i98 FM is on top in Wollongong and Wave FM second in the latest Xtra Insights survey of Wollongong. The biggest winner of all is local radio. In a region where listeners can choose Sydney stations or national ABC shows more than 60% are selecting local.
- Overall for all audiences 10+ Win Corporation‘s i98 FM #1, +2.8 to 28.8. ARN‘s Wave FM #2, +4.6 to 21.8 and ABC Illawarra steady in 3rd with 11.4%
- Big breakfast growth for the top two, up 5% each to 30.9% audience share for i98’s Marty, Christian and Bella. Wave FM‘s Jade and Damien (pictured below) increased 5.1% to 22.1.
- This is the biggest audience ever for Wave FM, Reaching 111,300 local listeners each week
- All Sydney and national stations were either steady or down.
- i98FM audiences were up about 5% in all day parts except evenings where Wave FM became #1, up 8.3% to 20.0%
- i98’s cumulative audience was up 16,000 and Wave FM 24,000. Both saw breakfast listening growth of more than 20K.
Gavin Flanagan, the General Manager of 96.5 Wave FM said:
“This result is testament to the incredibly hard work our team has been putting in throughout 2024. Whether it’s on the air or out in the community, we’re proud of the impact we have on the lives of the people of the Illawarra. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this success.”
And Amy Collett, Wave FM Content Director added:
“This is an amazing result for Wave FM! I’m incredibly proud of the team. They absolutely love everything about the Illawarra and work hard to make sure they are delivering engaging content for our Illawarra listeners daily.”
At the recent Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs), i98’s commitment to local was rewarded with Cam Hilder (pictured above), the mornings presenter (+5.2 to 30.7) receiving the award for Best Music Host (Provincial) and for Best Community Campaign (Provincial) for the i98FM Illawarra Convoy with the 20th edition happening on Saturday November 17.
