“I am very happy and I’m incredibly humbled to think that our stations – our Triple M stations that play rock music and target specifically male users can achieve the results we’ve achieved today after six years of hard work, perseverance and a clear focus,” says Mike Fitzpatrick who is Group Content Director for the “M”s.
No one will dispute that he eats, lives and dreams Triple M and for the past six years has championed its cause. As much as anyone in a team that makes radio succeed, Fitzy deserves this result delivered by Survey 4.
Triple M, as a network, continued it’s march up the ratings ladder in a uniform fashion. Up 0.7 in Sydney, also 0.7 in Melbourne. And in Brisbane it was up… 0.7. Only in Adelaide did it buck the exact trend with a rise of 0.3. Although SCA does not have a Triple M brand in Perth (except in digital) both its stations rose there too. 92.9 by 0.6 and Mix 94.5 by 0.8 for an average of… you guessed it 0.7. It’s been a long time coming.
But on ‘Survey Tuesday’ Fitzy found himself stepping in for his boss Craig Bruce, who was occupied elsewhere, to do the usual survey day media hustle and speak on behalf of both the Triple M and Hit brands. As it turned out, Fitzy didn’t have to answer any tough questions about either. Every one of the Hit stations enjoyed a rise in share too.
“Particularly pleasing from a group level,” says Fitzy, warming to his task, “Ten stations up. Unheard of! And second: Triple M Sydney beating KIIS”
The big question though is will it take the Hit network as long as it took Triple M to come “back from the dead?” Fitzy doesn’t think so. “I think it’s an easier proposition than rock, sport and comedy. It has a broader church and appeals to more people on different levels. Triple M is a niche product, that seems to have resonated, and that’s why it’s taken so long.
“Its not like the old days where you put some ads on TV, you give away cash and you win the survey. There’s so much other media competing for listeners’ attention. To be able to grow quickly… unless you buy an already number one breakfast show, it’s hard to grow a product from the ground up. It needs space, care and constant attention. And then it needs support from those at a high level to be able to let it grow,” says Fitzy.