In Sydney, 2GB remains on top with 12.1% (-0.3), followed by KIIS with 11.5% (unchanged), with Smooth only 0.1 behind at 11.4% (+0.8). WS was 4th (3rd FM) with 9% (+0.4), followed by Nova with 7.7% (+0.7), and ABC Sydney with 6% (-1.0). 2Day & 2MMM tied with 5.2% (+0.5 & -0.2 respectively), with 2UE down 0.5 to 3.5%. SEN fell 0.2 to 0.4%.
In Melbourne, 3AW remains on top with 13.6% (+0.1), with Gold & Fox tied for 2nd with 10.3% (-2.1 & -0.2), followed by Smooth with 9.4% (+0.9), KIIS with 7.6% (+0.5), ABC Melbourne with 6.6% (-1.4), and Nova & 3MMM both at 6.4% (+0.7 & -0.5). SEN rated 2.4% (-0.3), whilst both Magic & 3MP rate 1% (-0.3 & -0.1).
In Brisbane, 4MMM takes out the top spot with 13.3% (+1.5), with Nova down to 2nd place with 12.7% (+0.6), followed by B105 with 11.7% (+0.2), KIIS973 with 10% (-1.5), 4BH with 8.1% (-0.5), 4BC with 6.6% (-0.8), JJJ with 5.8% (+0.4), and ABC Brisbane with 5.3% (-0.6), SEN fell 0.3 to 0.3%.
In Adelaide, 5MMM remains on top with 14.4% (-0.5), followed by Mix 102.3 with 11.9% (+0.1), Nova with 10.1% (+0.8), SAFM with 9.2% (+0.5), Cruise & ABC Adelaide at 8.3% (-0.4 & +0.9), and FiveAA with 7.5% (-0.7).
And in Perth, 96fm takes out the top spot with 15.3% (+2.3), followed by Nova with 13.6% (+0.4), Mix 94.5 with 12.4% (-1.0), 6MMM with 9.2% (+1.1), ABC Perth with 6.5% (-0.7), 6PR with 5.8% (-0.4), JJJ with 5.3% (-0.9), and 6iX with 4.3% (+0.6).
Perhaps the biggest shock for Melbourne this survey is Gold’s Christian O’Connell, which suffered a 2.5 point fall from survey 7, to just 9%. That put it 0.1 behind KIIS’s Jase and Lauren, who ended their show on a high (after a nearly three year run) with a rise of 1.1. Kyle and Jackie O have a lot of work to do to maintain this share when their show debuts in Melbourne next year.
Fox and Triple M also posted small decreases at breakfast, but Fox retained the No.1 FM breakfast spot. Worrying signs for Nova’s Ben, Liam and Belle though, dropping to just 5% this survey. RN and ABC News Radio had small gains at breakfast while ABC Melbourne fell by 1.9.
Fox also finished the year with the No.1 FM Drive show (Carrie and Tommy) in Melbourne.
Gold had a poor result this survey, dropping in every weekday timeslot. Conversely, KIIS posted gains in every weekday timeslot.
3AW’s Neil Mitchell finished on top with a 16.3% share, well ahead of second placed Gold.
I feel like this has generally been a pattern with KIIS/Mix. The last survey of a cancelled breakfast show (whether announced or otherwise) seems to be high.
I recall it happening to maybe Chrissie and Jane and maybe Matt and Meshel?
Here are the overall ratings in ranking order.
Sydney
| Rank | Station | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2GB | 12.1 |
| 2 | KIIS | 11.5 |
| 3 | Smooth | 11.4 |
| 4 | WSFM | 9.0 |
| Other AM/FM | 7.8 | |
| 5 | Nova | 7.7 |
| Commercial DAB+ | 7.1 | |
| 6 | ABC Sydney | 6.0 |
| =7 | 2MMM | 5.2 |
| =7 | 2Day | 5.2 |
| 9 | 2JJJ | 3.6 |
| 10 | 2UE | 3.5 |
| 11 | ABC Classic | 2.5 |
| 12 | ABC Newsradio | 2.2 |
| ABC DAB+ | 1.6 | |
| 13 | Sky Sports Radio | 1.2 |
| 14 | 2RN | 1.0 |
| Other DAB+ | 1.0 | |
| 15 | SEN | 0.4 |
Melbourne
| Rank | Station | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3AW | 13.6 |
| =2 | Gold 104.3 | 10.3 |
| =2 | Fox FM | 10.3 |
| 4 | Smooth | 9.4 |
| 5 | KIIS | 7.6 |
| 6 | ABC Melbourne | 6.6 |
| Commercial DAB+ | 6.6 | |
| =7 | Nova | 6.4 |
| =7 | 3MMM | 6.4 |
| Other AM/FM | 5.1 | |
| 9 | 3JJJ | 4.1 |
| 10 | SEN | 2.4 |
| 11 | ABC Classic | 2.1 |
| 12 | 3RN | 2.0 |
| ABC DAB+ | 1.9 | |
| =13 | Magic | 1.0 |
| =13 | 3MP | 1.0 |
| Other DAB+ | 0.8 | |
| 15 | RSN | 0.6 |
Brisbane
