Gosford Ratings: Star 104.5 overtakes Hit to become Central Coast’s top station
The New South Wales Central Coast has a new market leader in radio.
NOVA Entertainment’s Star 104.5 is now the station 18.3% of surveyed listeners say they listen to the most, up 1.7 points from when a survey was last conducted in October, 2019.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), meanwhile, suffered a fall for its Hit 101.3 brand, which was down 2.0 points to 16.0%.
Its sister station, Triple M 107.7, was up slightly to 12.5%.
Last survey, Hit 101.3 was still known as 101.3 Sea FM. Since then, it has been fully folded into the Hit Network and runs the syndicated regional NSW Breakfast show.
Until recently, the Hit NSW Breakfast show featured Daniel ‘Gawndy Gawned and Ash Pollard, however Pollard decided not to return full-time from maternity leave and was replaced by radio stalwart and former 2DayFM host, Maz Compton.
This show lost its top spot between last survey and this one, slipping 2.4 points from 18.6% to 16.2%.
The new #1 Breakfast show in the region is Star’s Rabbit & Sarah, featuring Dave ‘Rabbit’ Rabbetts and Sarah Forster. It climbed 1.6 points to boast an 18.0% share.
In third place was Triple M’s Paddy & Rob Palmer on 11.2%, down 0.5 points.
Star 104.5 also nabbed the lead in Drive, with Hayden Else commanding a 20.2% share (up 1.6 points), ahead of the Hit Network’s Carrie & Tommy followed by highlights from The Morning Crew with Hughesy, Ed & Erin (down 2.8 points to 18.5%).
Triple M’s Molloy and The Marty Sheargold Show was up 0.3 points to 12.6%.
Star 104.5 also had the largest cumulative audience, up 12,000 to 85,500.
Hmmm, networked HIT breakfast shows in Qld NOT working, see latest Mackay radio ratings and NOW, networked breakfast show hurting in its own market while catering for a statewide audience?
The Regional Hit Network is getting it’s butt kicked by everyone at the moment. Maybe don’t sack all your breakfast shows and change the music to being super old and boring?
There is just no good news for SCA in 2021. Maybe Covid has ONLY affected the SCA network? Get vaccinated guys!
Looks like Hit is #1 in breakfast 18-54 still… so does that make star #1 for pensioners and children?
Not surprised, The have gone from a SeaFM local show to a Hit networked show. -2.4 in breaky is pretty good doing I think. No onion the coast is “familiar” with Hit, SeaFM was an institution for many (like Gold Coast). Gawndy and Maz is a good solid show, well done guys.
Sorry but i dont listen to either of them
For me its Coast FM 96.3
No BS
Gold Coast, Mackay, Bundaberg, and Central Coast SCA are getting their ass handed to them on a platter and they are just sitting back accepting it and watching it unfold in front of them.
What was once a powerhouse, is now a defunct operation that lacks the quality leadership needed to turn these once great stations around.
It would appear that ratings aren’t a KPI of the current SCA leaders, as if it was there is no way they would still be in those positions.
Radiotoday is biased
Coast FM is the station i listen to
Really pleased to see Star 1045 finally make it to Number 1 on the Central Coast. I was there at the beginning and its a big challenge building a station from ground zero so this result has been well earned.
A massive congratulations to the team at SCA in Gosford! In the course of 12 months you’ve copied Star FM’s music, jingles and messaging and had an epic failure as a result of imitating the station that was ranked #2 in the market.
As in all your markets, what was once dominant brands are quickly becoming dormant brands that lack innovation, integrity and direction.
It must be comforting knowing that you’ll always be “The biggest radio duopoly in Gosford” as long as Star FM is a single station.
Re: Congratulations.
Isn’t funny that the entire SCA network decided to copy Stars jingles, branding and messaging?
It is almost like Star copied an English station
That copied an American station.
So yep makes sense the entire Hit network copied the number 2 station in Gosford. LOL
Mick… Coast FM is a community station (ratings are for commercial stations – and government stations). I’d suggest understanding the basics of radio before commenting on an industry site.
Congratulations to Star FM, they are the station of choice in all our lifts
If you were a sales manager I know which survey result I would rather… And it is not Stars
Might be a good ego boost for them but didn’t win any key demos
I once heard an announcer on Hit introduce Flashdance as a song by Irene Hulme
No, I’m not joking
@Then To Now: Was the announcer Jimi Love?
Can’t believe Star have copied the biggest radio duopoly on the Central Coast and invented an app to stream the radio from. Star Player? Come on guys.