Metro Radio Ratings: Survey 2, 2021

Talk Radio Number 1: Australia has made the switch

Nine Radio is No.1 in Sydney and Melbourne and 6PR surges in Perth.
Network audience grows 6% YOY, 3.6% Survey on Survey .

Australians are making the switch to Talk Radio to get their daily fix of trusted news, opinion and great companionship.

Across the network Nine Radio’s total audience is up 6% (year-on-year) and 3.6% on Survey 1, 2021.

GFK Survey #2 2021 shows Melbourne’s 3AW and Sydney’s 2GB are the clear number #1 stations while Perth’s 6PR has posted a Survey 2 surge with the audience lifting across the day.

Greg Byrnes, Nine Radio’s Head of Content, says: “It’s now been five surveys since ratings resumed after the COVID-pause and the trend is clear – the audience is sticking with talk radio and our live and local strategy.”

“Ben Fordham is #1 in 2GB Breakfast, Ross and Russ are #1 on 3AW breakfast and in Perth, Gareth Parker has had a stunning result on 6PR leapfrogging the ABC to be #1 in Talk.

The results around the country are as follows:

2GB 873 is Sydney’s clear number 1 station with an audience share of 13.4%. This is 2GB’s 132nd consecutive survey win.

• Ben Fordham Live is Sydney’s #1 Breakfast show with a 15.5% share.
• The Ray Hadley Morning Show is #1 with a 15.5% share. This is Ray’s 132nd consecutive survey win.
• Afternoons with Deborah Knight is up with a 11.1% share. (Mon-Fri 12.00pm-3.00pm)
• Drive with Jim Wilson had a 7.2% share in the drive slot (Mon-Fri 3.00pm-6.00pm).
• Nights with John Stanley is the clear #1 with a 21.7% share (Mon-Thurs 8.00pm-12am).
• 2GB Weekends (including The Garden Clinic, Chris Smith and The Continuous Call Team #1 on Saturdays and Sundays with 14.2%.

3AW is Number 1 in Melbourne with an audience share of 16.9% – lifts in Mornings, Afternoons, Drive and Evenings.

• 3AW Breakfast with Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft is #1 with of 22.1%, a total of 223 wins for 3AW Breakfast (Mon-Fri 5.30am-8.30am).
• Neil Mitchell is #1 in Mornings up with 19.4% (up 0.4 points) (Mon-Fri 8.30am-12.00pm).
• Dee Dee Dunleavy’s had a 12.6% share (up 1.1 points) (Mon-Fri 12.00pm – 3.00pm).
• Tom Elliott in Drive has surged (up 1.7 points) and remains #1 in Drive with 15.6% (Mon-Fri 3.00pm-6.00pm).
• Denis Walter is Number 1 at night with 16.8% (up 1.4 points) (Mon-Fri 8.00pm–12.00am).
• 3AW Weekends (including Darren James and Peter Stubbs) #1 on Saturdays and Sundays with 16.2%.

4BC 1116 draws a 6% share in Brisbane for Survey 2 .

• Breakfast with Neil Breen posted a 7.2% share.
• The Ray Hadley Morning Show had an 8.6% share (Mon-Fri 9.00am-11.00am).
• Afternoons with Deborah Knight has 6.3% (Mon-Fri 11.00am – 2.00pm).
• Drive with Scott Emerson holds steady with a 4.2% share (Mon-Fri 3.00-6.00pm).
• Nights with John Stanley is #1 with an 11% share in his timeslot (up 1.5 points) (Mon-Thurs 8.00pm-11.00pm).

6PR 882 posts a stunning survey with a 9.3% share (up 1.1 points).

• Breakfast with Gareth Parker recorded a 11.9% share (up 1.1 points) for his second survey in the timeslot. The show is now Perth’s #1 Breakfast talk show.
• Mornings with Liam Bartlett had a 10% share (up 1.9 points). The show is now Perth’s #1 Mornings talk show.
• Steve Mills in afternoons recorded a share of 8.0% (up 0.8 points). (Mon-Fri 12.00pm-3.00pm)
• Perth Live with Oliver Peterson lifted its audience with an 7.4% share, (up 0.5 points) (Mon-Fri 3.00pm-6.00pm).
• The Nightshift with Tod Johnston drew a share of 10.2% for his second survey (Mon-Fri 8.00pm-12.00MN).

