Thanks for that. Strong debut for 4MMM, SAFM and 96FM really.
Wonder what 4BH were playing at the time? They were doing the Beautiful Music thing by the mid-80s but wonder when it started.
4BK would have been the Soft Rock format or getting close to it.
It’s a pretty even split between the top 3 but I’m surprised that 4IP was that low coming out of the 1970s. I just figured it would have been close to the top in those days.
2CH was Beautiful Music 24/7
Wow they rated number one in 1983 amazing ? And looking through the 80s how well 2CH went.
Yes 4IP dominated in the 70s. I think they had a bit of a resurgence as Radio 10 in the 80s but FM104 fairly quickly dominated.
In celebration of our first radio ratings survey release in just over five months, I’ve gone through the relevant pages of archive.org to bring up the results from Survey #6, 2000.
1: 104.1 2DayFM & 2UE 954: Equal #1 with 13.8%
3: Triple M 104.9: 10.4%
4: Mix 106.5: 8.3%
5: 2BL 702 (ABC Sydney Local Radio): 7.9%
6: 2WS-FM 101.7: 7.4%
7: 2CH Easy 1170: 7.2%
8: Triple J 105.7: 5.9%
9: ABC FM 92.9: 2.7%
10: 2KY 1017: 1.7%
11: 2SM 1269: 1.6%
12: Radio National 576: 1.4%
13: ABC NewsRadio 630: 1.3%
Source: ACNielsen.
It was a very different radio landscape two decades ago. Nova 96.9 would not launch until 6-7 months after the release of this survey, while 95.3 was just under half a decade away. One station which was in the surveys back then but not now - 2SM.
2DayFM would be Sydney’s #1 radio station during six out of eight ratings surveys in 2000, with 2UE at #1 in Survey #7 (possibly in part due to Olympics coverage, which I believe 2UE had exclusive commercial radio rights for) and as you saw above, Survey #6 being a tie between the top AM & FM stations.
OK, I’m going to ask the question: What were Sydney’s radio ratings like 55 years ago when 2BL/ABC Radio Sydney last got a share of 12.2% or more?
Anderson Survey, Spring 1966
2GB - 26%
2UE - 21
2UW - 20
2BL - 13
2SM - 9
5 or less: 2CH, 2KY, 2FC
(2SM made a big splash when it launched its Top 40 format in 1964, but it quickly declined. For most of the early to mid 60s, it was a two horse race between 2GB and 2UE.)
I love these old ratings and appreciate you posting them. Wow - 1966.
If anyone has some Sydney ratings from 1982, 1983 or 1987 I would be so excited.
Well, prepare to do so, because here they are! 
1/1982
2UE: 15.7
2UW: 12.9
2CH: 12.7
2WS: 9.8
2BL: 9.2
2SM: 8.1
2MMM: 7.2
2GB: 6.4
2KY: 5.8
2DAY: 4.3
2FC: 2.4
2JJJ: 1.9
2/1982
2UE: 14.3
