This Thursday March 19, GfK Radio 360 Survey 1 2026 will be released at 9:30am. It has been an mellow and relaxing lead up to the date as some new shows bed in for their first results and stations and networks are calm and stable in the aftermath of Christmas and lead up to NRL and AFL seasons commencing.
NOT.
A brief look at metro breakfast changes between Survey 8 2025, released in January and Survey 1, 2026:
Four changes in Sydney –
Christian O’Connell (main image) replaced Jonesy and Amanda on ARN’s Gold 101.7. This will also be Jonesy and Amanda’s first survey on Gold Network Drive
Nath Roye & Emma Chow replaced Jimmy & Nath with Emma on SCA‘s 2Day FM
Jimmy Smith joins Greg ‘Brandy’ Alexander on SEN 1170 with Andrew ‘Vossy’ Voss shifting to mornings. This is a different Jimmy Smith than the Jimmy Smith who departed 2Day FM above.
Ricki-Lee and Tim on Nova 969 with Fitzy, Wippa and Kate, like Jonesy and Amanda, shifting to Drive too.
Melbourne –
No change (for Survey 1 at least although we will be looking at how going into Sydney might affect Christian O’Connell in Melbourne) with the exception of Richelle Hunt joining Bob Murphy on ABC Melbourne breakfast from Monday March 9 – likely for most of the rest of the year, while Sharnelle Vella takes maternity leave.
Brisbane –
Nick, Luttsy & Susie O’Neill on Nova 106.9 replaced Ash Bradnam and Nikki Osborne from 2025.
Robin, Kip and Corey Oates will see how their departure and then reinstatement on KIIS 97.3 sits. First surveys for Lowie Live and Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small too, for the network.
Dean Miller & Sofie Formica for Peter Fegan on 4BC. Most of that station lineup has changed.
Adelaide –
Bec Morse is currently warming the chair on KIIS 1023 for Ben and Liam who start April 1.
Bel, Bernie and Emma G – Bel Sloane makes the previous SAFM duo a trio.
Perth –
Nova 93.7’s Nath, Nat and Shaun – Nathan Morris has been off air for the best part of a year with still no comment on a return from Nova. He remains part of all their marketing, but while other metros have updated, the Perth Nova version has not yet changed. Joel Creasey has been filling in, online, for around six months, which will also stop when Joel commences his new lunchtime The Joel Creasey Show for the network somewhere in April (date still to be confirmed).
Pete and Kymba on Mix 94.5 go back to being a duo with Ben Cousins just a friend of the show, and occasional guest, rather than being named in the lineup.
Behind the scenes –
Nine Radio sold to the Laundy Family Office – the stations leased to the ACE Radio Network remain as they were.
SCA and Seven West Media completed their merger. Jeff Howard, the new CEO, stepped down the day before the first release of the joint entity’s ASX results in February.
Dave Cameron commenced as Director of Content – Metro Radio for ARN in March, joining the organisation from a similar role with SCA. Lauren Joyce, the then Chief Audience & Content Officer, was made redundant last November.
Additionally pending but post Survey 1:
Kyle and Jackie O on KIIS 1065 and 101.1 – need we say more? Except perhaps that Tuesday March 17 is the deadline of the two week period Kyle was given to rectify the breach of his ARN’s services agreement. The latest on that, from Craig Bruce on the Game Changers Radio podcast, is that he (Kyle) could be looking at buying ARN, or that he’s in discussions with the Laundys about a role at 2GB. Oh, and Mike Etheridge, Mike E, is looking after breakfast on the KIIS stations this week to give Smallzy a break.
Next up, we look at the Sydney and Melbourne radio stations over the last 18 months.
You can see above the wild ride that Nine Radio, Nova’s smooth and ARN’s Gold and KIIS stations give their execs, and they’re near the top of the pack. 3AW, Survey 1 2025 had the kind of blinder that might be difficult to repeat, and outside AFL season too. In Sydney smooth and 2GB were neck and neck. I think that the above and beyond reporting of 2GB during the awful, awful Bondi shootings will see a positive result for them Survey 1 this year too.
Beyond the top four higgledy-piggledy lines, the results below that should be mentioned as well, especially in Melbourne. Much is made of Kyle and Jackie O’s breakfast results. In that city, as you will see, Nova 100, Triple M, the ABC and particularly KIIS 101.1 have ended up steady over the last 18 months. Yes, they’d like to have added to their tally, but listeners to the station haven’t fallen away.
By comparison, in Sydney, 2DayFM have been steady in their gradual decline. They look as if they will be pipped by the gradual incline of ABC Classic. SCA will hope that Nath and Emma will provide some joy Survey 1. In Melbourne The Fox FM and smooth fm have also continued a steady decline, as has the ABC in Sydney. It is interesting to note that Nova 96.9 and smooth 95.3 are the most improved over 18 months there, especially as Nova Entertainment has shaken up the 969 breakfast show.
As a final note there should be new Gold stations appearing this survey on the DAB+ results in Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. Those three usually see Nova’s smooth DAB+ stations No 1 in that format so this will provide additional competition, with more chat than the smooth variety.
GfK Radio 360 Survey 1 2026 is out this Thursday March 19 at 9:30am. Radioinfo will cover all the ins and outs, ups and downs then (and before that too – wish us luck).
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.