No, 2DU was #1 in Dubbo beating both Star 93.5 & Zoo FM 92.7
1 Like
There’s nothing listed as to having one. The Central Coast is included in the Sydney surveys anyway, just the Central Coast stations aren’t listed publicly.
Having said that though, when I was at the SeaFM TX site doing some work a few weeks back, one of the other engineers said to the SeaFM engineer, it’s lucky these works aren’t getting done in October, & he replied with yes, there’ll be no turning the transmitter power down then.
Which reading between the lines hinted to me, SeaFM want the TX at full power for ratings around/during October?
Regarding the 558 kHz signal of 4GY, daytime reception also seems weak in the Noosa shire (especially Peregian & Sunshine Beaches as well as Noosa Heads). The 107.1 FM translator allows excellent stereo coverage instead & gets into Brisbane at weak levels - often better than Zinc’s translator at the same site.
Breakfast music programming on 4GY is excellent in terms of diversity. Lots of unflogged tracks in the mix compared to ZINC 96.1 & MIX 103.5 FM. Zinc has recently improved their diversity with considerably more 60’s & 70’s programming scheduled across the day ( ‘Real Music Variety’ ) than previously however.
HITZ & 4BU have for many years now provided outstanding local coverage for Bundy. Very pleasing to see this effort has been reflected in the ratings success.
1 Like
Sale in VIC’s Gippsland region has their ratings released: http://www.radioitsalovething.com.au/RIALT/media/RIALT/PDF/SALE-XTRA-INSIGHTS-PUBLIC-SURVEY-RESULT-WITH-CUME.pdf
TRFM is the #1 station with a 31.3% share, followed by ABC Gippsland at 17.1% & Gippsland’s 1242 at 13.4%. The Warragul stations are also listed (due to Sale’s radio licence area significantly overlapping with Warragul’s in the Latrobe Valley), with Star FM scoring a 7.5% share, while 3GG scored a 3.6% share.
In the demographics, TRFM is #1 on among the under-55s, whilst Gippsland’s 1242 tops the 55-64s & ABC Gippsland tops the 65+. In timeslot breakdowns, TRFM won every one of them except evenings, which goes to ABC Gippsland.
2 Likes
Radioinfo reports a “delay” to the Warragul results, which are likely to give a better indicator of Star FM and 3GG’s performance.
The Warragul figures can now be seen here: http://www.radiotoday.com.au/images/Survey_2016/Sale_Warragul/Wraagul_1.jpg
Star FM is #1 with 15.1%, followed by TRFM with 8.6%, ABC Gippsland with 8.4%, 3GG with 6.1% & Gippsland’s 1242 with 4.9%. Star wins the under-55s, whilst ABC Gippsland wins the over-55s.
In the Sale ratings, the “Other Stations” account for 16.4% of the listeners surveyed, peaking in the 55-64s, where the “Other Stations” account for 24.2% of its audience. Given that Gippsland’s 1242 is seen as mostly a relay station of 3AW, that’s not really surprising.
1 Like
So the other 50% of the Warragul audience are listening to Melbourne??
That’s pretty much correct.
Is the Latrobe Valley counted in both the Sale and Warragul surveys?
Only part of the Latrobe Valley is in the overlap zone of the two licence areas - being just east of Moe through to Traralgon.
I am surprised that TR and 1242 have outperformed 3GG and Star overall across the 2 markets.
Another surpise is that TR outrates 3GG in its native Warragul market, particularly when TR’s signal supposedly has a null to the west to prevent overspill into Warragul.
Add to that, Star gets a FM relay into Traralgon, which doesn’t really seem to have helped its performance against TR when you consider the Warragul TR result, when TR doesn’t get a FM relay in that area.
1 Like
There are some pretty big differences between the Warragul and Sale licence areas that give TR/1242 an advantage, despite having a smaller population.
