KOFM maintains its #1 position with a 15.7% share, despite going down 2.5% from the previous survey. This is followed by sister station NXFM (soon to be Hit 106.9) with 13.1%, 1233 ABC with 12.7% (up 2.1%) & JJJ with 10.1%. As for the Super Network stations, 2HD scored 9.6% share (down 0.5%), whilst New FM scored 9% (down 1.4%).
The “Other Stations” scored 21.8% of its listeners surveyed.
KOFM is down - it was overcooked from last survey for sure, but the weird thing is TSL took a major hit. This surprises me because when driving through they were doing 2 lots of $10,000 No Repeats, which encouraged audience TSL throughout the survey. So that didn’t really work as well as it should have. Being a passionate music person I subscribe to the theory that listeners want to hear their favourites more often. Not as often as the 90 minute rotations on NOVA and Hit etc but still… if you listen to KO, and you love “Send My Love” by Adele, and it’s played at 9.32 you know you won’t hear it again until after 5pm, so you go off elsewhere. I’m not so sure that No Repeats are really working.
NEWFM was probably overcooked as well from survey 2 especially across workday listening. Let’s be honest, NEWFM doesn’t offer anything to the Newcastle audience that they can’t already get from the other big 2. They are trying to be replicates of both Hit 106.9 (yes I know, but it’s happening) and KOFM. If they took on a format and owned it for themselves they would be better off. Look at what’s happening where I live on the Coast - STAR owns the 30+ female format and has successfully wedged SEA and 2GO. NEWFM should go down that path.
Hearing the same songs across the workday to me I personally don’t like. High rotation of the same songs and they do have songs that are played all the time or everyday so the playlist is narrow as it is on KOFM. New FM need an overhaul majorly, new breakfast and maybe networking drive from ARN not K&J repeats from breakfast. That or just more music driving home but they have to do something different not the same old same old.
New breakfast is better than its been for a long time. Steve is the weak link. If they replaced him with someone decent they would be better off
I noticed they’re playing more rock like the Screaming Jets etc lately. Maybe they’d be better off losing the rock and going hard for the female audience?