Analysis of the networks and cities for Survey 3 2014.

See the overall figures here and station PR Spin here.

Analysis

Southern Cross Austereo

After a really tough start to the year, there’s finally some joy for the SCA crowd. The Triple M brand was up in every market – substantially so in Adelaide (up 2.1) which had been SCA’s bogey market for some time.

Better still, Sydney’s Grill Team returned close to their best breakfast figures ever, a creditable 6.5 share. And with better daytime figures too, the station went up 0.9 overall to a 5.9 Mon-Sun. Better still, Mon-Fri with a 6.3. There’s still some work to do on the weekends.

The Today network returned mixed results. While Sydney’s 2Day-FM improved overall (4.0 to 4.5) the breakfast show finished on 3.6, down from 4.1. FOX in Melbourne was down across all sessions. Brisbane’s B105 remained steady, but SAFM, with a 7.0, bled more share to come in last on among commercial stations and ABC local radio in Adelaide beating only triple j and the ABC’s esoteric cluster.

Perth was a happier hunting ground with SCA’s rock solid Mix94.5  consolidating its market leadership and 92.9 jagging a handy uptick.

Nova Entertainment

Sailing was not quite as smooth for the brand of the same name this time around. Last survey, the smoothfm’s in both Sydney and Melbourne were level pegging on a 6.7 share. Now there’s 1.0 separating them. While Sydney dropped by 0.8 overall, Melbourne gained 0.2 to settle on a very healthy 6.9.

For the first time in a long time, the Nova network lost ground as a whole, easing back in every market except Brisbane where it consolidated second place. Still, it is unlikely there will be any gnashing of teeth in the programming bunker at Nova Entertainment, they will still claim number one under 40’s across metropolitan Australia.

Australian Radio Network

Although the headlines will likely focus on Kyle and Jackie O’s KIIS breakfast show coming off the boil, dropping a hefty 1.4 share points, the really good news for ARN is that their own home grown (as opposed to store bought) breakfast show, Jonesy and Amanda have finally cracked it for number one FM – the only FM breakfast show in double figures (just on 10.0) in 3rd place overall behind 2GB and ABC702.

As a result, WSFM has been catapulted into outright 2nd place in Sydney, ahead of ABC702 and behind 2GB.

Melbourne was a more sedate affair for the network with GOLD rock steady, retaining its # 1 FM status while MIX101.1 was down a smidgen. This,  despite good gains by both stations’ breakfast shows.

In Brisbane 97.3FM powered ahead to further entrench itself at the top of the market on the back of a great performance by Robin, Terry and Bob in breakfast.

In Adelaide, MIX 102.3 cemented its top position on a 16.7 share with a further gain.

ARNs AM stations, Cruise and 4KQ both lost ground, but no one at head office will much care as ARN can still boast it has the number one FM station in each market in which it operates.
 

Fairfax and other Talk networks

We thought we heard a collective sigh of relief coming from Fairfax HQ when the news filtered through that their foundering flagship 3AW had righted itself and regained the lead from ABC774. Not for a minute did anyone doubt that John and Ross in breakfast and Neil Mitchell in Mornings would bounce back after the large losses in Survey 2. Did they?

Things still remain a bit of a sticky wicket at 2UE though with whatever ray of light that glowed a glimmer of hope last time, all but extinguished this time.

Breakfast eased back to a 3.9 share and it only gets worse from there with the other daytime shifts rating in the 2s. Only nights and weekends deliver anything respectable in terms of audience share.

Meanwhile, over at nemesis 2GB, they are celebrating a straight decade as Sydney’s #1 station with a hurriedly arranged photo shoot with all their stars.

For Fairfax, things didn’t get any better in Brisbane with 4BC experiencing another significant drop to land on a 5.5 share. But in Perth, 6PR improved slightly as did their lone FMer, 96FM.

Meanwhile Melbourne’s stand alone sports station enjoyed their seasonal footy bounce – up 0.7 to 4.2.

Adelaide’s talker, oddly owned by Nova Entertainment shed 1.0 but sits nicely in third place overall, or # 1 AM, on a 11.3 share.
 

ABC

ABC Local Radio shed audience share in every metropolitan market except Melbourne where it went up 0.7 yet lost first place to 3AW which went up by more.

triple j also had a mixed bag with gains in Adelaide, offset by losses in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

Cities

Sydney

 
2GB was top station in Sydney with 13.2% overall, after a small rise of 0.1 share points. WSFM had the biggest gain of the survey, rising 1.7 share points to 9.2% and moving into second place in the market.
 