2UW: 13.1
2CH: 12.0
2GB: 8.5
2MMM: 8.2
2SM: 8.1
2WS: 7.9
2KY: 6.9
2DAY: 6.1
2BL: 6.0
2FC: 3.2
2JJJ: 2.4
3/1982
2UE: 13.4
2UW: 11.9
2CH: 10.9
2GB: 9.1
2WS: 9.0
2SM: 8.3
2MMM: 8.2
2KY: 7.6
2BL: 7.0
2DAY: 6.5
2FC: 2.5
2JJJ: 2.4
4/1982
2CH: 13.6
2UE: 12.7
2UW: 9.9
2WS: 9.8
2MMM: 9.2
2SM: 7.9
2KY: 7.8
2DAY: 6.5
2BL: 5.7
2JJJ: 3.0
2FC: 1.9
1/1983
2CH: 13.7
2UE: 10.6
2WS: 9.5
2MMM: 8.8
2DAY: 8.6
2KY: 8.4
2UW: 7.7
2SM: 7.5
2GB: 7.3
2BL: 6.5
2JJJ: 2.8
2FC: 2.1
2/1983
2UE: 12.4
2CH: 12.1
2UW: 9.7
2MMM: 9.0
2DAY: 8.8
2WS: 8.4
2GB: 7.8
2KY: 6.9
2SM: 6.8
2BL: 6.6
2JJJ: 3.2
2FC: 2.2
3/1983
2CH: 11.7
2UE: 11.5
2MMM: 10.7
2GB: 10.4
2WS: 10.0
2SM: 7.6
2UW: 7.0
2KY: 6.6
2BL: 6.5
2JJJ: 2.9
2FC: 2.5
4/1983
2CH: 11.7
2WS: 10.9
2UE: 10.8
2GB: 10.6
2MMM: 8.8
2DAY: 8.1
2SM: 7.8
2UW: 7.8
2KY: 7.7
2BL: 5.5
2JJJ: 2.4
2FC: 2.3
1/1987
2GB: 13.9
2CH: 11.4
2MMM: 11.0
2DAY: 11.0
2WS: 9.2
2KY: 8.5
2UW: 7.7
2SM: 6.2
2BL: 5.1
2UE: 4.7
2JJJ: 2.9
2FC: 1.5
2/1987
2GB: 13.5
2MMM: 12.0
2DAY: 11.4
2CH: 11.0
2KY: 9.4
2WS: 9.2
2UW: 7.6
2UE: 6.4
2SM: 4.9
2BL: 3.3
2JJJ: 2.9
3/1987
2GB: 14.0
2MMM: 13.6
2CH: 10.4
2UW: 9.6
2DAY: 9.4
2KY: 8.0
2WS: 7.7
2UE: 6.8
2SM: 4.7
2BL: 4.2
2JJJ: 2.5
2FC: 1.9
4/1987
2MMM: 12.9
2GB: 10.9
2KY: 10.9
2DAY: 10.8
2CH: 10.4
2UW: 9.1
2WS: 7.3
2SM: 5.8
2BL: 5.2
2UE: 4.9
2JJJ: 2.3
2FC: 2.0
Would love to see some of the Brisbane ratings in the mid to late 80s if you had any of those…
Dear TV-Expert,
You are simply brilliant.
I thank you.
BRISBANE
S1/1984
4BH - 15.6
4KQ - 15.6
4MMM - 14.8
4BC - 13.8
4IO - 13.3
4QR - 12.6
4BK - 6.0
S1/1985
4MMM - 17.5
4BH - 16.7
4KQ - 13.6
4IO - 12.8
4BC - 11.1
4QR - 10.1
4BK - 10.0
S1/1986
4MMM - 27.6
4BH - 14.6
4BC - 12.5
4BK - 9.9
4QR - 9.6
4KQ - 9.3
4IO - 8.5
If I remember correctly, 4MMM was rating 30+ plus by 1988?
I think SAFM achieved similar figures in Adelaide around that time as well.
I suspect 96FM didn’t have the same level of success in Perth.
Blockquote
Correct, 4MMM had five surveys in '88-'89 over a 30 share. That all ended when B105 signed on. 96FM did average a 30 share in '89.
that’s quite a leap in the space of a year.
Here is the Brisbane radio ratings for that survey.
#1 B105: 17.9
#2 97.3: 13.2
#3 4MMM: 12.9
#4 4KQ: 11.1
#5 4BC: 9.6
#6 ABC612: 6.7
#7 4JJJ: 5.6
#8 4BH: 5.4
#9 4RN: 3.4
#10 ABCFM: 3.3
#11 NEWSR: 2.1
Other Stations: 8.8%
It’s worth noting that Nova had yet to arrive in Brisbane (the 106.9 licence was yet to be auctioned at that point), whilst the Other Stations’ ratings were not nearly as high as they are now.
