Metro Radio Ratings: Survey 1, 2022

Perhaps 4BH is also dropping because of its new frequency causing worse AM reception.

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Maybe but that hasn’t shown up till now and it’s been quite a while since the switch.

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Don’t listen to local radio that much. I am the older demographic who would, the next gen do streaming with earbuds, so not surprisingly NovaFM which would be the obvious favourite is feeling the effect of demographic changes. Yes more people do listen to top 40 tunes which only Nova FM really plays, but radio is an decreasing fraction of that for the under 40s that do. 96fm I presume play the classic hits which resonates for over 40s pining for when music was so much better in the 70s, 80s and maybe 90s. Pure music, no music videos (which is TV).

And that is consistent with increasing ratings for talkback format stations, side B of the over 40s who listen to 96fm music format. Do under 40s even listen to talkback? Maybe only podcasts and youtube vids.

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The new format seems to be helping 2Day. Going up while WS and Smooth fell slightly. I think this is exactly who they should be targeting to keep growing.

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It’s worth noting that in Brisbane, the “Other Stations” ratings is at 21.2%, probably its highest ever recorded.

On among some of the demos, re “Other Stations” ratings in Brisbane:

25-39s: 20.7%
40-54s: 26.7%
55-64s: 22.6%

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It would be fascinating to know how the cumes have changed for each demographic over the last 20 years.
For example, this survey shows that there are 471 000, 10-17 year olds who listen to the radio in Sydney each week. The largest group are the 25 - 39 year olds - with 1.2M listeners.
What were these figures a decade ago? Two decades ago?

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Not surprised with those high figures, particularly the 40-54s. So many better choices for “us”. River, Rebel, Breeze, 99.7

3 of the 4 local commercial FMs don’t cater for over 40s and Triple M is average at best, with too much talk.

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Quite an extensive report on Studio 10 this morning again. Sydney’s 2GB and KIIS got a mention on Nine.


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I think the fun needs to be brought back to afternoons on 3AW. The “newsier” format in the afternoon appears to be just too much for most. It’s not a disastrous score, but you wouldn’t want it dropping much further.

I think there needs to be a reprieve from the hard hitting “news of the day opinions” and DeeDees editorials. Bring more fun segments in and more time for the content that isn’t as news heavy

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I may have asked this before, but is the reception that dramatically different on 1116?

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Also doesn’t help that the show is ridiculously overloaded with segments. Today for example there would be all the regular segments on a Thursday on technology, news of the day, stains, crime, trending, plus Dee Dee’s questions at the start of the program, all packed into three hours.

Even two years after the presenter change I’m still reading comments saying bring back Denis Walter to Afternoons. I’d also wonder what the ratings would be like if someone like Elise Elliott hosted the program…

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I don’t think Dee Dee is the problem. I think it’s the content. Dennis took his producers (understandably) and I just think the afternoon show takes itself too seriously now. I do agree there are too many segment and they are frequently rushed like it’s a list they need to tick off daily

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Meanwhile, for the first time (that I can recall) SEN Breakfast and RSN Breakfast tied!!

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Not that I’ve noticed to be honest. I’m not sure what it’s like at the fringes but it seems on par with 882 across the metro area to me. It’s also great in the tunnels lol… often the only time I’m on AM rather than DAB, except when I’m out cycling or walking with my old-school walkman.

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Spot on … indeed More than solid in my city of Sydney where 2UE just increased its people 10+ number by over 20% to 3.2. ACE has provided focus and consistency for the 9Radio music assets … unlike 9 themselves who basically neglected these stations for years with a series of crap rubbish loser formats while they focused resources on their talk network. I can’t speak for MEL and BNE but in SYD there was a noticeable gap in the market between the other music stations and 2UE is driving through it very nicely. Now to knock off 2DAY next survey ! Shouldn’t be too hard …

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When Kyle and Jackie O leave the KIIS network will be worthless. It’s tough thing to say but that station would be rating below Nova 10+ if it wasn’t for Sydney breakfast which organically brings workday listening. Especially with their big tactics around the Kyle and Jackie O. Long term. 97.3 as a Gold station would have been smarter.

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Rubbish. I doubt it very much. ARN are clever and know the KIIS brand is their gravy train long term. 1) Sydney is very parochial and brand focused. KIIS is a significant and valuable brand as I have posted here recently. Pure Gold is not a brand at all in Sydney. WS is successful only because of its heritage value previously 2WS. 2) Apart from SCA … Nova is the laziest network. ARN is way smarter and will keep up the KIIS brand value. 3) Who said K & JO are going anywhere anytime? 4) Many said 2GB would collapse after Alan Jones left … pffft they are as successful as ever because of the brand power of 2GB in such a parochial city as Sydney. See point 1) above … rinse and repeat…

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On the other hand, we all know what’s happened to 2Day FM (a once very successful station) since Kyle & Jackie O left…

When it comes to FM radio in particular, listeners generally display more loyalty to personalities and shows rather than stations themselves.

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Fair point. But the big difference is Network IQ. SCA were beyond inept to lose K & JO in the first place … since then SCA has been a rolling litany of failure. ARN are way way smarter and are in the ascendancy.

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@shanosV8

  1. Gold was being referred to 97.3 in Brisbane. Yes WSFM is the heritage brand in Sydney for ARN but it’s part of the Gold network. I mention 97.3 as a ‘Gold’ station. Not sure why you’re little rant ended up in Sydney with WSFM? But with KIIS. The brand will not be as valuable without Kyle and Jackie O. Their brand is bigger than the station. Look at 2DayFM. Same will happen to KIIS.

  2. I agree here. SCA and Nova have become complacent and too safe with their campaigns in Sydney and Melbourne but seem to be strong elsewhere for Nova. SCA, well that’s a national basket case. Metro and regionally.

  3. Kyle ad Jackie O are not going anywhere but nothing lasts forever. There will come a day when they leave KIIS. To leave radio or to go to another network. Whatever happens, KISS will not have their current success after this happens.

  4. I was one who thought 2GB will actually survive after Alan Jones. Like all stations they do have their issues. They brand and market themselves well in Sydney but I think the last 2 years of major news stories is what’s keeping talk stations afloat. If the world ever reverts back to ‘normal’ you’ll see the numbers take a drive for talkback. Yes the younger demographics like talkback as it’s something they can’t get from Spotify. But in the future talk radio will become a mid-pack player.

I think ARN are way smarter than SCA but their ongoing success (although it won’t be as great as it is now) depends on who is programming the station.

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