Strangely, both the new FMs suffered drops in Survey 1/1981
3XY 15.2 (15.5)
3UZ 12.8 (12.9)
3AW 11.4 (10.5)
3MP 11.0 (11.7)
3AK 10.3 (12.0)
3KZ 9.6 (7.2)
3LO 8.5 (8.0)
3DB 8.1 (9.5)
3EON 3.8 (4.5)
3AR 3.5 (2.5)
3FOX 3.0 (3.4)
Other AM 1.4 (1.3)
Other FM 1.4 (1.0)
By the end of the year (4/1981), EON was up to 6.8, FOX was 4.7.
By comparison, in Sydney by the end of 1981, 2DAY rose to 5.7, whilst 2MMM rose to 6.0. Then by the end of 1982, 2MMM rose to 9.2, whilst 2DAY only rose to 6.5, but then 2DAY jumped to 8.6 in S1/1983.
2MMM scored its first double-digit overall share in S3/1983 (10.7), in which they were ranked 3rd overall behind 2CH & 2UE, before scoring its first ever overall #1 in S4/1984 (13.5).
BRISBANE - S3/80
In Adelaide, SAFM debuted with a 7.5 in S3/80; in Perth, 96FM debuted with a 12.9
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.
Itâs a pretty even split between the top 3 but Iâm 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, Iâve 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 Sydneyâs #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, Iâm going to ask the question: What were Sydneyâs 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 thoseâŚ
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 didnât 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.
thatâs 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%
Itâs 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 Stationsâ 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.