Although despite being in a competitive market, it’s to my understanding that i98FM has outrated Wave FM in every survey for years (no doubt due to the WIN ownership) by a rather healthy margin.
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That is very true. In fact, in the last 2 surveys, 97.3 ABC Illawarra beat Wave FM for the #2 spot. The last time i98 & Wave rated close to each other was back in 2009, when i98 scored 21.1% in contrast to Wave’s 19.2%, a gap of just under 2%. With the exception of the 2014 survey (and even then, only by a fairly slim margin), Wave has been beaten by i98 in the 40-54 age group since 2010.
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Exactly right my friend, and I can’t see anytime in the future that Geelong would be surveyed for that exact reason. Two station duopoly (covering young with K-Rock and old with Bay), with a significant amount of potential audience shed to the Melbourne stations.
As a stab, I’d suggest that well north of 50% of listeners don’t even tune into the Geelong stations - the Melbourne stations are de facto local stations all around town. Grant would never want those figures publicly quantified, so unless a commercial competitor were to start up, I doubt there’ll ever be a survey conducted in Geelong.
Re Toowoomba & River 94.9 just remember that the Toowoomba Radio market also includes Dalby, Warwick & Stanthorpe (40,000 Population) & River is only a good signal in Toowoomba itself. So I Recon HOT FM, 4GR & ABC Local Radio will be fighting it out for the #1 spot with 4AK to pick up a few with the best Commercial AM signal in Dalby & 4WK having the best AM signal in Warwick & Stanthorpe. Toowoomba is a very interesting radio market & Numbers could be all over the shop 
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The first of the 20 regional radio ratings for the year has been released for the Griffith market. Full results can be seen here: http://www.radiotoday.com.au/news/whats-new/8568-regional-radio-survey-spotlight-girffith.html
99.7 Star FM is the #1 station with a 35.5% share, followed closely by sister station 2RG with a 32.3% share. ABC Riverina was a very distant 3rd with a 9.7% share, followed by JJJ with a 7.9% share.
In the demographics, Star wins the under-55s, whilst 2RG completely dominates the 55+, attracting more than half of its latter demographic listeners. As far as timeslot breakdowns are concerned, Star is #1 in breakfast, with 2RG a close 2nd, whilst Ray Hadley on 2RG wins the mornings timeslot. Star wins afternoons, drive & weekends, whilst “The Greatest Years in Music” on 2RG wins its evening timeslot.
@ hatdj
Yes that’s true it could be all over the shop. I had thought that River 94.9 got into Warwick ok though, but I could be wrong. Stanthorpe also has repeaters for Breeze and Rebel on FM. You’re right about 4AK being better in Dalby and 4WK better in Warwick. Interesting area for radio that’s for sure.
@ TV-Expert
I’m surprised by the low rating of the local ABC in some of these smaller regional markets. Although otherwise I must admit I find these 2 commercial duopoly station markets (1AM, 1FM) a bit boring to be honest. More interesting are the ones with 3 or 4 commercial stations. Even places like Bundaberg would be more interesting with 2x Grant stations (1AM, 1FM) and 1x SCA (FM) station, and also Rebel FM receivable from nearby Childers. Mackay and Cairns would be good too with 1AM and 3FM commercial stations.
I agree that a 2 commercial duopoly station market, such as the likes of Griffith & Wagga, is a bit boring for ratings analysis. Apparently, Dubbo is the next one that will get its ratings released, which is a bit more interesting market to analyse, as they have 2 commercial FM stations that compete with each other (SCA’s Star FM & BOG/SRN’s Zoo FM), as well as a commercial AM station that is owned by BOG/SRN (2DU).
Another interesting regional market to see the ratings would be Rockhampton/Gladstone, where they have 2 AM & 2 FM commercial stations, although given the recent unpopular changes with 4CC’s programming, which has basically become a relay station of 4RO (outside of breakfast), I think plenty of disenfranchised 4CC listeners would be switching over to Sea FM for more music that closely suits their demographic with far less talk.
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77 per cent of Griffith radio listeners get their fix from 2RG and Star FM.
Listeners are tuning into 99.7 Star FM’s Carly and Dane (pictured) for breakfast and Hamish and Andy for the drive home, and the voice of the Riverina’s Allan Wallett is the most listened to for men over 40 in breakfast.
This survey is the first of 20 regional surveys planned for 2016.
SCA Griffith General Manager Chris Corbett said, “We are excited to be the first of many regional survey results in 2016. These ratings further reinforce the relevancy of commercial radio to our local and national clients and communities. It’s validating to see the connection both 99.7 Star FM and 2RG have with their core audiences. We look forward to continuing to deliver great radio to this community and surrounding regions.”
