Metro Radio Ratings: Survey 8, 2018

The first survey results I opened were Melbourne’s. Immediately drawn to Macquarie Sports Radio’s 0.1. And really did LOL!

Maybe 50% of the profits of Nova Perth are more than 100% of the profits ARN could get from 6IX?

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Judging by the Sydney FM ratings, it’s excellent to see competitive numbers for the top four stations.

It seems like Nova & ARN are doing really well in this market. Can’t really say the same about SCA, gonna be particularly interesting to see if 2DayFM experiences any of the momentum this Summer (positive reviews of the music format, etc.) they enjoyed during the 2017-18 break.

I agree. Ever since the launch of Smooth 95.3, the traditional “Easy Listening” format of 2CH has naturally waned in popularity due to the higher quality audio of FM. Smooth also has a more contemporary and perhaps upbeat sound, even during the ad breaks I think.

2CH would probably benefit from relaunching with a broader “Classic Hits” format predominately focused on the '60s and '70s with some '50s and '80s music thrown in. OK, so it probably wouldn’t outrate Smooth or WSFM (although if we’re being honest, that wouldn’t be a realistic goal in 2019) but 2CH might be able to get at least 5% with a “Classic Hits” format if the range of music was good enough and higher quality audio on the DAB+ channel was pushed heavily.

Cue @Jason_Andrew_Toppin with those increased results for Macquarie Sports Radio here in Sydney! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Although the company will be pleased they no longer have the indignity of being Sydney’s lowest rating radio station, that 1.1% “high” is still below the lowest figure (which I believe was 1.9% during the TL > MSR transitionary period) 954AM received under the “Talking Lifestyle” format and they’re still the market’s 2nd lowest rating station (ABC NewsRadio had 0.4% more than MSR) so I wouldn’t be overly excited about MSR’s increased Sydney ratings. It might buy the format another six months on the air but that’s about all you can say.

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I always like to look for the odd trends in the ratings. KIIS has been a strong performer with the 40 - 54 year olds for a while. In Survey 8 the rated a 10.4% in this demographic - only 1.3% off the No. 1 position.

Now KIIS seem to be making inroads into the 55 - 64 year old bracket. In this survey they have edged up to 6.2% and now rank 5th in this age group.

I think people sometimes don’t quite understand the average 40 - 60 year old. They are not all outraged with Alan or asleep whilst listening to smooth. They listened to 2SM in the 70s and Triple M in the 80s. They loved new music then and they still like it now.

I also notice that 2GB is no longer No.1 with the 55 - 64 year olds. That prize now goes to ABC Sydney. As the the younger people move up a demo this can cause structural changes in the ratings.

In other trends Ben Fordham is now 5th on 2GB drive - beaten by Nova, smooth, ABC and KIIS. 2GB is usually at or near the top of the ratings in each shift. Not at drive. I suppose the pundits don’t quite believe Ben’s right wing rants and that’s probably because he does not believe them himself.

Triple M’s low 2.4% ratings for the evening shift is making MSR look credible of a night. Triple M’s highest rating is a 7.1% of an afternoon. I may be wrong but during the afternoon don’t they just play music? On a weekend they are a talk station and only manage a 3.4%. Can the guys and girls at 104.9 take a hint? Save some money, spin some rock and increase the audience. When it comes to “Rock, Sport and Comedy” it seems you only excel in the first description.

And MSR in Melbourne? They scored an “*” in three out of five shifts. It is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to radio in Australia - even more embarrassing than vega, Alan’s London adventures and every post-Kyle breakfast shift on 2DayFM. To score an an asterisk on one shift is dead set shocking. To score it in three shifts means only one thing - the people in charge of MSR have no idea - none, zilch, zero - of how commercial radio works.

With an effective zero percent audience I think it means that there would be no charge for running an ad in these shifts.

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Am I the only one that doesn’t think this makes sense?

A hell of a lot more.

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Why has the 4BC audience increased? Where has the audience come from?

Other stations? Increased TSL or cume or both?

The “Other Stations” ratings in Brisbane went down from 18.3% last survey to 16.8% this survey.

Incredibly, 4BC is #1 in the 65+, outrating ABC Brisbane & 4KQ.

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Did 2SM ever get that low before Bill pulled them from the ratings?

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In its last survey back in 1/2004, they did get down to 0.1% overall share.

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On Wikipedia it reads “In 2002 the night time show, hosted by Graeme Gilbert, scored a rating of just 0.1%, the lowest rating ever recorded for a commercial program in a metro market in Australia. 2SM subsequently withdrew from the Sydney radio ratings” But how trustworthy is Wiki?

My memory is that 2SM pulled out of the ratings so they were not listed on the ratings form, but their ratings were still being reported based on people writing 2SM in the blank space on the form. iirc, 2SM protested that this was reporting an inaccurate figure so they got dropped from the reported ratings. Is this right?? (Or am I thinking of 2KY?)

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As pointed out by some on here, 2CH needs to learn from 4KQ and Cruise. “Easy Classics” is never gonna cut it in a market where Smooth exists on FM. They should just copy the KQ playlist.

97.3 needs to change course as well. Too disjointed and the music is repetitive and safe (lame even - especially the older music they play - who picks that rubbish?). Hit 105 could probably increase their lead over 97.3 if they went a bit 2day.

Cruise is amazing in Adelaide. What on earth is going on with Triple M and Hit in that city?

Actually Triple M is pretty ordinary everywhere except Brisbane and Perth - and if they mess with Mix too much more over there who knows.

Smooth FM is needed in Brisbane. Smooth 882/DAB would work.

MSR. What can anyone say about that?

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To be fair to 2CH, those will mostly be throw away figures, but I’m not surprised at them.

2CH was playing way too many 60’s songs, & for about half the year, were running sweepers saying we listened to you, so now we’re playing more 60’s & 70’s (or something to that effect), & it was sounding very old & quite bad, to anyone not in a nursing home.
I don’t know who they were listening to, but the ratings weren’t lining up with them saying listeners wanted more 60’s & 70’s?

After Cherie Remano took over, & at long last with Bob Rodgers retiring, they’ve changed tack, & there’s very few 60’s now, with the bulk of music being 70’s & a nice amount of 80’s stuff building.

Bob retiring & the change of music to be more modern, would’ve only happened during the last 1 or 2 weeks of this survey period, so changes won’t be noted in this survey, this would’ve been remnants of the old 60’s & 70’s format.

I think 2CH is now a very good alternative to Smooth, & I think they’ll build next year, as they play a lot of the 70’s & 80’s stuff that Smooth doesn’t play.

They’re probably approaching, with a bit more work on the format, to be like a Classic Hits 2WS of the late 80’s, early 90’s around the time of conversion from AM to FM?

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It does make sense if you read it and quote it in context and leave in the words “even more embarrassing than…”

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I remember 2ws did play a lot of 60s. But it was more up beat stuff. More variety is the key in my view and more advertising too.

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Yes agree. Look at 4KQ, they play a lot of 60s and 70s.

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A few more highlights:

SYDNEY
Nova - largest share since S8/2009

MELBOURNE
Smooth - largest share ever (edges out previous record of 10.5 in S6/2017)

BRISBANE
Triple M - largest share since S5/2006 and first back-to-back wins since S2/2006

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Unsure why Perth Now has released this in January:

Article gives no clues as to which station is beating the PR drum, if any.

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Has former mix 94.5 Lisa Shaw joined 6pr