Radio Ratings: SCA hits the double sweet spot in Melbourne with #1 and #2 FM Breakfast

Staff Writer

Welcome to the first GfK metro radio survey of 2019.

Radio Today‘s comprehensive rolling coverage returns this year, and as always, we will reveal all the market #1s and GfK ratings cards from 9:30am.

We will also bring you the big talking points, headlines, and top takeaways from each metro market; Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Keep checking back throughout the day for market analysis, as well as DAB+ ratings and how the networks will play a game we like to call The Spin.

Survey #1 for 2019 was conducted by GfK for Commercial Radio Australia between Sunday, January 20 and Saturday, March 2.


SYDNEY:

  • Smoothfm is still Sydney’s #1 station overall on FM, rising to a 9.7% (+0.6) share of listening among People 10+.
  • There were overall dips for Nova 96.9 (-2.1) and KIIS FM (-1.1) but Kyle & Jackie O remained strong on Breakfast, holding 10.1% (-0.4) in top spot.
  • Fitzy & Wippa also lost listeners, falling to 6.4% (-2.0).
  • Triple M Sydney listeners may take some time to warm to a new show helmed by Lawrence Mooney, with the Breakfast show falling to 4.7% (-1.5).
  • It was better news for SCA at 2DayFM, with the station up to 5.9% overall (+0.5), and a huge jump to 11.3% (+4.0) in their 25-39 bullseye demo, but both SCA stations are now behind Ben & Liam (5.2%) on triple j Breakfast.
  • Meantime, Ben Fordham and Ross Greenwood wrestled back Drive for 2GB from the ABC.

#1 FM Overall – smoothfm
#1 AM Overall – 2GB
#1 FM Breakfast – KIIS: Kyle & Jackie O
#1 AM Breakfast – 2GB: Alan Jones
#1 FM Drive – smoothfm: Byron Webb
#1 AM Drive – 2GB: Ben Fordham/Ross Greenwood


MELBOURNE:

  • It’s a huge survey win for Southern Cross Austereo in Melbourne, as Fox FM retains its #1 Breakfast spot, moving into double digits with a 10.2% share of listening (+0.7).
  • Fox also claims market-leading positions overall on the FM band, with double digits (+0.8), and for Hughesy & Kate who remain top dogs at Drive.
  • Triple M’s Hot Breakfast moves into #2 spot on FM Brekky (and Kennedy Molloy are up to #2 on Drive), while there were swings away from Gold’s Christian O’Connell, KIIS FM’s Jase & PJ and also smoothfm in that daypart.
  • KIIS was also the biggest loser overall, down to 4.8% (-1.3), while triple j was up +0.9 overall and Ben & Liam on Brekky were up to 5.6 (+1.2).

#1 FM Overall – Fox FM
#1 AM Overall – 3AW
#1 FM Breakfast – Fox FM: Fifi, Fev & Byron
#1 AM Breakfast – 3AW: Ross & John
#1 FM Drive – Fox: Hughesy & Kate
#1 AM Drive – 3AW: Tom Elliott


BRISBANE:

  • Nova pulls away from a typically congested pack in Brisbane, knocking Triple M out of market-leading positions overall with 12.9% (+1.6), and on Breakfast with 12.9% (+2.9).
  • The departure of Lawrence Mooney is followed by a big swing away from Triple M Breakfast of (-2.4), but the show remains in second spot.
  • It’s better news for SCA with Hit105 rising to 11.2% (+1.2) at Brekky.
  • It was a decent book for 97.3FM overall, with the ARN station rejoining the pack in double digits overall with 10.4% (+0.7) despite a fall to 9.0% on Breakfast (-0.5).
  • On the AM side of things, 4KQ’s Laurel, Gary & Mark reclaim #1 at Breakfast from the ABC.

#1 FM Overall –  Nova
#1 AM Overall – 4KQ
#1 FM Breakfast – Nova: Ash, Kip, Luttsy & Susie
#1 AM Breakfast – 4KQ: Laurel, Gary & Mark
#1 FM Drive – Nova: Kate, Tim & Marty
#1 AM Drive – 4KQ: Nick Michaels


ADELAIDE:

  • In a result that will surprise nobody, the ever-consistent Mix 102.3 is the #1 station in Adelaide overall with a 13.3% share of listening among People 10+.
  • Jodie & Soda also retain their FM Brekky mantle, on 13.3% (+0.5).
  • Hit107 had a strong book among the rest of the contenders, rising to 9.4% overall (+1.3) and with new Breakfast show Rebecca Morse & Andrew Costello on 7.8% (+2.1).
  • Will & Woody weren’t able to arrest their fall on Drive, dipping to 12.1% (-1.1) as Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty streak ahead on a whopping 15.2% (+3.0).
  • ABC Adelaide pulled off an impressive result, #1 overall on AM, while Ali Clarke is the #1 Breakfast show across the entire market with a rise to 14.4% (+1.0).

