Our analysis of Survey 5 results by network and cities.

See the raw figures here and spin cycle here.

Networks

Nova Entertainment

In a largely volatile survey which treated FM stations badly, smoothfm was once again the shining success for Nova Entertainment with both their Sydney and Melbourne units gained ground while other FM stations lost it.

In Sydney, 95.3 in now number 2 in the market. Not #2 FM but outright #2, ahead of the ABC with only 2GB to catch (good luck with that). While 91.5 may have turned in less spectacular results, its 0.6 rise to a healthy 7.8 puts them ahead of most others in the FM race.

It was a mixed bag for the Nova brand, though, with Brisbane the standout, surging ahead and retaining its hard-won crown from 97.3FM. Melbourne too, enjoyed an uptick with Nova 100 up 0.7 to 6.8, well above main rival KIIS 101.1’s 5.3.

But that’s where the good news ends for Nova with drops in share in both Perth and Adelaide. Then there’s Sydney, where it would seem that every time the station looks to be finally kicking ahead, it drops back down again. This time, Nova 96.9 dropped -1.1 to land in 6th place overall. The hard-working Fitzy & Wippa also slid (-0.9) to be 6th in the Breakfast race.
 

ARN

We may not have done so well in the Olympics but there’s GOLD in them there “oldies” for ARN – in this Survey, at least.

In Sydney, WSFM was up 1.4 with gains in all shifts. In Melbourne, the news was even better. It may have been a gain of only 0.7 but it was enough to propel GOLD to equal number one on the FM band with FOX. Even Brisbane’s venerable 4KQ in mono on AM managed a 0.5 gain to arrive at hugely respectable 9.0 share overall.

Also in glorious AM, CRUISE1323 in Adelaide edged slightly higher.

Things at the KIIS brand headquarters were not quite so rosy. The flagship in Sydney did okay with a notional -0.1 loss, Melbourne’s KIIS101.1 remains a headache for management. Despite a small gain of 0.2 overall and a big rise in Breakfast (1.1) the station remains last among the commercial FM stations in that market and 8th overall.

In Brisbane where 97.3 gained 0.4 and might have hoped to win back the #1 spot from Nova, instead the latter has kicked ahead with a 0.7 rise to consolidate its lead.

Thank God, then, for the city of churches where Adelaide’s MIX102.3’s prayers were answered – the station climbing by 1.9 to take a firm grip of #1 – 3.2 ahead of second placed FIVEaa.

In Perth, ARN’s newest member, 96FM, is still a work-in-progress, easing back by 0.3.

Southern Cross Austereo

At the hit network, 2Day is also a work-in-progress with Rove & Sam making a modest (0.2) gain but the station average shedding (0.4) to land on 3.7 share overall.

In Melbourne, FOX has been brought back to the pack to share #1 FM with GOLD both sitting on 8.6 after GOLD gained 0.7 while FOX dropped -1.1.

In Brisbane, the bleeding stopped with hit105 waxing by 0.2 and Adelaide’s hit107 remaining steady on a 9.1 share. Perth too remained steady, but on a 10.9 share.

Over at the TRIPLE M brand, it was two up, too down. Three down if you include Perth’s Mix94.5 – although, their -0.9 loss left them comfortably in first place.

Sadly, though for the M’s the other two downs were in the biggest markets, Sydney Melbourne where each station went down by 0.5. Not worry, it’s all about blokes, which the brand has in spades. Besides TRIPLE M had good gains in both Brisbane and Adelaide.
 

Macquarie Media and other talk

Not a bad day for MML. Although they lost some share in Melbourne and Brisbane, both stations stayed in their slots – 3AW at #1 and 4BC at #8.

But Sydney for once saw both 2GB and 2UE gaining ground. 2GB which returned a 12.2 share Mon-Sun was a whole 1.0 better when measured Mon-Fri. Most shifts except Afternoons enjoyed modest gains while Drive with Ben Fordham had huge lift of 2.1.

2UE rose by 0.8 to a 4.8 share on the back of a 1.5 lift for John & Garry in Breakfast who now sit on 5.2.

