3AW General Manager Shane Healy wasn’t too happy about the Fox FM media release as it was posted on radioinfo’s Spin Cycle. His AM station has been number one by a country mile in Melbourne for as long as anyone can remember. So when he read “It’s a testament to the powerhouse combination of The Fox’s on and off air teams that they are celebrating an incredible 40 surveys as the number one breakfast show,” he felt he just had to ring someone. So he rang us.
Of course, the 3AW breakfast show hosted by John Burns and Ross Stevenson has almost double the audience of Matt & Jo on FOX-FM. “So how can FOX claim that it is number one,” asks Shane?
Well, the answer’s simple, Fox claims to be number one on the FM band which it is – albeit number three in breakfast overall with a 10.8 share behind 3AW with 19.1 and ABC 774, also on the AM band with a 15.1.
“Where does it say that in their media release?” asks Shane.
“FOX FM Content Director, Dave Cameron said, “Matt & Jo continue to lead the way in breakfast entertainment, proving yet again that they know what Melbourne likes to wake up to.”
No mention there, but it does say it (see full release below) in the headline up the top:
THE FOX’S MATT & JO SHOW CELEBRATE 5 YEARS ?AS #1 FM BREAKFAST SHOW!
Shane was also miffed at the line about “The drive shift with Fifi & Jules plus Hamish & Andy remains the first choice for Melbourne, so it is no surprise that FOX FM has been number one for more than six years.” Drive with Derryn Hinch is also a winner for 3AW.
But because the headline on the Fox media release says FM, any radio station other than those on the FM band doesn’t qualify as a competitor – which is quite convenient for FM stations in Melbourne and Sydney where AM talk dominates survey after survey.
SCA’s network Content Director Craig Bruce doesn’t see an issue telling radioinfo, “We always focus on FM rather than 10 plus. For us it’s about beating ARN and DMG. That’s how we’ve always addressed it. I mean Kyle and Jack has been the number one breakfast show for a number of years and is referred to as the number one breakfast show. I think there was an article the other day about Amanda and Jonesy knocking them off their number one perch. That’s number one FM.
I think Shane’s just looking for a way in to remind everyone that AW win overall – and that’s fine, they do, but we’re focused on FM,” says Craig.
