Survey 2 2014 Analysis: Networks and Cities
24 April 2014 · News
Key points from the networks and each city.
For the full survey figures, click to see the charts here.
Refresh this page during the day to get the latest info.
The Networks
SCA
The good n...
You've reached our premium or archival content
To access this page, and more great content just like it, you need to become a paid subscriber.
If you already have an account, please login.
Otherwise, registration is quick and you'll have access instantly after payment.
Tags: analysis | Survey | Survey 2 2014
Well “Olympus Has Fallen”! No real surprise to those who are keen and informed students of surveys and programming. 3AW has been on the slide for 2 years and everyone has been in denial about it. Funny that would be about the same time a new FRN head honcho came in.
The “wise man from the south” (that what be the self-professed Group Content Director) now has something he can claim as his very own. No he is NOT the man that took 3AW to number 1, he is the man who took it FROM number 1. FRN’s current Management group have a fantastic track record of success: taking 3AW from No.1, taking 6PR to last in the ratings, taking 4BH (MAGIC 882) and 4BC to last and second last in the ratings respectively and to top it off they have taken 2UE nowhere during their current reign! Facts clearly indicate that they have absolutely no track record of success whatsoever. There has been no MAGIC with FRN’s ratings. Programming has clearly failed but that is not a worry; in steps a new National Sales Director to the rescue! He has completed a re-invigoration of the national sales leadership team and they are so excited. Must be funny stuff in the Corporate water to get so excited when there are no significant ratings and you are so far behind on budgets, down on last year and previous years significantly and losing market share. Can’t see the happiness in that, maybe if one was delusional they could be. Seems to be a necessary trait these days to be employed by FRN along with the ability to blow wind up each other’s back sides. Ah yes, the masters of spin.
Must give credit where credit is due though. The ability to convince a Board that all is great when Ratings, Revenue and Profit are all going backwards requires real talent and clearly a Board with members that are putting way too much faith in certain individuals.
Isn’t it time that an intelligent Fairfax board member (assuming that there is one) asked some serious questions about the operation of FRN? Just ask someone to prepare the trends for the last 5 years and in particular the last 2 for Revenue, Ratings and Profit for individual stations and Group total that will surely tell the story. Another good indicator to look at would also be staff churn as these stats just do not look good. Where is best practice at Fairfax haven’t they ever heard of Exit Interviews or are they afraid of the truth?
Clearly the blame game will commence soon. You can hear it now we cannot achieve the Revenue budgets because we don’t have good ratings and we don’t have ratings in the right demos. This begs the question who will get the blame when everyone goes into self-preservation mode? Will the axe fall on the Group Content Director for failure to deliver on ratings or will this present an opportunity to axe the National Sales Director who has also not delivered any significant revenue increases only decreases since his appointment?
The other alternative is that the FRN boss might “man up” and accept responsibility as this demise has all occurred under his watch. Surely he must have sleepless nights continually failing to deliver except for a brief moment in the sun when he got lucky via the strong performance of 2 out of his 7 stations. The numbers do not stack up so maybe he should walk now before he gets clean bowled.
One would also suggest that Fairfax do not have their stations valued now as if you base it on the current earnings ratio they would be lucky to get $100m? Fairfax should have considered other options, the shareholders would be so disappointed in the management of their assets.
Hello anonymous 'Mike',
What a crock of nonsense. 'Olympus has fallen'? Hardly. For anyone prepared to have an unbiased look at the results it is obvious 3AW remains a mighty force with the Melbourne audience. As 3AW GM Shane Healy said yesterday "We do like to be No. 1 overall though; we don't take defeat too happily. In my 12 years here, this is only the third time we've been pipped in more than 100 surveys. I say well done to the ABC but I hope to resume the mantle in survey three and I expect we will."
The new line ups at FRN stations 2UE, 4BC and 6PR have all delivered growth this year and that is just the beginning. FRN music stations 96fm, Magic 1278 in Melbourne and Magic 882 in Brisbane are in great shape and getting better by the day. That could not be said in early 2012 when only one station (3AW) could claim #1. FRN teams and stations across the country are backing themselves and fighting hard.
So Mike - while attempting a view outside your own spleen seems to be challenging can I just suggest you ‘man up’ and give it a roaring try.
Best regards,
'Adam'.