Survey One results now available here.
For the past three GfK surveys, since they were rekindled last September, talk stations, particularly in Melbourne, have hoovered up audience share like a humpback whale feeding on krill.
Although December’s Survey 8 showed some signs of a return to normality, in line with COVID 19’s trajectory, there was no bursting bubble, with 3AW and ABC Melbourne, between them, helping themselves to about a third of the available audience.
In Breakfast, those two stations are custodians of a massive 37.3 share (3AW’s Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft accounting for a 25.0 share alone) leaving the next 12 stations to fight it out for what’s left.
Neil Mitchell dominates Mornings with a 22.1 and the ABC adds 13.5 to that.
In Sydney, if 2GB’s new owners, Nine Media, were worried about the impact that Alan Jones’ departure would have on their flagship, they needn’t have. Jones’ replacement Ben Fordham has managed to string together three outstanding results that would make the old master proud. Meanwhile, Ray Hadley remains a solid performer for the station in mornings and the other shifts make a formidable team.
The big question is, with COVID all but licked and given some respite from U.S. politics, how many listeners are tired of talk and are keen are they to return to what was normal for them a year ago?
While the other markets saw some shift to talk as well, they are still predominantly music cities with Nova consolidating hard earned leads in Brisbane and Perth, only Adelaide’s Mix 102.3 is able to lay claim to being a constant number one – but after a 1.7 tumble in the last survey, for how much longer?
The other big question is, will any of the big name changes made by SCA – particularly Marty Sheargold taking over Breakfast at Triple M, Melbourne and Dave Hughes at 2Day FM in Sydney – have made a dent in the in Metro Survey 1 pecking order when it is released this morning at 9:30 sharp on radioinfo.
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