SCA concedes it’s been difficult to build new audiences, but says 2DayFM remains ‘highest priority’

Former Editor & Content Director

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has told investors it’s been a difficult time to build audiences for its new shows across the Hit and Triple M networks, but says it is adjusting its content and music accordingly.

CEO Grant Blackley said the radio giant is monitoring audience responses in line with the changes.

“Particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, it’s been a difficult time to encourage trial and build audiences for new Breakfast and Drive shows. Government lockdowns and working from home have reduced time spent commuting between home and work in cars, and audiences have tended to migrate from FM music and entertainment formats to AM news and talkback formats,” he said.

In the past 12 months, SCA has introduced a new Breakfast show on Triple M Melbourne, with The Marty Sheargold Show replacing Hot Breakfast featuring Eddie McGuire and Luke Darcy.

In Melbourne it also revamped its Fox FM Breakfast show, bringing in Nick Cody to replace Byron Cooke.

In Perth, it launched Triple M featuring a Breakfast show of Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas, Xavier Ellis and Jenna Clarke, and the Mix 94.5 Breakfast show – now part of the Hit Network – picked up Pete Curulli in place of Dean ‘Clairsy’ Clairs, who moved over to 96FM.

It is Sydney’s 2DayFM, however, which remains the primary focus.

The new Breakfast show The Morning Crew features Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes, Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan.

“2DayFM remains our highest priority given its underperformance for several years against well-established and strong competitors in Sydney,” Blackley said.

In the most recent ratings, 2DayFM had a 3.4% share, up 0.8 points. In Breakfast, its share was 2.9%, up 0.5.

The station’s cumulative audience was 658,000, up 76,000. Its Breakfast show had a cumulative audience of 207,000, up 11,000.

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It's time
13 Oct 2021 - 7:49 pm

The large-cap city station business model seems to be on the way out and there just isn’t room for three CHR stations in Sydney anymore. Just about every widely popular format in Sydney is already catered for and it seems like 2Day were left without a chair when the music stopped.

An electronica station like Wild FM might be a good niche to move into, but even then in this day and age of streaming, I’m not sure that would find a large enough audience.

Rob
14 Oct 2021 - 7:31 am

Does Grant think there is anyone on Love Island that might be good for the 2Day breakfast show next year?

Tip
15 Oct 2021 - 1:00 pm

Rebrand would be best decision for 2dayfm. Not a “new 2dayfm”, develop a whole new name and what it stands for.

Joey
15 Oct 2021 - 3:37 pm

The particular problem is that 2Day is in a straightjacket.

Especially defining the problem as narrowly as saying “it’s been a difficult time to encourage trial and build audiences for new Breakfast and Drive shows”

The lockdown just the latest symptom being confused with the root causes.

Ditch the corporate branding for starters. That was sustainable while Kyle and Jackie O ruled in Sydney and Matt and Jo ruled in Melbourne way back when.

Stations like 2Day and Fox ought to regain the brand personality that launched them in 1980.

This would be a further step beyond the one that brought back B105 and SAFM in 2020 (note the names brought back yet the uniform corporate branding remains).

2Day visually needs to get its head back in the sun and clouds as originally, or at least something visually more outstanding than the HIT branding. Otherwise what is the point of the name?

This is an especially important suggestion because there’s so little room to move on format.

CHR is in a dilemma. Nova’s own ratings decline indicates that. More than ever trying to target everybody possible and ending up appealing to one one in particular.

Yet in this age when youth can source music from multiple sources, a pure CHR or even more specialised format may not most effectively position 2Day either.

Mike
16 Oct 2021 - 6:04 pm

The thing with 2dayfm is the constant changing. Like 6 breakfast shows all fails since Kyle and Jackie o left to go launch kiis. If you have a boring morning show and shit music format your can’t expect it to compete. They should have gone for a less adds more music news traffic in between format. Could have played 2 mins of adds in a row during breakfast. Kept the same dj and maybe had a guest host. Kept talk breaks small to less than 3-5 mins more music. I like Dave but I think his just there for the cash now. Since Kate left his not the same. Kyle and Jackie o do so well because Kyle has no filter and people like that. His honest he may not be everyone’s cup of tea but his making kiis millions.

The Bleeding Obvious
18 Oct 2021 - 12:39 pm

The last two lines of the article sum up the appalling position 2Day is in. Only 31% of its cume listens to the breakfast show.

KIIS…45% of its cume listens to Kyle & Jackie O.

yogi
19 Oct 2021 - 2:47 pm

I am not in the industry, but have a format idea that I wanted to share with someone who might have some influence with such things – for 2Day.

Who can I communicate words back and forth with? Thanks!

It's not that difficult!
8 Dec 2021 - 10:17 am

A few mins ago 2Day played Flashdance ….I thought I was on Smooth. To compound the error the song was immediately followed by a “playing the hits from the 90s to now” sweeper. Last time I checked Flashdance was a hit in 1983.

2Day is an absolute mess.

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