GfK Radio 360 Survey 3 is out this Thursday June 11 and was measured from Sunday March 1 – Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 19 to Saturday May 23. While most eyes will be on ARN in Sydney and Melbourne, there is plenty of other simmering activity worthy of a mention.

This is the first survey in more than two decades that does not feature Kyle and Jackie O on air together. Survey 2 included a couple of weeks of the show. Mike Etheridge and a variety of co-hosts have now steered the KIIS 1065 Sydney and 101.1 Melbourne ships for all bar two weeks of this survey and I think the results in those capital city markets Survey 3 are going to be a more pleasant surprise for ARN than most will be expecting. If that’s correct it be further be a challenge for Kyle Sandilands to show that he was the glue holding the show ratings together.

The Christian O’Connell Show will really want to see an uptick in Sydney on Gold 101.7.

I’m not sure which way this will go. There are certainly lots of listeners in that market who have been displaced this year. Survey 2 saw what I would guess were former Jonesy and Amanda listeners head to smooth 95.3, 2UE and ABC Classic, although some of those were also defecting from Craig Reucassel on 702 ABC Sydney who saw the largest loss of breakfast audience in the city. Whether those newly acquired listeners will stay or return to where they were remains to be seen.

Then Sydney’s drive home is a hotly contested battle now with smooth on top but Jonesy and Amanda and Fitzy, Wippa and Kate at Nova 969, also shifted from breakfast this year, both a red hot chance to knock smooth from the top of the perch. Clinton Maynard on 2GB was the most improved in Survey 2, and considering we are knee deep in rugby league season, he is also one to watch.

I’ll also be watching to see if 2SM pulls a sneaky return this survey too. Chris Smith said they were coming back, which was then categorically denied by CEO Graham Mott. I feel certain they won’t let anyone know beforehand to make sure they seize the moment.

To the rest of the capital cities now – in Adelaide and staying with ARN, this is the first survey for Ben and Liam on KIIS 1023 breakfast (pictured). They commenced on April Fools Day due to former contractual obligations to Nova Entertainment. Bec Morse did a great job keeping the seat warm in the interim and the boys will want to see a further reduction of the gap between them and the top five. One to watch also is Sonya and Jules at the ABC who were second in breakfast behind Roo, Ditts and Loz at Triple M. Because the AFL will have impact on listening in the city I expect that Triple M should pick up some of the audience who dropped away survey in 1&2 but the city likes their talk and the ABC keeps pinching from FIVEaa so the top might be even more tightly contested that it currently is.

Same for Brisbane. In Survey 2 we saw listeners thawing to Nova 106.9 after Ash Bradnam was let go at the end of last year. Triple M was the winner with their stable lineup. Last year the top in breakfast tended to shift between Nova and B105. This could be the year of Triple M in the city off the back of familiar trusted voices and local teams winning both the AFL and NRL grand finals in 2025, so an uptick in sporting radio engagement in that city.

In Perth it has now been over a year since Nathan Morris was heard on the Nathan, Nat & Shaun Nova 93.7 breakfast show. All the other Nova cap city stations have updated their imaging like Jodie and Hayesy in Adelaide above, but Perth still has the old branding and never a response when listeners ask what is going on.

Irrespective they remain No 1 in the city and have been for the last 50 odd surveys. Across the last year Joel Creasey had joined Nat and Shaun and had proved a popular addition, but with his own network show now, and with Pete and Kymba reverting to a duo and now clear second in the city, this survey might see more of a shake up at the top. With the Fremantle Dockers also sitting atop of the AFL ladder currently this survey is also likely to see an increase of sports listening in WA.

Finally to Melbourne. While I feel pretty confident that 3AW’s Ross and Russ will remain No 1 in breakfast and, probably, the station overall, the number 2 position is well up for grabs.

Clint Stanaway joined Jase and Lauren in the title of the Nova 100 show which may see them clinch that spot, rather than just the most listened to via the cume audience. The Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick have had a cracking start of the year and, if they continue their current form could also be the surprise packet. Or Christian O’Connell may retain No 1 FM on GOLD. Unfortunately this has also been a rough year so far for ABC Melbourne and, strangely, for smooth 91.5 breakfast hosted by Mike Perso. While Bogart Torelli and smooth in Sydney broke records for listenership last survey, for one reason or another the same isn’t happening in Melbourne. Both will be hoping for a return to form.

A final note, and this is looking ahead to Survey 4 and 5, is that the soccer world cup commences this week (June 11). While not everyone will be invested in the tournament, those that are can only listen to matches free to air on SEN and SEN affiliated stations. Alongside AFL and NRL coverage, this should be a couple of bigger survey results for SEN stations off the back of holding those rights.

Radioinfo’s coverage of GfK Radio 360 Survey 3 will be here from 9:30am on Thursday June 9.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]. You can subscribe to this publication for just $199 per annum (less for community stations, students and pensioners) and support local media. Celebrate Radioinfo in its 30th year.