| Rank | Station | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4MMM | 13.3 |
| 2 | Nova | 12.7 |
| 3 | B105 | 11.7 |
| 4 | KIIS973 | 10.0 |
| Other AM/FM | 9.1 | |
| Commercial DAB+ | 8.8 | |
| 5 | 4BH | 8.1 |
| 6 | 4BC | 6.6 |
| 7 | 4JJJ | 5.8 |
| 8 | ABC Brisbane | 5.3 |
| ABC DAB+ | 2.3 | |
| 9 | 4RN | 1.9 |
| Other DAB+ | 1.7 | |
| =10 | ABC Classic | 1.2 |
| =10 | ABC Newsradio | 1.2 |
| 12 | SENQ | 0.3 |
Adelaide
| Rank | Station | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5MMM | 14.4 |
| 2 | Mix 102.3 | 11.9 |
| 3 | Nova | 10.1 |
| Commercial DAB+ | 10.1 | |
| 4 | SAFM | 9.2 |
| =5 | ABC Adelaide | 8.3 |
| =5 | Cruise | 8.3 |
| Other AM/FM | 7.8 | |
| 7 | FiveAA | 7.5 |
| 8 | 5JJJ | 4.3 |
| 9 | ABC Classic | 2.4 |
| ABC DAB+ | 1.7 | |
| 10 | ABC Newsradio | 1.6 |
| Other DAB+ | 1.3 | |
| 11 | 5RN | 1.1 |
Perth
| Rank | Station | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 96fm | 15.3 |
| 2 | Nova | 13.6 |
| 3 | Mix 94.5 | 12.4 |
| Commercial DAB+ | 9.6 | |
| Other AM/FM | 9.3 | |
| 4 | 6MMM | 9.2 |
| 5 | ABC Perth | 6.5 |
| 6 | 6PR | 5.8 |
| 7 | 6JJJ | 5.3 |
| 8 | 6iX | 4.3 |
| 9 | ABC Classic | 2.5 |
| Other DAB+ | 2.2 | |
| ABC DAB+ | 1.8 | |
| 10 | ABC Newsradio | 1.2 |
| 11 | 6RN | 1.0 |
Lesson for 2MMM and 3MMM: you CAN broaden your playlist and be successful, just like Brisbane and Adelaide. Do it.
Some poor results for some stations in Brisbane with one of the biggest margins between the 4 FM stations in a while. KIIS falling out of favour down 1.5 and MMM with a rare win up 1.5. 4BC’s share looking very low with breakfast down 1.6 to be last out of the commercial stations and below ABC. SEN with just 0.3%
2GB and 3AW No.1 in 2023: Nine Audio tops live streaming
TOTAL RADIO
Nine’s talk stations 2GB and 3AW have ended the year on top as the undisputed No.1 stations in Sydney and Melbourne, with a share of 12.1 and 13.6 respectively in Gfk Survey 8.
In Sydney, Breakfast at 2GB with Ben Fordham Live recorded 16.0 and the show’s highest cume of the year – and highest Survey 8 cume on record – and Ray Hadley eclipsed the competition with his 154th consecutive survey win, posting a 14.1 share in Mornings.
3AW’s Ross and Russ once again dominated the Melbourne breakfast slot, posting 19.0, and legendary broadcaster Neil Mitchell concluded his illustrious role at 3AW Mornings as the irrefutable No.1 with 16.0.
Nine Radio’s Head of Content, Greg Byrnes, said: “Talk radio is relentless, it never stops, so to end the year with the clear number one stations in Sydney and Melbourne is well deserved recognition of our live and local content strategy.
“Our unique mix of trusted legacy hosts and fresh new voices means we continue to evolve and are in a powerful position heading into 2024. Our commitment to delivering honest news, opinion and entertainment will never waiver and we thank the two million plus listeners who join our conversations every week.”
| COMMERCIAL RADIO SHARE | TOTAL RADIO CUME |
|---|---|
| 15 (4 markets) | 1.962 million listeners each week |
STREAMING
Nine Radio is the definitive No.1 in live audio streaming and No.1 streaming in most key shifts – including Breakfast and Mornings – across the country.
3AW and 2GB are No.1 in overall commercial streaming, with a 29.2 and 28.3 commercial share respectively, as well as across all main standard sessions.
Ross and Russ recorded an astronomical 49.0 commercial streaming share in Breakfast at 3AW, and Ben Fordham was also miles ahead of the competition in Breakfast at 2GB with a commercial streaming share of 44.9.
Mornings at 3AW and 2GB also recorded a No.1 commercial streaming share with 29.0 and 33.8, respectively.
