It’s really a two ARN horse race in Darwin in the latest Xtra Insights survey of the region with the network’s Hot 100 still No 1 for all audiences 10+ (38.1, down 1.1) and in all day parts and weekends, and sister station Mix 104.9 gaining ground, up 3.6 to 25.2 overall, and ahead for audiences 40+. Hot 100 and Mix 104.9 were the choice of 79.2% of people in Darwin.

It has been three years since the last survey of the top end. Both ARN breakfast teams have changed, with Hot 100‘s Davo and Jax (pictured above) up 0.8 to 39.6, ahead of Mix’s Leisha and Dan, up 3.0 to 24.1. The most significant movement was unfortunately downwards for ABC Radio Darwin and triple j. Both were down overall, 2.2 and 2.3 respectively to 10.3 and 6.5. The ABC saw the biggest hit in evenings, triple j across all day parts.

I thought the eight time ACRA winning talkback presenter Katie Woolf OAM on Mix 104.9 Mornings might just have caught Hot 100’s Xylon McEwan (main picture, he is also both stations’ content director). Katie was steady at 29.7, Xy was up 1.2 to 35.4. Katie (pictured below) this month celebrates a decade at the station.

Katie Woolf winning Best Talk Presenter and the Brian White Award for Radio Journalism for the second consecutive year at the 2023 ACRA Awards

McEwan said of the results:

“I couldn’t be happier with both stations’ results today, the team executed the content strategy really well and the people of Darwin supported us in mass.”

With General Manager of Hot and Mix Mike Harvey also saying:

“This reinforces the power of local radio. I’m very proud of the team we have on ground in Darwin, these numbers reflect their hard work and our presence in the local community.”

Cumulative listening saw drops overall with only Mix seeing a marked improvement across the day.