Triple M has won the Sunday NRL radio ratings in the combined Sydney and Brisbane markets.
While 2GB remains a clear winner in Sydney, Triple M has an even bigger audience dominance in Brisbane to win overall in the two dominant rugby league states.
Triple M had a combined 15.8 per cent share to 2GB’s 14.6. Poor old Aunty ABC had a shocker in Sydney with just a 2.7 per cent audience share, although it did finish second in the Brisbane market.
SEN finished well back with a combined Sydney and Brisbane share of just two per cent.
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JohnsonTV - Thanks for posting those ratings.
In Sydney, 2GB rates higher than MMM, ABC and SEN combined.
One of the greatest mysteries of all time is how SEN makes a profit. This should be an area where the Sports Entertainment Network reigns supreme. 4KQ would often be No.1 on the weekends in Brisbane - in Survey 2 2022, they were the only station to rate above a 10 share on the weekend. SEN now rates a 0.4%. There is no way in the world SEN could come close to the revenue or profits of 4KQ.
ABC Radio Sydney (such a mouthful) is a shell of its former self.
I sometimes wonder whether MMM would rate higher on the weekend if it just rocked and dropped the sport. Music would certainly be cheaper to program. It’s just a worry for SCA that 2UE now out rates Tremble M on Saturday and Sunday.
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Didn’t ARN say that the reason for keeping River 94.9 and Hot 91.1 instead of 4KQ, following the purchase of Grant Broadcasters, was that 4KQ made less money than River and Hot, despite big ratings in Brisbane?
It’s obvious that even with big ratings, it’s difficult to make money on AM, especially with an older, shrinking audience.
As to how does SEN make a profit in Brisbane, they have leased some of their DAB spectrum to Vision and Rete Italia, which could help them bring in extra revenue. This is in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and would be significant $.
Nova has done the same with Radio Maria (Catholic radio).
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I understand why ARN sold 4KQ.
I don’t understand SEN changing formats and moved from a 10% share to a below 1% share.
They could have kept the 4KQ programming and still leased their spectrum on DAB to other players.
It was only a few years ago that 4KQ was No.1 on the weekends with a 10.7 share. Today SEN is a meagre 0.8% on Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 0.4% when the footy is broadcast.
I reckon if SEN was to buy Airbnb they would close down the online component and rename it Flag Inns.
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Yes, I actually think they should have kept 4KQ and then just put SEN on DAB using the spectrum allocated to 4KQ. Keep some money coming in from 4KQ and have SEN on DAB - that way they still have SEN on mainstream commercial radio, just on DAB rather than AM & DAB.
Re the ARN sale, sure I would say the combined income of River and Hot 91 might have been more than 4KQ, however River has long-struggled to make decent revenue and it’s well-documented in their submissions to ACMA. I would say Hot 91 is probably the money-maker.
But still you have to wonder if longer term, once DAB takes more of a share, whether it would still have been better business to keep 2x commercial stations in Brisbane. (i.e. a Gold and KIIS combo - even if Gold was on AM, the audience is transitioning to DAB and online anyway).
What I actually think made them decide to sell 4KQ though, was their belief that they would get their hands on Triple M. I reckon the profit comparison with River and Hot was just spin.
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Added difficulty for ARN to write revenue for KQ when they’d gutted the direct sales team which is how KQ was highly profitable prior to this happening some years before.
ARN in the current era never cared about KQ and once Peter Verhoeven was gone for good the second time there was no one with any influence to retain staff required for it to be profitable. David Greenwood was there with Kix and he was once the sales manager under GM Pete and yet still, no consideration of the consequences by ARN.
If you listen to 4BH, you’ll hear their direct sales staff have secured many direct clients including many KQ clients.
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They changed formats because , like in Sydney, their focus is on sport, not music.
Whilst its ratings are much less than 4KQ or even 2CH, by leasing DAB spectrum, this would bring in extra revenue and help them to cover costs.
SEN Track also would bring in good money for SEN, as it’s a low cost station with national reach and national sponsorships.
i just wonder what the advertising revenue is for a station hovering around * in the ratings. even with a targeted demographic i can’t imagaine it being large
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Does anyone have a record of how 2CH and 3MP/myMP rated under SEN ownership?
Was SEN ever any good at music programming?
AFAIK, in the months after SEN bought 2CH, the sound quality increased and the music was largely unchanged, then about 3 months after the purchase, it disappeared to be replaced by SEN 1170. On its final survey in 2020, it rated a 5.
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I doubt SEN pay much attention to the revenue from on air alone. The main reason for the licence is for legitimacy in the general market and extended reach of live broadcasts. In Australia, podcasts attached to radio station perform much better than those which are not, even the radio shows where the content isn’t as strong are able to build a good following. SEN would see the AM licence being critical to the success of their podcasts, which I would assume do much better in Brisbane than the live station. In a market where anyone can start a sports podcast, the being able to attach the AM branding to their content make them look more legitimate and influential.
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Sports audience must be a highly unsophisticated market to find the SEN content likeable let alone credible.
I would look anywhere but SEN content for podcast and other content, they reek of being run on the smell of an oily rag.
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In the US, in some markets, radio stations promote activies being done by sister stations in the same market - kinda like Kiis promoting a Gold charity drive at Christmas
So, with this thought, it would have wise for SEN to keep a higher rating 4KQ, and during ad breaks on days SEN are covering a sports match, have promos running like “The Broncos take on the Roosters at Two, to hear the game switch to SEN on digital radio or download the SEN app”.
Essentially, free advertising on a higher rating station, while keeping the benefits of the higher rating station’s sales.
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That’s a bad sweeping statement on numerous fronts - namely it ignores SEN does have some respected presenters such as Gerard Whateley.
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That’s a bit harsh. They do a good job with the cricket and EPL coverage from Talk Sport, it can’t always be the ABC, who seem to not care much about live sport these days unless it’s NRL or AFL.
Saw this claim on the RDS for both FOX and KIIS regularly today. Not sure how KIIS are claiming this as FOX led them in every demo and timeslot in the latest survey?
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These slogans are easily manipulated to deceive.
If the station claims to play music that are Number 1 Hits - it is a Number 1 Hit Music station!
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