Analysis: radio ratings survey 2 2018

23 April 2018 · News

Our analysis of the networks and cities.

Refresh this page during the day for the latest updates.

Raw results here, trend graphs here, Spin here.
 

Networks

 

Southern Cross Austereo
 
This is the second good survey result in a row for SCA. Not only was FOXFM in Melbourne able to hang on to a massive 2.4 gain from last survey but add another 0.6 to distance itself from the FM peloton as it consolidates 1st place. 
 
In Sydney, the green shoots of 2DAY that SCA bosses have talked up for the past three years have finally started to blossom with the station gaining 1.1 to put it into a 5.2 share overall, territory it hasn’t seen since perhaps 2013. The breakfast show too waxed 1.0. 
 
In Brisbane and Adelaide the HIT network lost a little ground but was rock steady in Perth where sister station Mix 94.5 edged up a tad to comfortably retain its iron grip on first place.
 
Except for a 0.8 drop in Melbourne everything was ticketyboo on the MMM side of things too. In Sydney  the station clawed back the losses from last time, just as Guy Dobson said it would. The brand nudged upwards in Adelaide and slapped on 1.3 in Brisbane – all of which should have the champagne corks popping at SCA Headquarters.

Nova Entertainment

 
After a 2.5 gain in share last time, the smooth outlet in Melbourne gave up just 0.2 of that to remain in double digits (10.1) in the market. In Sydney, the brand was steady on an 8.5 share.
 
The Nova stream was up and down, losing ground in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane where it lost its hard fought #1 crown to constant rival 97.3FM. Nova edged up slightly in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Australian Radio Network

 
It was an okay day for the KIIS brand with a strong surge in Sydney on the back of  a +2.3 catapult from Kyle and Jackie O on Breakfast. Newcomers Will & Woody in Drive also put on 1.9 since Survey 1. That station now sits on a 9.5 share overall which is easily #1 FM and a comfortable #2 in the market behind 2GB.
 
Not so good, though, in Melbourne where the audience is yet to embrace Jase & PJ on Breakfast (5.0) but Will & Woody managed to make some inroads with a modest 0.4 gain in Drive.
 
There’ll be celebrations in Brisbane where 97.3 FM has regained the lead from Nova to be on a 12.9 share to Nova’s 12.1.
 
Wine corks will be popping in Adelaide too where after an unbelievable 3.8 gain in survey 1 MIX102.3 has managed to hang on to 3.4 of that to land on a 15.7 share overall, 4.8 ahead of nearest competitor Triple M.
 
In Perth, 96.9 lost 1.5 in share to be on 7.5 overall.
 
Pure Gold? The network lost a bit here and gained a bit there. Sydney ↓0.6; Melbourne↑0.3; Brisbane ↓0.1; Adelaide ↑0.3.

Also, see more about ARN’s digital station in the Sydney city analysis below.

Macquarie and other talk
 
2GB eased back by -0.3 in overall share but retains, by 2.0, the number one position in the market. With key shifts across the board shedding listeners in larger proportions, the overall loss would have been much heavier without George and Paul’s recent shift to the station from sister 2UE (Talking Lifestyle now Macquarie Sports Radio). The pair bucked the downward trend and helped add 1.7 to Weekends.
In Melbourne, 3AW enjoyed an uptick of 0.5 to consolidate its lead in the market with its breakfast and morning shows rock steady and gains in other day parts.
 
4BC Brisbane remained on a 5.6 share overall while Perth’s 6PR gained 0.7 for a 6.9 overall.
 
Meanwhile, in Adelaide, NovaEnt’s FIVEaa waned -0.3  to be on a very respectable 10.5 share.
 
With Macquarie Talk Radio only three weeks old, the survey results still list the east coast broadcast network as Talking Lifestyle. In Sydney, it went up 0.1. While Breakfast gained 0.7 mostly through the efforts of John and Garry (Garry now gone) Weekends lost 0.7 since the departure of George and Paul.
 
In Brisbane the entity has a 0.5 share of surveyed listeners while in Melbourne it has 0.3.
ABC Local
 
ABC stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth have arrested the downward trend of recent surveys with small but welcome gains in each market. Brisbane, however, plummeted -1.7 to rest on a 6.4 share.
JJJ
 
The J’s lost ground in all markets ranging from -0.5 in Melbourne to -1.9 in Perth.

For and Against, station by station, network by network,
 

 
 

Cities

Sydney

Survey 2 was steady for Sydney, with not so much movement, except the expected drop that happens to triple j after the Hottest100 effect wears off, and some lingering effects of the cricket season ending, to the benefit of music stations.

Triple j had the biggest drop, down 1.4 to 5.3%. KIIS, 2Day and Triple M all rose significantly. Movement at other stations was below 1%.