#1 FM Overall – Mix
#1 AM Overall – ABC Adelaide
#1 FM Breakfast – Mix: Jodie & Soda
#1 AM Breakfast – ABC: Ali Clarke
#1 FM Drive – Nova: Kate, Tim & Marty
#1 AM Drive – FIVEaa: Rowey & Bicks


PERTH:

  • Mix94.5 ended 2018 at the #1 FM station overall, and it has further solidified its market-leading status on Brekky & Drive.
  • Clairsy, Matt & Kymba jumped to a 15.1% share of listening (+1.8), ahead of Nova Breakfast who fell -1.7 to a still respectable 13.2%.
  • Kennedy Molloy claimed the #1 spot on Drive with 14.6% (+1.0), pulling out ahead of Kate, Tim & Marty with just -0.2 separating the two shows.
  • The results weren’t as rosy for Hit, falling to 9.4% (-1.6) overall and also dropping -1.0 on Breakfast, while 96FM dropped on Breakfast and Drive, as well as falling to 7.8% (-0.8) overall.
  • triple j had a fantastic book, rising to an 11% share (+2.0) while Ben & Liam (+2.7) are now above Hit and 96FM on Breakfast.
  • The return of Russell Woolf to ABC Perth has paid dividends, with the station claiming #1 AM Drive and Breakfast, and retaining top spot overall.

#1 FM Overall – Mix94.5
#1 AM Overall – ABC Perth
#1 FM Breakfast – Mix94.5: Clairsy, Matt & Kymba
#1 AM Breakfast – ABC: Nadia Mitsopoulos & Russell Woolf
#1 FM Drive – Mix94.5: Kennedy Molloy
#1 AM Drive – ABC: Geoff Hutchison

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Recent comments (15)
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French Kisser
12 Mar 2019 - 10:21 am

KIIS 1065 in trouble outside of breakfast. Arvo numbers worse than 2Day and equal in drive? KIIS in Melbourne completely out of the race at this point.

2019
12 Mar 2019 - 10:41 am

Well done to Cale from Nova 91.9 Adelaide who had a fantastic result after his job was made redundant and simulcast out of Melbourne last week.

Mick
12 Mar 2019 - 11:01 am

Nova 969. Mega ouch. Any possibility those numbers are a little bit exaggerated?

Data Nerd
12 Mar 2019 - 11:17 am

Mmmmm. GFK. Me thinks you had trouble getting the younger end to get off the beach and fill out diaries this survey????

RPFDM
12 Mar 2019 - 12:57 pm

WSFM mornings/arvos/drive were increased this survey. Well done.

DK
12 Mar 2019 - 1:23 pm

Hit 929 breakfast has to be a concern. It’s now the only Hit Network breakfast show that isn’t proving competitive or showing any signs of growth. How much longer till a change is made?

Neil Docherty
12 Mar 2019 - 2:23 pm

2CH is the dark horse in the pack….watch this little baby hum!

Bazza
12 Mar 2019 - 2:32 pm

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Triple M’s little Robin experiment is well and truely failed.

Neil McKenna
12 Mar 2019 - 2:45 pm

Both sports stations in Melbourne are basket cases. It’s time to pull the plug and replicate the 4KQ format which consistently rates over 8 %.

Paul
12 Mar 2019 - 6:34 pm

Welldone 2DayFM arvos to all involved. What a win. And Welldone to the team in nights, beating Smallzy. What a day

Mike
12 Mar 2019 - 9:42 pm

Is that true about Nova Adelaide afternoons being networked out of Melbourne? Why was there no radio today article? That would be a pretty big deal wouldn’t it?

Joey
13 Mar 2019 - 4:03 am

I wondering if Marie Kondo needs to visit KIIS 101.1 and declutter any of the program schedule not sparking joy with listeners.

It’s been a ratings challenge for 101.1 way before the personnel changes of 2018 or the rebrand of 2015.

Yet this ratings dip below a 5 share has only happened once before across a 30 year period for this station since 1989.

What to do? Perhaps it’s time they take a chance on K&J for Melbourne breakfast. it couldn’t do any worse than the local breakfast show they have now. it’s no longer controversial to run national drive shows. it can’t be such a giant leap to try it out.

Jase and PJ are great in my opinion but I think would better serve ARN doing an extended drive shift 3pm til 6pm in Sydney and Melbourne combined. playing more music than their competition yet still having fun – it would be a real point of difference.

Danni
13 Mar 2019 - 12:38 pm

Who are these “survey responders”???

The wrong stations and the wrong shows are being heralded as #1.

Suzy
13 Mar 2019 - 5:10 pm

Congratulations to Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck coming in at number 2 in breakfast behind Alan Jones and in front of Kyle and Jackie O.
She is still the queen of radio.

True
13 Mar 2019 - 5:16 pm

Jase & PJ… disappointing for them. Great show, great potential but they are boxed with a badly programmed station. 1011 has no soul, who are they targeting and who’s really running the joint there?

Jobs

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