerships with St George Illawarra Dragons, Illawarra Hawks, and Wollongong Wolves, reinforcing its positioning as the primary local media outlet in the region.

Name

i98FM - WIN Corporation Pty Ltd

Legal name

WIN Radio Pty Ltd

Website

https://i98fm.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

i98FM is a commercial radio station broadcasting on 98.1 FM across the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, serving 106,800 cumulative listeners with local news, sport, entertainment, and SMB-targeted advertising. It operates as WIN Radio Pty Ltd under WIN Corporation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

Keywords

• Commercial radio broadcasting
• Regional radio station
• Radio advertising services
• On-air competitions
• Community radio events

Headquarters

HQ city

Wollongong

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: i98FM generates primary revenue from local businesses and organizations advertising on the station. The station offers tailored advertising campaigns managed by experienced Account Managers targeting the Illawarra market of 106,800 cumulative listeners.
2. Sponsorships and Competitions: Revenue generated through sponsored competitions and segments, such as Charlie's Liquor Barn sponsoring the Big Bad Birthday Wheel and The Riddler competition, and Wollongong Golf Club sponsoring the Mystery Word competition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

i98FM is a regional commercial FM radio station broadcasting on 98.1 FM across the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The station delivers local news, weather, sport, entertainment, music, and listener competitions through daily shows (Breakfast, Workdays, Drive, Night). It also operates a podcast, mobile applications, community events, and sells advertising campaigns to local businesses through dedicated account managers.

