How 2GB was dudded by its chosen party

Comment from Peter Saxon

Even the most casual 2GB  listener would be in little doubt as to where the station’s political leanings lie.
 
From Alan Jones on breakfast to Steve Price at night and George and Paul on the weekends, with rare exception, presenter after presenter, backed up by caller after caller, urge listeners to vote Liberal. And that’s just in political peace time.
 
When an election is declared and the war of words begins in earnest, the station proclaims that Australia is in mortal danger from the nation’s greatest enemy: “The Left.” Coalition politicians are ushered on air in rapid succession to warn that only the Liberal and National parties can defend the country from Labor  – and worse still, the Greens – who would plunge this great southern land into a darkness from which we would not emerge at least until the LNP got re-elected.
 
Now, you would think that having been such a loyal servant of the LNP by devoting almost the resources of a radio station to their election campaign, the Coalition would have rewarded them with a hefty ad spend. But no.
 
According to a Macquarie Radio Broadcast Post Times Comparison Report published in The Australian (subscription required), the LNP purchased a measly 100 spots on 2GB while buying more on other stations. What an ungrateful bunch! At least it was better than the Labor party which, perhaps sensing a bias against them, boycotted 2GB altogether and bought nothing.
 
The reason for this apparent snub by both parties likely comes down to basic campaign strategy which is that you put all your resources into marginal seats, not safe ones. Labor felt there was not much chance of convincing rusted on 2GB listeners to change their voting habits of a lifetime. The Coalition couldn’t see the value in adding to the wall to wall positive commentary, graciously provided by their hosts, to preach to the converted. So, they kept their ammunition for where it was needed most: for stations that spoke to swinging or undecided voters.
 
Not all was lost for 2GB, though, in the battle for election revenue. Along came ‘Cashed up Clive’ Palmer to save the day. ‘Cashed up Clive’s,’ United Australia Party, which ended up spending more in total advertising than anyone (up to $60 million by some estimates), came a close second to the ALP in spending on radio, yet failed to win a single seat. Clive did, however, succeed in annoying the hell out of Ray Hadley, with whom he shares an antagonistic relationship, by carpet bombing his morning show with enough ads to put 2GB in the lead for market share. At least it made the bean counters happy.

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Figures below, kindly supplied by AirCheck™ that monitors radio activity directly and agnostically from what is broadcast. Below is a city by city count of metro advertising from the major parties.

Sydney

 
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  Advertiser Instances Instance Share
1 Australian Labor Party 1759 47.97%
2 United Australia Party 1329 36.24%
3 Liberal Party Of Australia 485 13.23%
4 Pauline Hanson’s One Nation 94 2.56%

 
Top Politicians
 

1 Barry Reed For Senate Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Political Advertising 94

 
Top Media Outlets:
 

  Media Outlet Instances
1 2GB 911
2 KIIS1065 537
3 NOVA969 485
4 WS-FM 372
5 104.1 2DAYFM 356
6 EDGE 319
7 2MMM 300
8 SMOOTH953 298
9 2SM 89

 

Melbourne 

 
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  Advertiser Instances Instance Share
1 Australian Labor Party 1839 56.72%
2 United Australia Party 758 23.38%
3 Liberal Party Of Australia 524 16.16%
4 Australian Conservatives 69 2.13%

 
Top Politicians
 

1 Derryn Hinch For Senate Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Political Advertising 52
 

 
Top Media Outlets:
 

  Media Outlet Instances
1 GOLD 576
2 101.9 The Fox 565
3 NOVA100 521
4 3AW 501
5 KIIS101 426
6 3MMM 382
7 SMOOTH915 175
8 SEN 96
9 GOLD 576

 
 

Brisbane

 
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  Advertiser Instances Instance Share
1 Australian Labor Party 1447 40.15%
2 United Australia Party 1075 29.83%
3 Liberal Party Of Australia 522 14.48%
4 Liberal National Party 488 13.54%
5 Australian Mental Health Party 26 0.72%

 
Top Politicians
 

1 Hetty Johnston For Senate Hetty Johnston Political Advertising 46

 
 
Top Media Outlets:
 

  Media Outlet Instances
1 4BC 871
2 973 667
3 NOVA1069 641
4 HIT105 616
5 4MMM 548
6 4KQ 261

 
 

Adelaide

 
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  Advertiser Instances Instance Share
1 United Australia Party 1770 43.55%
2 Australian Labor Party 1717 42.25%
3 Liberal Party Of Australia 445 10.95%
4 Animal Justice Party 132 3.25%

 
 
Top Media Outlets:
 

  Media Outlet Instances
1 MIX102 942
2 NOVA919 925
3 5AA 644
4 CRUISE 553
5 HIT107 493
6 5MMM 266
7 FRESH 241

 
 

Perth 

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  Advertiser Instances Instance Share
1 United Australia Party 1383 35.34%
2 Australian Labor Party 1240 31.69%
3 Liberal Party Of Australia 891 22.77%
4 Australian Conservatives 78 1.99%

 
Top Politicians
 

1 Christian Porter – Liberal Candidate For Pearce Liberal Party Of Australia Political Advertising 309
2 Kim Travers – Labor Candidate For Pearce Australian Labor Party Political Advertising 12

  
Top Media Outlets:
 

  Media Outlet Instances
1 NOVA937 1080
2 MIX94.5 1060
3 HIT92.9 968
4 6PR 415
5 96FM 390

 
 
 
Peter Saxon
 
 

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