4BC doing very well in 2003. Nine would be happy to see that share return in the modern era.
S6/1998 was the survey in which Mix 106.5 got double-figures for the first time since converting to FM, and also the first time the station reached double-figures since S3/1990, when it was still on AM as 2UW. This was also the first time that Mix 106.5 outrated 2WS since FM conversion & also since S3/1990.
The overall ratings from S6/1998 for Sydney were as follows:
#1: 2UE: 13.2
#2: 2Day: 12.3
#3: Mix 106.5: 10.7
#4: 2MMM: 9.8
#5: 2WS: 9.0
#6: 2CH: 6.5
#7: 2BL: 6.2
#8: 2JJJ: 5.0
#9: 2GB: 3.8
#10: ABC FM: 3.1
#11: 2KY: 2.8
#12: 2SM: 2.2
#13: 2RN: 1.8
#14: ABC NewsRadio: 1.1
For some historical context, this is how the Sydney breakfast radio ratings ladder looked during Survey #2, 2002:
#1: 104.1 2DayFM, The Morning Crew with Wendy Harmer, Pete Moon & Paul Holmes (14.1%)
#2: 2UE 954, Steve Price…I think (11.5%)
#3: 702 ABC Sydney, Angela Catterns (10.3%)
#4: 2GB 873, Ray Hadley/Alan Jones…the latter of whom would be #1 overall in Survey #3. (10.1%)
#5: Triple M 104.9, Amanda Keller & Mikey Robins (8.1%)
#6: 101.7 WSFM, The Classic Breakfast with Hans & Kayley (6.9%)
#7: Nova 96.9, Merrick & Rosso (6.7%)
#8: Mix 106.5, The Breakfast Mix with Jason Bouman & Mardi Cole/Sammy Power…yes, it was a transitionary period for them too! (4.4%)
#9: 2CH 1170, John Burgess (4.3%)
Equal #10: Triple J 105.7 + ABC NewsRadio 630…with whoever the breakfast presenters on their respective stations were at the time (3.4%)
#12: Radio National 576…with whoever their brekky presenter(s) were at the time (2.6%)
#13: ABC Classic FM 92.9…with whoever their brekky presenter(s) were at the time (2.1%)
#14: 2KY 1017, The Big Sports Breakfast with Richard Freedman & Terry Kennedy (1.9%)
#15: 2SM 1269, Breakfast with Grant Goldman (1%)
Overall (Monday-Sunday, All People 10+) Sydney Survey #2, 2002 ratings:
#1: 104.1 2DayFM, 13.2%
#2: 2UE 954, 10.7%
#3: Triple M 104.9, 8.8%
#4: 702 ABC Sydney, 8.7%
#5: Nova 96.9, 8.3%
#6: 2GB 873, 7.1%
Equal #7: Mix 106.5 & 101.7 WSFM, 6.4%
#9: 2CH 1170, 5.4%
#10: Triple J 105.7, 4.6%
#11: ABC NewsRadio 630, 2.4%
#12: ABC Classic FM 92.9, 2.2%
#13: Radio National 576, 2%
#14: 2KY 1017, 2%
#15: 2SM 1269, 1.1%
Other Stations: 10.8%
Source: ACNielsen.
A very different radio landscape back then, 95.3 still a few years away from launching and 2SM still participating in surveys. I’m sure SCA would love to have their Survey #2, 2002 ratings for 2DayFM and Triple M again, with 2MMM’s S2/2002 audience share being higher than the combined figure for both 2Day & MMM in Survey 4, 2021!
By contrast, it’s highly likely that ARN and the ABC would prefer to be in their current radio ratings position as most of their analogue stations received higher ratings during the latest survey (with both the ABC & ARN having the added bonus of some particularly strong digital offerings in the Sydney market) than they did in Survey #2, 2002.
Triple J Breakfast would have been Adam Spencer (who later went onto 702 Breakfast) and up and coming comedian Wil Anderson.