According to the latest McNair community radio survey, FBi’s average monthly listenership was 504,000 people on FBi FM and DAB+ in Sydney.
FBi Radio plays at least 50% Australian music, with 61% of most-played tracks from 2018 hailing from Sydney, 71% from Australia, plus 44% from female, trans and non-binary artists. The most played track of 2018 was “Cooked” by Western Sydney hip hop duo Slim Set.
The station’s programming excellence was recognised with a record eight award nominations at the 2018 Community Broadcasting Association of Australia conference, receiving nominations for programs such as Race Matters, Pure Space, All The Best and more.
FBi Radio’s listenership result has increased significantly compared to survey results from the same period last year. Average time spent listening across the week has increased massively by 2.5 hours to 12 hours, and the average weekday audience for FBi Radio’s Up For It breakfast show and Mornings doubled, with other time-slots also recording very strong gains.
Managing Director Nikki Brogan says, “The survey numbers are a clear vindication of our commitment to championing new sounds and diverse, emerging voices. The twin milestones of turning 15 and passing half a million listeners are a direct result of the wonderful efforts of a staff and volunteer community driven by a passion for Sydney culture, and of our belief in and respect for our listeners who value being challenged as much as being entertained.”
Programming highlights in 2018 included a new Up For It host Ruby Miles and executive producer Ted Dwyer, a new Wednesday-Thursday Mornings host Eddy Diamond and Mornings executive producer Jodie Fisher.
Other highlights of the 2018 year included Rhyan Clapham (aka Dobby) and Krystel Diola taking over the Sunset hip-hop show, a new long-form album showcase program For The Record, and a number of new Lunch and Weekend program hosts – including Maria Dimitrakas, Deepa Alam and Martyn Reyes – plus new segments throughout the week.
In 2018 the station also launched new podcasts: Don’t @ Me with Ayebatonye, Movies Movies Movies, Or It Didn’t Happen, Let’s Talk About Sex and Notes From Home.
FBi held a number of innovative community events last year including music and art festival “FBi Turns 15” – headlined by Cloud Control, Sampa The Great, Tropical F**k Storm, and Miss Blanks – and the station’s Western Sydney hip-hop mentorship project “Tracks”.
2018 saw former FBi presenters moving into coveted industry roles, including previous breakfast announcer Lucy Smith, hip-hop show hosts Sally Coleman and Erica Mallett, and summer program host and Dance Class alumni Ebony Boadu all moving to Triple J, while others returned to hold workshops for volunteers, including Marc Fennell and Dom Alessio.