Paul Jackson on Nova Entertainment’s Survey 2

If you haven't yet seen the results and analysis from Survey 2, see it all here.

You can also see the press releases and the ups and downs.

Earlier we heard what Craig Bruce from SCA had to say after the second survey result of 2014 and also from ARN's Duncan Campbell. Below, I chat with Paul Jackson, Nova Entertainment's Group Program Director, and get his key headlines from this survey.

Paul: If you take it overall from a group perspective, cume and share results nationally with Nova on 3.17 million, the Mix network on 2.68 million and Today is on 2.761 million. We'd look at that a year or so ago and we'd be behind the 8 ball but we've been adding cume book by book by book consistently for a couple of years now. To be 400,000 or so ahead and be that dominant with the share numbers as well is outstanding.

Mark: Nova 96.9 jumping WSFM to now be 2nd FM in Sydney would be one of the individual station highlights?

Paul: Yeah. The cume for Nova in Sydney is on 933,000 which hasn't been achieved for 10 years and is very close to the record number so delighted with that. I'm delighted with Fitzy & Wippa's performance, they have been outstanding for a very long time. Survey 1 was their record number and they have moved forward even more and 7.9 is their best ever number. With all the activity and the noise in the radio market in Sydney, Nova is doing very well and Fitzy & Wippa are leading the charge brilliantly. Nova 96.9 under 40 also dominates every other station.

Mark: smooth in Sydney is down a little bit but holding station in terms of place in the market 10+

Paul: Very pleased with smooth, it has put on 48,000 cume, so there's 637,000 people – that's ahead of Triple M and 2Day. It sounds ridiculous really but it's steaming along brilliantly. We've got 6.7 in both markets now and if anything the share is down a little bit in Sydney because we've put on so much cume.

Great to see the breakfast show in Sydney is a 5 share and it's a 5.1 in Melbourne so these all feel to me like they've settled nicely. We expect big daytime workplace listening, we expect big drive and nights listening and weekends as well. I would say, without hesitation, there's still more to come from smooth.

Mark: You'd be pleased to see Nova 100's Meshel & Tommy (right) equal number 1 FM breakfast with Triple M but it's a highly competitive FM breakfast market with Nova, Triple M and Fox all within 0.2 and you have Mix and Gold coming up from underneath.

Paul: It's very tough in Sydney but arguably Melbourne is the toughest of them all. These are, with all credit to them, 3 very good shows and we've seen Triple M hit big numbers along the way last year. Two of them are in their infancy but I do think the audience are possibly still flicking around and making their minds up.

Mark: smoothfm Melbourne breakfast is up 0.8 but went from a ranking of 10th to 6th.

Paul: I know. That's part of the changing habits of breakfast radio in Melbourne. That's just part of 2 big juggernauts like Nova and Fox changing their shows, so much marketing and I think smooth has certainly been swept up in a bit of that and has benefitted.

Everytime we speak on days like this it's always about smooth in Melbourne being one step behind Sydney. What we're seeing now is the same number at breakfast, the same number overall, so it suggests to me they are both coming of age a little bit. The format at breakfast is also starting to resonate with people.

Mark: Back to number 1 breakfast at Nova 106.9 Brisbane although still number 2 overall in the market just behind 97.3 in that '2 horse race'

Paul: (laughs) that's a pun that's not going to go away. Look, there's 2 stations that are over a 12 share, therefore it is a 2 horse race and there's no escaping it. One day that joke may come to backfire on me very badly but hopefully not anytime too soon.

One of the things I'm most pleased about the entire result is Ash, Kip and Luttsy (left) getting a 12.3 at breakfast because those are 3 fantastic guys who come up with some of the most creative radio in the country. Everyone I ever talk to in the business absolutely love them. That is a brilliant radio station. It's now also done 70 surveys as number 1 under 40.

Mark: In Adelaide, FIVEaa is up to number 2 in the market but breakfast is down a couple of points. How do see their result this survey?

Paul: We are very comfortable with FIVEaa, very comfortable with breakfast and the whole lineup. The overall 12.3 in the context of the marketplace, we're very happy indeed.

Mark: Nova Adelaide up again at breakfast and some strong lifts at night and weekends.

Much like the guys in Brisbane, I feel the same about Lewis & Lowe. They are a ball of energy, outstanding, creative, all the same things apply. We are decimating all comers in Adelaide. A 12 share overall versus where our competition is, we are delighted with. Again, the cume's are extraordinarily high, 324,000 for a station at the younger end of the market playing the hits is some achievement.

Mark: Nova 937 Perth have moved back in the rankings but triple j often have bursts from time to time. Your thoughts on that market?

Paul: I'm excited that we have the most listeners – 504,000. Nathan, Nat and Shaun (left) have the record number of the amount of listeners at breakfast with 309,000. We're number 1 18-54 with other outstanding numbers across the board.

Mark: What do you put that record 309,000 down to at breakfast in Perth? Was any particular marketing solutions used to increase that cume?

Paul: No not at all. We've had record cumes almost across the entire country over the last few months. Really it's a radio station that people feel safe listening to across all ages. I think we have a broad appeal musically, we definitely have a broad appeal in our entertainment. It's nothing other than hard work, understanding our listeners and performing everyday to a really good standard.