Our analysis of the networks and cities.
Raw results here, Trend Graphs here, Spin here.
Networks
HIT Network
ARN
Drive timeslot share and cume for the major fm networks.
ABC Local
While its commercial rivals on the AM band enjoyed strong upwards trends, ABC stations lost ground in key markets: ↓0.4 in Sydney and in 5th place. ↓0.2 in Melbourne and 5th place. ↓1.7 in Adelaide and 5th place.
In Brisbane ABC BRI was ↑1.0 and 7th place while in Perth ABC was ↓0.1 and 5th place.
JJJ
JJJ fared much better with only its Perth outpost suffering a significant drop ↓0.9 but it still managed to retain a 7.9 share overall. And Melbourne eased ↓0.1 to a 3.9 share.
The others all went up: Sydney ↑0.6. Adelaide ↑0.4 while the biggest gain came in Brisbane, ↑1.1 to reach a 7.6 share.
Cities
2GB and WSFM had hte biggest gains of the survey, Macquarie Sports Radio suffered the biggest loss during this football season survey, down 1.1 to fall below the one percent mark on 0.8%.
Top station 2GB gained 1.3 to 14.0% overall.
WSFM consolidated its second position, up one share point to 10.7%
KIIS and smooth tied for third placed, KIIS down 0.4 and smooth down 0.3 to 8.4% overall.
Fourth placed ABC Sydney lost 0.4 to 8.2%.
Fifth placed Nova gained 0.4 to score 7.1%.
2GB won breakfast, ahead of KIIS then WSFM and ABC Sydney. 2GB won all other timeslots in the market.
Nova won the 10-17 demographic, KIS won 18-39s, WSFM won 40-64s, 2GB won the over 65s.
Melbourne
There was very little significant movement in Melbourne this survey, with all variations below one percent.
Top station 3AW slipped 0.6 share points to 13.8%.
Gold FM was second, up 0.2 to 10.8%, followed closely by Fox, in third place, down 0.1 to 10.4% overall.
Fourth placed smoothfm gained 0.2 to score 9.1%.
ABC Melbourne was in fifth place, down 0.2 to 8.5%.
3AW continued to blitz the breakfast timeslot, almost 10 share points ahead of the next strongest breakfast shows on Fox and ABC Melbourne.
Fox won all the under 39 demographics, Gold won 40-54s, 3AW won the over 55s.
It’s not often you see asterisks for a commercial station, but the chart this survey shows that Macquarie Sports Radio 1278 has no listeners in the 18-24 demographic, and very few in the other demographics, as it transitions from its old format to the new sports format during the AFL football season.
Brisbane
Triple j and ABC Brisbane had the biggest gains, while 97.3fm suffered the biggest fall this survey.
Last survey 97.3 and Nova were tied for first place, but this survey Nova gained top position.
Nova fell 0.8 to 12.2%, but 97.3fm fell more, down 1.1 share points to score second place on 11.9%.
Closely behind was Hit105, up 0.2 to 11.8% in third place.
Fourth placed Triple M lost 0.1 to 10.5%.
4KQ was fifth, up 0.9 to 9.9%, followed by triple j, up 1.1 to 7.6% then ABC Brisbane, up 1.0 to 7.2%.
Hit won 10-24s, Nova won 25-39s, 97.3 won 40-54s and 4KQ won those over 55.
Nova inched further ahead of Hit105 in the breakfast timeslot. Hit won mornings, Nova won afternoons and drive, 97.3 won evenings and weekends.
Macquarie Sports Radio had its strongest share result in Brisbane.
Adelaide
FIVEaa had the biggest gain of the survey, while ABC Adelaide, ABC Classic FM and Triple M all fell.
Top placed Mix102.3 consolidated its position, up 0.6 to 15.4%.
FIVEaa moved into second place, up 1.4 to 11.8%.
Third placed Nova91.9 gained 0.7 to 10.5%.
Fourth placed Triple M dropped 1.0 share points to 9.9%.
ABC Adelaide was fifth, down 1.7 to 9.7%.
Nova won 10-24s, Hit won 25-39s, Mix won 40-64s and FIVEaa won the over 65s.
FIVEaa regained its breakfast leadership with a strong increase of 1.8 in that timeslot, ahead of ABC Adelaide’s breakfast, which fell by 2.1 in that timeslot.
Mornings was won by FIVEaa, Mix won afternoons and drive, FIVEaa and Mix tied in evenings and Mix won weekends.
Perth
Nova93.7 had the biggest gain and moved into top position in Perth. Triple j fell most this survey.
Nova rose 2.1 to 14.7%, pushing Mix94.5 out of top position.
Mix lost 0.6 to 13.6% overall.
Hit92.9 was third, up 0.1 to 9.9%.
Fourth placed 96fm rose 0.6 to 8.6%.
ABC Perth was fifth, down 0.1 to 8.2%.
Nova won 10-17s, Hit won 18-24s, Nova won 25-39s, Mix won 40-64s, ABC Perth won the over 65s.
Nova regained the breakfast lead with an increase of 2.1 in that timeslot, followed by Mix then ABC Perth.
Mix won mornings and afternoons, Nova won drive and weekends, ABC Perth won evenings.
The ratings for Macquarie Sports Radio are mixed. Surprisingly the ratings for Sydney have dropped more than 50% to 0.8 and Brisbane's results doubled to 1.1%. Melbourne's results are rather static at about 0.3% way behind market leader SEN. In a previous comment about survey 3, I would wait for two more surveys and act upon them. If this is a statistical anomaly, I would wait another two surveys from this survey. The issues are will Brisbane's audience grow and is Sydney's ratings a blip?
MSR is a labour-intensive format with a potentially rewarding upside. The current ratings do not appear to sustain economically a labour-intensive format'
Regards
Anthony of exciting Belfield
I predict by Christmas it will revert back into a music network but be rebranded to reflect the style of music played. I suggest it will go back to a easy music format or classic hits 19500-80s.
I have said elsewhere, that if 2UE, 4BH and 3EE have to resort to a music format, that it does not go down the "classic hits"/"golden oldies" or its variants as the market may well be saturated with these formats: 2CH, 2WS, Coles, Easy and Smooth. This does not infer there is anything wrong with the music. 2CH on DAB has the best signal at over 128kbs. It's the saturation. Nor do I suggest that 2UE, 4BH and 3EE become like the former DAB station "Stardust" which was like the 2CH of the 1970s and 1980s but with too much Rod Stewart singing from the "American Songbook".
Perhaps a music format that is unique could take elements from a "Golden Oldies"/"Classic Hits" format. It could also take elements from Mr Ray Hadley's "Country Music" program. It could also take elements from MBS-fm and ABC-fm. There are also many familiar songs which are known by many that gets little airplay. When was the last time you heard the music from The Lion King or even The Sound Of Music on the air?
Similarly there are contemporary artists who are a commercial success but get little airplay including Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga (Jazz), Roberto Alagna, Mark Vincent, Greta Bradman and Amy Winehouse (RIP) to name a few. Even the Conservatorium-trained musicians Lah-Lahs play fine music.
But I qualify it with DO YOUR RESEARCH AND DON'T HAVE CONFIRMATION BIAS WHILE HAVING A BEER ON A FRIDAY OR IMPLEMENT THE FORMAT BECAUSE THE FORMAT IS NOT USED IN THE U.S.. Do your research and don't be a copycat. And don't buy the same music library as other radio stations (mentioned in another RadioInfo article). Do something yourself and put your own music into the computer's music library and associated database (containing meta-information on artist, song, tempo, key signature).
Thank you,
Anthony from exciting Belfield