2GB remains top station, dipping 0.3 to 11.5%.

KIIS moved into second place, gaining 1.4 share points to 9.5%, pushing sister station WSFM from second position.

Smooth fm was third placed overall, steady on 8.5%, closely followed by WSFM, down 0.6 to 8.4%.

Fifth placed Nova dropped 0.5 to 6.9%.

2GB won breakfast ahead of a significantly improving KIIS. 2GB won mornings, evenings and weekends. 2GB and WS tied in the afternoon timeslot and KIIS’ new drive team won the hotly contested drive shift.

KIIS won 10-17s, Nova won 18-24s, KIIS won 25-39s, WSFM won 40-54s, ABC Sydney won 55-64s and 2GB won the over 65s.

The interesting trend for Sydney, revealed in the digital ratings, is the significant niche filled by The Edge 96.1, ARN’s youth focused western suburbs station.

Because the Edge is not officially licenced to serve the Sydney area, it cannot be counted in the main AM/FM ratings results, but it has always been known that the station has a strong youth following throughout the areas where it can be heard in Sydney (almost everywhere except the Eastern suburbs).

Until now the station’s analog results had only been available to subscribers of the detailed survey figures, clumped in as ‘other FM’ for in-house use only, so its impact could not be measured. Now however, it’s impact is evident in the digital survey, with Edge Digital taking out top digital radio position, ahead of ABC Jazz, then Coles Radio and Double J.

The growing figures for ABC Grandstand around the country may also be having an effect on the ABC’s main capital city metro station ratings, eliminating the usual upswings during the summer cricket season.

All the digital ratings charts for each city are in our main results report here.

 

Melbourne

Melbourne was also steady, with no movement above one percentage point.

3AW remains on top, up 0.5 to 13.7%.

Fox consolidated its second position, lifting 0.6 share points to 11.4% overall.

Third placed Smooth slipped slightly, down 0.2 to 10.1%

Gold was in fourth place, up 0.3 to 10.0%.

ABC Melbourne held fifth place, up 0.2 to 8.3%.

3AW won breakfast ahead of ABC Melbourne. 3AW also won mornings, evenings and weekends. Fox won afternoons and drive, with the new Melbourne based drive team Hughesy and Kate working well for Fox.

Nova won 10-17s, Fox won 18-54s, 3AW won the over 55 demographics.

 

Brisbane

Brisbane has a new market leader, with 97.3 pushing Nova out of top spot.

Triple M had the biggest gain and triple j had the biggest fall in the Brisbane market.

New top station 97.3FM gained 0.8 to 12.9%, while previous leader Nova 106.9 slipped 0.5 to 12.1% in a tussle for top position that has been going back and forth in Brisbane for some time.

Third placed Hit105 lost 0.6 to 11.2%, closely followed by a rising Triple M, which gained 1.3 to score 11.0% overall.

Fifth placed 4KQ lost 0.1 to 8.1%.

Hit and 973 tied for breakfast leadership, with Nova and Triple M also close behind the leaders.

973 won mornings and afternoons, Nova won drive and evenings, Triple M won weekends.

Nova won the 10-17 demographic, Hit won 18-24s with triple j close behind, Hit also won 25-39s. 973 won 40-64s and 4BC won the over 65s.
 

Adelaide

Apart from a drop of 1.4 share points at triple j, the rest of the Adelaide market had little significant movement this survey.

Market leader Mix102.3 lost 0.4 to 15.7% but easily held top position.

Second placed Triple M gained 0.3 to 10.9%.

ABC Adelaide moved to third position, gaining 0.3 to 10.7%, ahead of FIVEaa, which lost 0.3 and slipped to 10.5%.

Fifth placed Nova91.9 gained 0.2 to 9.8%.

Mix won breakfast ahead of ABC Adelaide and FIVEaa. Mix won the day time morning, afternoon and drive timeslots. FIVEaa won evenings and Mix won weekends.

Nova won 10-17s, Hit won 18-39s, Mix won 40-64s and ABC Adelaide won the over 65s.

Perth

triple j and 96fm both lost significant share this survey, 6IX had the biggest rise.

Mix94.5 lost 0.1 but easily retained its top position on 15.6%.

Second placed Nova93.7 dropped 0.8 to 12.0%.

Hit 92.9 was placed third, steady on 10.7%.

Fourth placed ABC Perth gained 0.4 to 8.0%, followed by triple j, which dropped 1.9 to 8.9%.

96fm lost 1.5 share points to to 7.5% and 6PR gained 0.7 to 6.9%.

Mix won breakfast ahead of Nova. Mix won all other timeslots.

Nova won 10-17s, Hit won 18-39s,  Mix won 40-64s and ABC Perth won the over 65s.

 

 

Related reports: Results, Trend Graphs, Spin.

 

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