Station highlights
**99.7 Star FM – Hits and Old School**_
#1 station listened to most for people 10+
#1 station listened to most for people 18-39, #1 station listened to most for people 25-54
#1 station listened to most in Breakfast with Carly & Dane
#1 station listened to most in Drive with Hamish & Andy
**2RG – Classic Hits**
#1 station listened to most people 55+, listened to by 27,200 people
#1 station listened to most people 40+
#1 station listened to most for males
#1 station listened to most in Breakfast 40+ with Allan Wallett
I still think possibly the most interesting regional rating town is the Central Coast - with three commercials + the ABC; in addition to Newcastle and Sydney stations being clearly audible through much of the area.
As predicted, Dubbo was the next regional market to have its radio ratings released: http://www.radiotoday.com.au/news/whats-new/8622-regional-radio-survey-spotlight-dubbo.html
2DU is the #1 station with 28.6%, followed by Star at 25.2%, Zoo a distant 3rd at 14.1% & ABC Western Plains at 12.3%. The market was previously surveyed in 2005.
The above link revealed that some of the other regional markets to be surveyed this year (that probably hasn’t already been mentioned) include Bendigo, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Bunbury & Townsville (which has been surveyed late last year).
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If I’m not mistaken, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie is in the rare situation (for a regional market anyway) of having access to both Ray Hadley (albeit only the first two hours I think) and John Laws as talk shows in the morning timeslot…it would be interesting to see which of the two talk shows is the higher rating program in those areas. Although aside from that, I’m sure either Star FM or 2CS/2MS will dominate the ratings for the most part.
Also, I know it’s been said before but I do hope the NSW Central Coast will have a radio ratings survey (whether it’s by GFK or Xtra Research) sometime this year. Wasn’t the last one for that market back in 2012? If so, a ratings survey for the Central Coast is certainly well overdue.
Yes, the Central Coast was last surveyed in 2012 & I do agree that it’s well overdue, considering the fairly significant music format changes for 2GO & Star 104.5 since then.
For the record, the results for the local commerical stations in 2012 were as follows:
Sea: 17.7%
2GO: 13.2%
Star 104.5: 11.4%
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I couldn’t agree more that Central Coast need to survey this year, but looking at those results from 2012 surely SCA are waiting until they get 2GO back in a number 1 position.
SCA have that much internal tracking and research they would have a good indication to who is listening to what. And that’s got to be a compliment to either Sea or Star FM.
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With today’s release of the Dubbo radio ratings, here are some of the figures of the main local stations from the previous 2005 Nielsen survey (with change from 2005 to 2016 survey in brackets):
2DU: 35.9% (- 7.3%)
Star FM: 25.2% (- 0.5%)
Zoo FM: 12.9% (+ 1.1%)
ABC Western Plains: 10.3% (+ 2.0%)
The 2005 ratings (with 2002 figures in brackets) can be seen here: https://web.archive.org/web/20050717233559/http://www.2du.com.au/images/survey2.jpg
@TV-Expert
What did ABC Classic FM score? I think I saw somewhere else it was less than 1%.
Surely the ABC has to consider converting Classic FM into something with broader appeal? BBC Radio 2 perhaps? It’s the regional markets in particular that could really benefit with an adult music based formula. It’s the format that is missing in most of regional Australia and surely that’s ABC’s role to fill gaps?
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I agree. Maybe putting a relaunched Double J (with a classical music station broadcasting on Digital Radio/Digital TV/online) could work on FM radio? I don’t know.
If I was to get rid of one ABC radio network it would be News Radio. So much of the programming is sourced from OS or redundant given the local radio provides a pretty comprehensive news service. But then where would the relay of Parliament go.
[quote=“Brianc68, post:36, topic:111”]
What did ABC Classic FM score? I think I saw somewhere else it was less than 1%.[/quote]
If you’re referring to the Dubbo ratings, then it scored only 0.2%!! 
I agree that a BBC Radio 2 or Double J-type format on the FM band would be beneficial for Regional Australia. If the commercial stations in many regional markets aren’t really willing to provide that kind of format, then the ABC should. 
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I think part of the reason why the ABCs (apart from Local Radio) performed poorly in Dubbo is due to inadequate reception.
Only Local Radio has a transmitter near Dubbo town (Buninyong Hill on 95.9).
The rest broadcast from either the Waarumbungles (100 kms north) or Orange (100 kms south).
96.7, 97.5, 98.3 and 99.1 have been set aside for Buninyong Hill to re-broadcast the rest of the ABC stations, but have not yet been switched on.