The Sale licences have not bad reception all the way into Warragul, especially in the car, and anywhere further west has reasonable reception of the Melbourne stations - meaning that there’s essentially no where in the Warragul licence area that can’t receive Melbourne or Sale stations.
Conversely, the Warragul stations, particularly Star FM don’t get too far into the Sale licence area. They do have the Traralgon relay, but it’s only 500 W so doesn’t do much except the towns of Traralgon and Morwell. Reception in Sale and further east in virtually non existent.
The population of Warragul is also somewhat missleading. A significant amount would include people on the outskirts on Melbourne in Pakenham and surrounds, who would be fairly unlikely to find any relevance in the Warragul stations and would therefore listen almost exclusively to Melbourne stations. I am also skeptical in how good reception would be in Southern Gippsland - Star FM are only licenced for 7kW, so I can’t imagine reception would be fantastic, particularly indoors for a good part of that area.
I really think these licence areas would be better off being combined into a “Gippsland” licence area. A combined realistic population of 200,000 should be able to support 4 stations. I think the fact that they areas were surveys together acknowledges this.
1 Like
Why are you surprised 3GG and Star FM rate poorly?
Nothing is of local relevance.
Gold 1242 is viewed as a Victorian station with Melbourne talk content.
Look how 3GG and Star connect with their community. What are they providing for locals to be attracted and listen?
Well, 1242 from what I hear is virtual 3AW relay, except for breakfast?
Can’t see how 3GG can be any less relevant.
The opposite is likely to be true of TR vs Star however, whereby the latter is guilty of networking everything bar breakfast.
Very confusing markets with all that overlap and proximity to Melbourne. I think you’re probably right they should combine them. 200,000 should support 4 stations even with the Melbourne overlap. 4 commercial stations exist in places like Rockhampton/Gladstone which would be a similar combined population.
By my calculations 200,000 wouldn’t include much Melbourne overlap at all. With 125,000 from the current Sale licence area 75,000 would come pretty easily from Warragul, Moe, Leongatha and surrounding areas, not to mention South Gippsland (though less relevant given previous skepticism about reception down there).
Wish we could see a Geelong survey, I realise Melbourne stations may dominate but it’d be good to get a look at how well Bay and Krock do against them.
2 Likes
Not surprised TRFM does well - it’s the historical hit music station for the region and does well with recognition in Gippsland. You go into any shop or business and chances are they’re playing TR on the radio
99.5 has fairly shabby signal to the west so you’d imagine much of its audience in the Warragul area is probably centred on the Moe/Morwell area (which would probably listen to TR far more than the Warragul stations). There certainly is a divide in identity from ‘The Valley’ versus ‘West Gippsland’, with Moe and Morwell most definitely falling into the former category. Hence they probably listen to the Valley stations as their locals
Still, only 20% of the audience listening to the local commercial stations is pretty rubbish…
In other points, 1242 doesn’t seem to be dominating in Sale either. I can’t exactly recall how it rated as a ‘classic hits’ station as 3GV/Gold back immediately after the FM conversion of 3TR, but you’ve got to against the ABC for talk, an older music format must have some legs in a market such as this
1 Like
Orange is the latest market to get its ratings released: http://radioitsalovething.com.au/RIALT/media/RIALT/PDF/ORANGE-XTRA-INSIGHTS-PUBLIC-SURVEY-RESULT-WITH-CUME.PDF
Star FM is the #1 station with 32.5%, followed by sister station 2GZ with 24.8%. ABC Central West was 3rd with 11.9%, followed by JJJ with 6%, RN with 4.9% & BOG-owned 2EL with 4.6%.
In the demographics, Star is #1 in the under-40s, whilst 2GZ tops the over-40s. In the 9am-12pm slot, Ray Hadley on 2GZ got a 33% share, whilst John Laws on 2EL managed only a 5.7% share.
I always thought that the regional BOG stations are propping up 2SM in Sydney but are any Super Network stations making money? With shares like these in markets of little competition they must be barely sustainable?