Meanwhile in Adelaide, the Nova owned FIVEaa eased slightly to hold down #2 spot on an 11.3 share.

In Sydney, Sky Sports Radio has a 1.1 share while the more mature SEN in Melbourne boasts a 4.6.

Of the MAGICs, 2CH did best on a 3.6 share, 1278 Melbourne was next on a 3.2 and 882 Brisbane with 2.8.
 

ABC Local Radio

Not much tends to happen to ABC stations so much as things happen to the stations around them.

The biggest gain in this survey for Local Radio was by 702 in Sydney which gained all of 0.2. But that wasn’t enough to hold on to its well established 2nd place behind 2GB. Yet, with just a 0.5 gain, smoothfm overtook 702 to relegate it to 3rd.

Other than that pyrrhic gain, Local Radio lost some ground in each city, the largest dip being in Brisbane where 612 lost -1.0. Melbourne’s 774 was rock steady +/- 0.0. Adelaide’s 891 shaved -0.1 and Perth’s 720 shed -0.2. ABC Local Radio was covering the Rio Olympics live during several timeslots during the survey period.

 
triple j

While ABC’s Local Radio tends to return ratings in a narrow band in the low 8s to high 10s between each metro market, triple j’s audience share ranges from a 4.9 in Melbourne and Adelaide to a 10.2 in Perth in GfK’s Survey 5.

Filling in the gaps is Brisbane on 8.2 and Sydney on 6.1.

Cities

Sydney

WSFM and ABC Classic FM were the biggest winners this survey, with WS rising by 1.4 share points to 7.6% and Classic FM gaining one share point to 4.2%. Nova dropped most, down 1.1 to 7.0%.

Top station 2GB gained 0.6 to 12.2%.

Smooth barrelled into second place, up 0.5 to 9.6% on a strong forward momentum across several surveys.

ABC702 was pushed back into third place by smooth, after gaining 0.2 share points to move to 9.5%.

KIIS dropped back to fourth place on 8.0%, down 0.1, while stablemate WSFM was fifth on 7.6%.

Melbourne

Nova and Gold scored the biggest gains this survey, with both gaining 0.7 share points, Nova moving to 6.8% and Gold moving to 8.6%.

Fox and triple j were the biggest losers of the survey, with triple j down 1.3 and Fox down 1.1 share points.

Top station 3AW slipped slightly, down 0.4 share points, followed by ABC774 steady in second place on 10.5%.

Fox and Gold tied for third place, both on 8.6%, after Fox dropped by 1.1 and Gold gained 0.7.

Smooth was in fourth place, up 0.6 to 7.8%, followed by Triple M in fifth place, down 0.5 to 7.4%.

Brisbane

Triple M and Nova gained most this survey, with Triple M up 0.8 and Nova gaining 0.7 share points. ABC612 had the biggest drop, losing 1.0 share points.

Top station Nova consolidated its lead, moving up to 14.4%.

Second placed 97.3 gained 0.4 to 12.1%.

Third placed HIT105 rose by 0.2 to 10.3%, followed by Triple M on 9.5%.

4KQ was in in fifth place, up 0.5 to 9.0%. ABC612 dropped back into sixth place on 8.5%.

Adelaide

Mix102.3 consolidated its lead on the Brisbane market, up 1.9 share points to 14.5%, the biggest gain of the survey.

FIVEaa was in second place, down 0.3 to 11.3%.

ABC891 was third on 10.9%, a drop of 0.1 from last survey.

Nova91.9 had the biggest fall of the survey, losing 1.3 share points and dropping into fourth place on 9.9%.

Fifth placed Triple M gained 0.4 to 9.7%.

Perth

Top station Mix94.5 suffered the biggest fall this survey, down 0.9 to 14.4%.

Second placed Nova dropped 0.3 to 12.9%, followed by HIT92.9 in third place, steady on 10.9%.

Fourth placed triple j held steady on 10.2%, followed by stablemate ABC720 in fifth place, down 0.2 to 8.7%.