Greg Byrnes, said: “This year’s introduction of Radio360 has highlighted talk radio’s stranglehold on the streaming market. The data shows we have a huge audience in a digital environment, often with double the share of our competitors.
“Across the country our live and local talk content sets the benchmark and in 2024 there will be no better way to listen than via a connected device.”
| COMMERCIAL STREAMING SHARE | STREAMING CUME |
|---|---|
| 29.2 | 367,000 |
PODCASTS
The Nine Podcast Network has ended the year with 42.5 million downloads and over 14.4 million listeners tuning in to our premium, locally produced podcasts (Jan-Nov 2023) representing a 27% growth in listeners YoY.
Ben Fordham Live held the crown as the most listened to podcast in the Nine Podcast Network with over 1.64 million listeners tuning in to his podcast (+138% YoY), followed by other catch up radio podcasts including 3AW Mornings with Neil Mitchell, which reached over 870K listeners (+55% YoY), 3AW Breakfast with Ross and Russ’s 780K listeners (+77% YoY) and the Ray Hadley Morning Show reaching over 600K listeners throughout the year.
Head of 9Podcasts, Mia Stern said: “The power of podcasts is the listeners’ connection to the host, and the strength of the connection and loyalty listeners have to Nine Radio hosts is unrivalled. As podcasts continue to play a bigger role in the daily habit of Australians, our listeners are tuning in to more shows, more often, on more devices.”
| DOWNLOADS | LISTENERS |
|---|---|
| 42.5 million (Jan-Nov 2023) | 14.4 million (Jan-Nov 2023) |
Source: GfK Radio360 Ratings, Survey 8 2023, Mon-Sun 5.30am-12MN, Market Share % Total, Market Share Streaming %, Commercial Streaming Share %, Cume (000s) Total and Streaming, 3AW Breakfast Mon-Fri 5.30am-8.30am, 3AW Mornings 8.30am-12pm, AP10+, Nine Radio – 2GB, 3AW, 4BC, 6PR, unless otherwise specified.
^Source: Triton Podcast Metrics, January – November 2023, Downloads, Listeners, Nine Entertainment, unless otherwise specified.
Six commercial FM stations and KIIS in Sydney are No.1 in the 10-17, 18-24, 25-39 and 40-54 demographics. I doubt 2SM or 3XY achieved that when there was so much less competition. I have some old surveys for 2MMM in its hey day and they never scored first in all these four age groups.
As for Kyle and Jackie O being broadcast into Melbourne next year. I suppose we will just have to wait and see whether it’s kiis or miss.
KIIS 97.3 needs a complete rethink. It’s too close to B105 and Nova. The only older songs they play are completely over-flogged and lame.
What’s interesting to note is that 2MMM manages to outrate WS in the 55-64s in Sydney. I don’t think that has ever happened before. 
That’s a horror result for ABC Triple J and Local Radio. JJJ really needs to broaden its playlist and become more like BBC Radio 1.
I can’t see how SEN 1170 and SENQ 693 will survive another 12 months. I wouldn’t be surprised if those frequencies return back to 2CH and 4KQ under new ownership. Those ratings are unsustainable. Keep SEN and SEN Track on DAB+ in Syd/ Bris but surely both the AM licenses will have to go back to music at some stage, as they are clearly not getting any traction.
Great result for MMM in Bris and Ade and 96FM in Perth.
Sydney’s 2MMM “Because Your Ears Have Hearing Aids”
SEN in Sydney scored the dreaded “*” at nights.
That’s quite an achievement. I wonder if a 30 second advertisement in the 10pm - 11pm shift will cost an asterisk as well.
As someone who operates the DAB transmitters in Sydney & Melbourne & knows how often they’re not working properly or off & the number of complaints about it (a big fat 0), there’s no way this side of hell being frozen, that Commercial DAB+ stations are rating that highly (even combined together).
Other AM/FM in Sydney tells the picture of how bad commercial radio is & that they need to take a good hard look at themselves & what they’re doing or not doing to entertain the community.
And SENQ 693 have managed a 0.1% share for the weekend. I think that’s slightly below what 4KQ were achieving in their last few years of broadcasting.
Please let me know if SENQ are having any phone in competitions on Saturday or Sunday. My chances of winning would be huge. I’d just have to beat the other guy to the phone.
I know SEN’s business model (and specific target audience) means that total ratings are not quite as important, but surely if you’re an advertiser you’d be getting concerned about whether anyone is listening at all.
Marty’s show on 3MMM could be a breakout show if it had a more broader audience and playlist. It’s not blokey and has more women callers than other shows on the station.
Lehmo doing a similar format in Sydney would also work, he’s been great in recent months.
Records of note:
SYDNEY
Smooth - 11.4, largest share ever (previously reached an 11.3 on two occasions)
BRISBANE
Triple M - 13.3, largest share since a 13.3 in S8/2018
PERTH
96fm - 15.3, largest share since a 16.5 in S6/2001