Hit 96.9 retains its #1 position with an increased share of 25.2%, up 3.6% from 2018, followed by Triple M with 19%, down 2.4%. Further down, JJJ was 3rd with 8.7% (+1.2), followed by ABC Shepparton with 8.2% (-2.7).
In the demos, Hit is #1 in the under-55s, with Triple M topping the 55-64s & ABC Shepparton ahead in the 65+. It’s worth noting that Triple M took a big tumble in the 40-54s, going from 32.1% in 2018 to 24.7% in 2021, whilst Hit gained 6.1% over the same period from 22.3% to 28.4%.
In breakfast, Hit’s Tim & Jess out of Albury is #1 with 23.8% (+1.8), followed by Triple M’s Leisha with 19.8% & ABC Shepparton’s Matt Dowling with 10.4%.
The “Other Stations” share is at 34.5%, down from 35.6% in 2018.
One thing I notice with some of these regional surveys is that the “Other station” figure is huge. Surely SCA have to look at what they’re putting out if 1 in 3 people isn’t satisfied with their offerings in a supposed duopoly market. That’s bad.
I’d imagine that would cover a fair chunk of the “Other Stations” figure. Some of the others would include 2QN, 3NE, Edge FM & Gold Central Victoria, as well as various other community radio stations within the survey area.
So far this year, the only regional markets where MMM are #1 in the 40-54s is Newcastle, Port Macquarie & Mackay. In other markets, it’s beaten by either Hit and/or a rival station.
Apologies if it’s been asked before, but does anyone have any idea how well Sun FM rated back in its day? I recall it being really popular across northern Victoria with locals as well as those who visited the region. I’d love to know how successful it was compared with its successor of today.
Poor Shep - once could rely on overlap from Bendigo and Albury to give some more listening options, now they play exactly the same music. Even the Wangaratta alternative is networked with Deniliquin now too…
unless it is tropo season around December or January where you can pick up Melbourne FM stations there.
When driving north from Melbourne their FM stations fade out when you reach the Kilmore Gap 60km away. Although some car radios can receive them until past Broadford. Sun FM was originally on 107.7 MHz, when you’re listening to JJJ in Melbourne on 107.5 and driving north along the Hume, when it fades out Sun FM fades in.
Reliable reception of Melbourne FM stops at the Tallarook Service Centre (just north of Broadford) from experience. Some stations are there in patches all the way to Glenrowan, but unlistenable unless you’re a DXnerd.
My record for Melbourne FM up the southern inland is Corryong; a weak JJJ and Classic FM could be heard via aircraft scatter. Notably Sydney 92.9 was heard at the same time, making it the only time I’ve had Sydney and Melbourne FM concurrently.
I thought I heard JJJ 107.5 just south of Tarcutta once, but unconfirmed. Again probably via As. I have had reception of both Melbourne nationals north of Bombala during tropo:
They aren’t regular reception there, though.
On Melbourne reception in Shepparton, I thought I was getting Fox FM on 101.9 one day in January 2001. It turned out to be 4MK Mackay instead: my first FM Es catch.
For me the furthest north I have had Melbourne fm on the car radio (Nova 100 / Smooth 91.5) was Beechworth. It was on a hill with LOS to the south. It was only just above the noise floor.
Shepparton probably wasn’t surveyed on any regular basis in those days, with only Sun FM and 3SR (AM) as local commercial stations although when I was up that way I was as likely to listen to 3CV as I would Sun FM.
The northeast had a lot of choice back in the late 90’s with SunFm, Edgefm , B104.9 and The River in the mix. In terms of Melbourne reception usually minimal past Tallarook due to the ranges blocking LOS to Mt Dandenong. That said if you head up the GV hwy there a few patches where they came back to life around Nagambie but barely enough to register RDS.
Hit 97.9 Goldfields is #1 overall with 46.3 of the audience, up 10.5 on last survey in 2017. Triple M Goldfields is 2nd with 22.4 percent, down 8.4 on 2017. Triple J is 3rd with 13.5, up 3.3 from 2017. ABC Goldfields is 4th, rating 8.2, down 4.1 from 2017.
In the demos, Hit is #1 in the 10-17 up 19.9 from 2017. Also #1 in 18-39 and 40-54. Triple M is #1, 55-64,and ABC Goldfields is No1 65 and above.
Breakfast sees Hit’s Allan and Michelle #1 with 47.4, up a huge 10 from 2017. Triple M’s Seb For Breakfast is 2nd with 21.6, down 7.6 from 2017. Triple J Breakfast with Dave Woodhead is up 1.9 from 2017 to 10.8 and ABC’s Ivo da Silva scored 10.3 down from 13.8 in 2017.
Hit went up 10% but up 100 listeners, but Triple M went down 8% but lost nearly 1/3 of their cume, from 14900 to 9700.
So Hit’s share increase is hiding what’s a quite massive drop in the listenership for both stations.
I would have thought a Triple M station would be popular in a mining town, so wonder what they are doing wrong - unless this is just a fairly major shift in population - it is quite a long time between surveys, but I wouldn’t have thought that dramatic.