Product overview

i98FM is a regional commercial radio station operated by WIN Corporation Pty Ltd serving the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The core offering is broadcast radio programming featuring live shows throughout the day: Christian and Bella for Breakfast (6am-9am weekdays), Nath for Workdays (9am-3pm weekdays), Maje for Drive (2pm-7pm weekdays), and Ned and Josh at Night (7pm-9pm weekdays). The station also produces The Dragons Den podcast for the St George Illawarra Dragons. Beyond core broadcasting, i98FM offers interactive listener competitions (Mystery Word, Footy Tipping, The Riddler, Birthday Wheel, School Takeover, Tell a Mate), a mobile application for iOS and Android, community events promotion, and advertising services for local businesses. The Street Fleet team provides on-the-ground community presence at local events and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• i98FM Radio Broadcast Regional commercial radio station broadcasting across the Illawarra region on 98.1 FM, featuring news, entertainment, music, competitions, and community engagement for local residents.
• Christian and Bella for Breakfast Morning radio show hosted by Christian McEwan and Bella Leone airing weekdays from 6am to 9am, delivering local and world news, entertainment, competitions, and listener engagement.
• Nath for Workdays Daytime radio show hosted by Nath airing weekdays from 9am to 3pm, providing good vibes and great music for office, worksite, or work-from-home listeners.
• Maje for Drive Drive-time radio show hosted by Maje Saba airing weekdays from 2pm to 7pm, entertaining and informing listeners on their commute home.
• Ned and Josh at Night Evening radio show hosted by Ned and Josh airing weekdays from 7pm to 9pm, featuring laughs, relatable stories, and banter as listeners wind down their day.
• Street Fleet Community Engagement Community engagement and promotional team that attends local businesses and events with branded vehicles, merchandise, games, and giveaways throughout the Illawarra region.
• i98FM Mobile Application Mobile app available for iOS and Android devices enabling listeners to access the radio station, latest shows, competitions, and community events.
• i98FM Advertising Services Advertising solutions for businesses to reach the Illawarra audience through radio spots, with experienced account managers tailoring campaigns for new and existing businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25.6% market share in Illawarra radio market, leading second-place Wave FM by 4.1 percentage points
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St George Illawarra DragonscoreGTM or Marketing Partneri98FM is the official radio partner of the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL team. The station hosts 'The Dragons Den' podcast featuring team players, coaching staff, and old boys. Christian McEwan hosts the official podcast and promotes the team on-air.
• Illawarra HawkscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with the Illawarra Hawks NBL basketball team for community engagement and promotion of basketball in the region.
• Wollongong WolvesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Wollongong Wolves football club for community and sporting event promotion.
• Wollongong Touch Football AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership supporting touch football competitions and events in the Wollongong region.
• Keira CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Keira Collective, a local business/organization collective in the Keira region.
• Merrigong Theatre CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting Merrigong Theatre Company's Season 2026 performances and events at the Illawarra's theatre.
• Kembla Grange RacecourseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership promoting horse racing events at Kembla Grange Racecourse.
• Towradgi Beach HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresents the Beer Food & Wine Festival at Towradgi Beach Hotel.
• Legacy Lunch 2026minorGTM or Marketing Partneri98FM presents Legacy Lunch 2026, supporting the Legacy charity for veterans' families.
• Talk2Me Bro Gala Dinner 2026minorGTM or Marketing Partneri98FM presents the Talk2Me Bro Gala Dinner 2026, a men's health awareness event.
• Ride4Rotary & All Abilities Ride 2026minorGTM or Marketing Partneri98FM supports Ride4Rotary & All Abilities Ride 2026, a community fundraising event.
• Sounds of RockminorGTM or Marketing Partneri98FM Presents Sounds of Rock music event at Bulli.
• Wollongong Golf ClubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWollongong Golf Club sponsors i98FM's Mystery Word competition offering over $30,000 in cash and prizes. Prize winner receives $10,000 for guessing the word correctly.
• Shellharbour GWMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerShellharbour GWM (Great Wall Motor dealership) sponsors the Street Fleet community presence, providing branded vehicles for the i98FM on-ground team.
• Granny Flat SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor of the i98FM Street Fleet community presence.
• Charlie's Liquor BarncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCharlie's Liquor Barn sponsors multiple competitions including the weekly MVP (caller of the week receives $100 voucher), The Riddler Friday competition ($100 prize), and the Big Bad Birthday Wheel. Stores in Warilla, Unanderra, and Albion Park.
• Industrial DistributorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustrial Distributors (unanderra-based industrial supplier) sponsors the School Takeover competition, providing $1,000 for winning schools selected for the Christian and Bella school visit.
• Battery World Fairy MeadowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the i98FM Footy Tipping Competition for 2026.
• Jax Tyres & AutominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the i98FM Footy Tipping Competition for 2026.
• Gateway AutomotiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the i98FM Footy Tipping Competition for 2026.
• Healthier Illawarra MenminorGTM or Marketing Partneri98FM supports Healthier Illawarra Men through the Christmas in July event at The Shellharbour Club, raising funds for the charity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• 2GB Sydney: Sydney-based talk/news radio station with overlapping coverage of the Illawarra region spillover market. Comparable as a major Australian commercial broadcaster whose national brand and talk format compete for regional listener share and ad budgets.
• NOVA Entertainment: Major Australian commercial radio operator (Nova 96.9, smoothfm, FiveAA). Comparable in being a multi-station commercial radio group competing for audience share and advertising revenue, with whom i98FM shares an industry lobby and competitive context.
• Southern Cross Austereo (Hit Network / Triple M): Australia's largest commercial radio network, running the Hit Network and Triple M brands across metro and regional markets. Its scale and cross-market ad products set the competitive baseline against which regional broadcasters like i98FM compete for national brand dollars.
• ARN (Australian Radio Network): One of Australia's largest commercial radio broadcasters, operating national networks (Kiis, Pure Gold, The Edge). It is a broad incumbent whose scale and national ad deals compete indirectly with i98FM for advertiser spend even where it doesn't operate in the Illawarra.

Others

• WIN Television: WIN Corporation's regional television network and i98FM's sister asset. It is a related party rather than a competitor, but it offers a template for cross-platform regional media monetisation that is directly relevant to i98FM's future strategy.

Direct peers

• Triple M Illawarra: Southern Cross Austereo's rock-leaning commercial station covering the Illawarra region. It competes for the same local audience and SMB advertising dollars, particularly in the male 25-54 segment that i98FM also targets.
• Wave FM (Wollongong): i98FM's closest direct competitor, also a commercial FM station serving the Illawarra region. Wave FM holds 21.5% market share per the same Xtra Insights survey, competing head-to-head for the same local audience and SMB advertisers.

Regional players

• ABC Illawarra (ABC Radio): Public broadcaster serving the same Illawarra region with local news, talk and music programming. Not a direct commercial rival but competes for the same listener occasions and constrains i98FM's share of local news/weather audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/i98fm---win-corporation-pty-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about i98FM - WIN Corporation Pty Ltd