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Alarm bells for 720 ABC Perth. Nova 93.7 is once again the king of FM breakfast radio in Perth

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In a few weeks Craig Huggins from Gold 104.3 will celebrate 30 years with the station, and after all this time he’s still a long way ahead of his nearest rivals on FM mornings. What an achievement.

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The Australian doing their best to portray Ben Fordham and Ross Stevenson as losers.

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Their biggest share since S5/2003 (then it was only good for 4th place)

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Although both 2GB and ABC Sydney fell during this survey, I doubt either will be overly worried as both stations are still #1 and #2 respectively on AM + overall.

While Smooth 95.3 remains the top music station, ARN probably have more reasons to be happy with decent increases for KIIS and especially WSFM. A promising sign for Survey #3, when we’ll likely see the effects of more recent/upcoming marketing measures.

Seems like the last survey of rises for 2DayFM may have been the result of listener experimentation, with that station + its breakfast show below 4% again. Between those ratings falls + Triple M below 6%, I think it’s going to be a long 2021 for SCA Sydney.

As for SEN 1170 - rubbish ratings all round for them. At least 2CH as a DAB+ station seems to have stabilised (although you can’t help but wonder how the Classic Hits might be rating if Sport didn’t replace them on 1170AM), but SEN Track + SEN Melbourne remain at “Why do they even bother?” figures with NTS from Nine Radio not much better.

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Yes because it hasn’t affected it rather than effected it :wink:

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Man, this is a pathetic beat up by the Oz.

Ross and Russel still commanding over a 20-share is phenomenal, and Fordham is retained most of Jones’ audience. Credit where credit is due, Nine have handled the transition really well.

In the sporting capital of the world, they can only muster a 3% share. No wonder they’re stuffed.

And yes, they’re not after 10+ results, but a niche audience doesn’t have to be a tiny one either.

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I know I should ignore them (the dab ratings) but 2CH remains steady 63000 (number 3 place) with The Edge way in front on 103000 from 73000 (massive jump). Kiss 90s is on 65000.

Double J dropped back to 62000 and Coles is on 61000.

Poor old ABC Grandstand maybe the renaming of the station to ABC Sport affected the ratings. From 52000 down to 26000.

Anyway I don’t think it really means much but still interesting to me anyway.

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Most listeners of “The Edge” are surely tuning into 96.1FM? And probably a fair amount of Double J and other ABC Digital station listeners would be tuning in via TV instead of radio as well!

I suppose being the 3rd (or 2nd excluding The Edge) listened to DAB+ station isn’t too a bad position for 2CH to be in, although you still can’t help but wonder where they’d be now if the Classic Hits remained on 1170AM after October of last year remembering they were at 5% during the final survey before the switch to SEN. Certainly I don’t think 2UE would be where it is now if 2CH was still on 1170!

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the ABC listen app

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Great result on KIIS 1065 and WSFM.

That too, but of course the vast majority if not all stations (including AM & FM ones) would get a cut of their listening share from streaming these days.

Still is it unreasonable to question whether certain digital stations rate as highly as they do due to availability via non-DAB+/streaming platforms?

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Yeah it has gone blur now. I think some people won’t know the difference between DAB radio and using the phone. Even for “normal station” you listen to 2GB on the app its the same thing as AM or DAB. They may need to relook at how the ratings list works. Perhaps each station can elect one other station on the list to surveyed in the normal ratings. Doesn’t matter how they listen to it.

In the summary it does say “total” digital/“Internet Only”. I wonder if @dxnerd can add sumo FM there :slight_smile: . I will select that if i get survey.

Jokes aside , it can’t be like “ABC Sport Cricket” which is only in the app, or any station from the iheartradio list. I assume it must be a DAB station to qualify to be in the list.

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I feel it isn’t just the genre music that is played on 4KQ . There is also a genuine connection with the audience through local programming and customising the playlist to the city.

For example the 1000 hits that were played at Easter were compiled from the Brisbane music charts so it was a totally unique ranking of songs that included tracks that didn’t chart as well other cities (and in some cases at all).

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Agree. It’s localism and connection to the community. There’s also a genuine warmth and rapport between the breakfast hosts and they are truly connected to Brisbane, especially Laurel. She’s a treasure.

The Easter countdown and Christmas lights competitions are institutions.

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:rofl::joy::rofl:. Note to self, don’t type while walking… thanks Tom! :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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Probably a good thing changes are being made to KIIS Melbourne breakfast after that result.

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Typical. Wouldn’t be surprised if Fordham’s predecessor who works for News Corp had some input or influence into that article.

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