ABC702 retained third place despite a fall of 0.9 to 8.6%. KIIS slipped from second to fourth place on 8.5%, with a fall of 1.1 share points. Nova was in fifth place, down 0.3 to 7.5%.
 
In other significant movements, 2CH dropped 1.0 share points to 3.4%, Triple M gained 0.9 to 5.9% and smooth lost 0.8, slipping back to 5.9%.

 
Nova won 10-17s just ahead of KIIS. Nova won 18-24s, ahead of triple j. KIIS won 25-39s, WSFM won 40-54s and 2GB dominated the over 55 demographics.
 
2GB’s Alan Jones continued his domination of breakfast, with ABC702’s Robbie Buck (with News and AM) was second in breakfast and WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda third.
 
The 2GB juggernaut won every timeslot in the Sydney market.
 
 
 

Melbourne

 
3AW has regained its ratings crown in Melbourne, lifting 1.2 share points to 12.5%, just ahead of ABC774, which was top station last survey. ABC774 gained 0.6 to 12.3%, not quite enough to hold off 3AW for another survey.
 
There is daylight between the top two stations and the rest of the pack, with third placed Gold steady on 8.8%. ARN stablemate Mix101.1 is in fourth place after a lift of  0.2 to 7.1%.
 
In an unprecedented tie for fifth place, four stations scored the exact same result of 6.9%: SCA’s Fox dropped while Triple M rose to the 6.9% figure. Nova dropped while stablemate smooth rose, also to score 6.9%.
 
In other significant movement, Magic1269 lost 1.2 share points to score 5.0%, SEN lost 0.7 to 4.2% and triple j slipped by 0.5.
 
Fox won 10-17s just ahead of Nova, while Nova won 18-24s just ahead of Fox. Nova won 25-39s, smooth won 40-54s, 3AW won 55-64s and ABC774 won the over 65s.
 
3AW’s Ross and John (pictured) gained the most in breakfast and continue to lead that timeslot. ABC774 won mornings just ahead of 3AW. Gold won afternoons, 3AW and ABC774 tied on drive and weekends, ABC774 won evenings.
 
 
 
 

Brisbane

 
There is a new leader in the Brisbane market. 97.3 surged ahead of Nova, gaining 1.3 share points to 13.9%. Nova gained 0.4 to 12.8%, but it was not enough to hold off 97.3 from top position. Nova is now in second place.
 
Third placed B105 rose 0.1 to 10.6%. Fourth placed ABC612 slipped 0.1 to 9.2%. Fifth placed Triple M gained 0.4 to 8.6%.
 
ARN’s 4KQ and Fairfax’s 4BC both lost 1.2 share points, with 4KQ falling to 6.8% and 4BC dropping to 5.5%.
 
B105 won the 10-17 demographic, Nova won 18-39s, 97.3 won the 40-54s, 4KQ won 55-64s and ABC612 topped the 65+ demographic.
 
Breakfast was a closely fought race, with ABC612 winning, just ahead of 97.3 and Nova. 97.3 won mornings and afternoons, Nova won drive and evenings, 97.3 won weekends.
 

Adelaide

 
Mix 102.3 consolidated its lead in Adelaide with a rise of 1.6 share points to 16.7%, 5 points ahead of its nearest rival. Second placed Nova91.9 slipped 0.3 to 11.7%.
 
5AA lost 1.0 share points, sliding down to third place on 11.3%. Fourth placed ABC891 lost 1.3 to 10.7%. Fifth placed Triple M had the biggest gain of the survey, rising 2.1 share points to 9.4% after a lot of publicity about its format change.
 
Nova won the 10-39 demographics, Mix won 40-64s and 5Aa won the over 65s.
 
ABC891 won breakfast just ahead of Mix102.3, Mix won mornings and afternoons, Nova won drive, 5AA won evenings and Mix won weekends.
 

Perth

 
Market leader Mix94.5 increased slightly, up 0.1 to 14.5%. Second placed triple j had the biggest fall of the survey, dropping 1.1 share points to 11.7%, but just holding on to second spot.
 
Third placed Nova93.7 slipped 0.2 to 11.4%, followed by ABC720 on 11.0%, down 0.1. Fifth placed 96fm gained 0.2 share points to 10.6%. Apart from the fall, there was not much other significant movement in the Perth market this survey.
 
92.9 won the 10-17 demographic, just ahead of Nova. Triple j blitzed the 18-24 age group and also won 25-39s. Mix won 40-64s and ABC720 won the over 65s.
 
ABC720 won breakfast, Mix won mornings and afternoons, triple j won drive, ABC720 won evenings and Mix won weekends.