Hit 97.9 is the most listened to station across the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland in the first Xtra Insights survey of the region in three years. What was additionally notable was the increase in radio listening across the board. Local breakfast shows hosted by AJ on the Super Radio Network‘s 4AM and Charlie McKillop (pictured) on ABC Far North also increasing their share of ear.

Bronte and Lakey had the largest breakfast audience, 19.5%. While that show is networked from the Gold Coast, Bronte Langbroek has been a feature of breakfast in the region since last survey, when she was paired with Guy ‘Cliffo’ Clifton in Townsville. The gap between Hit and 4AM and the ABC narrowed with Charlie McKillop up 2.8 to 18.1% and AJ, 3.2 to 14.1%.

This was also a good survey for triple j picking up a significant number of the 10-17 age audience from Hit. Hit however dominated the 18-54s, SCA’s audience that matters.

With 2SM still not featuring in the Sydney metro surveys (yet) the Super Radio Network will be very happy with Chris Smith‘s results on mornings on 4AM. He was the leader there, up 2.7 to a 17.9% share of ear. That was the only day part, including weekends, where Hit was not the top station and bodes well in 2026 for perhaps seeing Chris’s results in other markets too.

SCA Head of Regional Content Blair Woodcock said “In our final regional survey of 2025, we’ve delivered another outstanding result, this time in Atherton where we achieved a 45.7% reach in the coveted 25–54 demo, the Audience That Matters, solidifying our position as the #1 network with the 25–54s.”

“Hit 97.9 Tablelands continues to maintain its position as the Number 1 station P10+ and P25–54, with significant growth in the 25–54 demo across Bronte & Lakey in Breakfast (up 2.7 points to 29.9%) and with Carrie & Tommy in Drive (35.8%, up 8.5 points)”

“A huge thank you to all our regional teams across the country for an outstanding year. In 2025, SCA dominated in 11 regional markets, claiming both the #1 P10+ and P25–54 network across every surveyed market – an extraordinary achievement that is a testament to the passion, dedication and commitment of our teams who work tirelessly to entertain, inform, and inspire audiences nationwide.”

radioinfo has received some comments from broadcasters in the area wondering whether their station was the recipient of the ‘other’ 34% of unnamed stations. So we asked Paul Amos from Xtra Research. He said it “is a common misconception… so much so, that on the first page of all our public release results we now publish the following: 

Please note, the percentage balance of Station Listened to Most not reported in this table is the total amount of all Other listening and represents multiple stations.

This includes local narrowcasters, community, and out of market radio listening either via App, online streaming, DAB+ or AM/ FM transmitter.

For example, in Atherton the fringing Cairns stations, commercial & community, would be included amongst all the stations that made up that unreported balance.”