Radio ratings survey #8: Full analysis

Survey #8 is in. 2GB maintains its dominance in Sydney, now 101 wins in a row. On the FM side, KIIS1065 has taken out smooth for the final round of 2016.

KIIS, an even 9, places it equal second with 702 ABC and smooth in third place.

In Melbourne, 3AW the clear number 1, Fox has taken off well clear of any other FM and #2 overall and increasing their margin even further.

In Brisbane, a win for 973 for the final run of 2016 ahead of Nova1069. Hit105 down a touch, while Triple M regained some ground to be ahead of 612 ABC.

Mix1023 in Adelaide is still #1 but again lost some ground. The ABC claims second spot, Hit107 now into third and Nova into fourth just ahead of Triple M.

And Perth Mix94.5 is number 1, albeit down over a point. And hit929’s run ahead of Nova was short-lived as Nova reclaims number 2 in the market.

Ahead of our analysis, check the summary pages below:

Sydney:

After another big year of surveys, how has Sydney finished up for everyone. Well the results are in and there’s plenty of ‘flatness’ with a couple of big drops, and a couple of leaps up.

• Firstly to the big ‘ups’. WSFM, after an up and down year, will be pleased to finish the year on a good note, moving up 1.4 to 8.3, and only 0.7 off KIIS in #1 spot. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect for WS is that the increases were in all dayparts, and in the core station demos.
• A great result also for JJJ, up 1.4 also, to a 6.7, a half a point behind Nova, and ahead of both Triple M and 2Day.
• 2CH, shrugging off the uncertainty around ownership, have had a rare good survey result, up to 4.3, narrowly behind 2Day, and ahead of a declining 2UE.
• It was a rough day at the office for 2UE who shed 20% of their share to fall to a 3.5 share, and to now be in last commercial place. All demos fell, and the dayparts are ugly for 2UE.
• Macquarie’s other station, 2GB, remains #1 overall, yet fell by 1.7 overall so a softening result for 2GB.
• A fall of 0.9 for smooth, so not the ideal way to end the year – but the station has had a great year, and even with a fall, remains on a healthy 8.8 share and #2 FM ranking, so whilst a decline is probably not welcomed, the year will be celebrated.
• Solid for KIIS, about the same on a 9 share, and #1 overall. Breakfast again monitoring the FM market with a 2 point lead over WS, and a fair way between KIIS and their format competitors Nova and 2Day.
• Over at SCA, a somewhat unexciting way to end the year. A clear #5 and #6 commercial FM, with both stations behind Triple J s well. 2Day fell slightly to 4.4, and Breakfast shed 0.4 to move to 3.8%, equal with 2UE. Triple M was flat overall, the demos jumping around a bit, hard to see any pattern there, and the only real bright spot a half a point improvement in Breakfast to 5.6.
• Nova also flat on 7.3, but they’ll take heart from a 0.7 increase in Breakfast which has the station in #3 spot overall.
• Obviously a great Triple J result, and with ABC702 flat overall, Aunty won’t be too worried.

Melbourne:

Now let’s head south to Melbourne where there have been some strong moves.

• Fox continues to lead the FM band, adding half a point to be on a 10.6% share and a dominant under 40 performance – winning every demo. The dayparts on Fox are also solid, it’s a powerful performance all round – Breakfast now #1.
• Smooth has had a ripper, up 1.4% to a 9 share, leapfrogging Gold to take the #2 FM position. Great demos, and the dayparts all up, particularly the important TSL zone of 9-4 where Smooth saw big jumps.
• Despite being jumped by Smooth, Gold has also had a good result, up half a point to 8.6, and for the demos they are about, a strong performance, Gold has taken the 40-54 #1 position back which they’ll be rapt with. Solid finish to the year in the dayparts, with Brekky up 0.7 to 6.3, ahead of KIIS, and just behind Nova.
• KIIS was up a touch, with 18-39 seeing good increases.
• Triple M has had a rough result, down nearly point, with the 25-39 result a particularly ordinary one for them, all dayparts copped a whack, with Breakfast down 2 points to slip to #2 behind Fox.
• A flat result for Nova, few demo movements here and there, a stronger workday performance with 9-4 leading the way, and making up for a decline in Breakfast share.
• Softer result for SEN, although not unexpected with the end of the footy season – this survey commenced a week before the AFL season ended, so a decline will not be a surprise. Will we see Classic Rock Radio (the old 3MP) in the survey in 2017?
• 3AW is solid as a rock. #1 on 13.7 overall, few slips here and there, but overall nothing to worry about…the station is a monster.
• Magic 1278 not so exciting, falling half a point, and in last commercial place by some margin.
• Also flat for Triple J and ABC 774, with no real movements of note.

Brisbane:

And now to Brisy where we see a couple of massive jumps:

• 97.3, after a turbulent period which resulted in Robin Bailey leaving the station, has finished the year on a massive high, up 1.5 to 13.7% and a clear #1. All dayparts up, and #1 in Breakfast, Mornings, Afternoons, Evenings and Weekends.
• The other bit winner was ABC612, another station going through a Breakfast change, who jumped a point to 9.2 in a big result.
• Nova copped a whack, down 1.2, however still a clear #2 station overall and despite a 2 point decline, remain #1 25-39 – and Nova will remain #1 under 40 in this result.
• Down a bit for Hit105 to 10.4, driven largely by some gentle workday declines – but a strong result 18-24 will be welcomed.
• Triple M, after a couple of rough results, will be happy with a half point jump overall, with a rise in all dayparts.
• 4BC has had a softening result, down a point to 5.3 overall – Breakfast and Mornings doing the damage.
• In what has been a bad result for Macquarie in Brisbane, Magic 882 has fallen a point to a 2.8 share, with red ink everywhere in this result.
• And 4KQ has been, again, a solid performer ending the year on a 8.8 share with a strong 10 share in Breakfast, and a #1 ranking (again) 55-64.
• Triple J flattish, down a touch, largely due to a whack 18-24 where they lost 4 points.

Adelaide:

Some big falls in Adelaide to round up the year with the two leading FM stations in S7 both being whacked:

• Mix remains #1, however has fallen by 1.1 to a 12.9 share with demo’s falling everywhere except 40-54…..but still, #1 by a clear margin.
• Nova has finished the year with a rough one, falling from #2 FM overall to being #3, narrowly avoiding being #4. Nova is on a 10.1 share, down 1.2, with the damage done 25+, and the dayparts all looking a bit ordinary.
• FIVAaa has had a solid end to the year, flat on 10.1 – equal with Nova – and with the exception of Drive, a strong performance in the dayparts – Breakfast doing particularly well.
• A good result for SCA with both stations improving a touch. Hit107 has grown half a point to 10.9, and to be now the #2 FM station in the market – a point or so ahead of Triple M and Nova.
• Triple M also improved and will be happy to register a 10.0 share….but they would have loved an extra 0.2% surely to sneak up another ranking! A strong daypart performance from Triple M, with workday leading the way.
• Cruise flattish, but solid, on an 8.4….pretty attractive for an AM music station, very hard to see ARN not pleased with how Cruise rates.
• And mixed fortunes for the ABC, with triple j off half a point, and ABC891 up half a point. ABC891 however is in the #2 overall position, 1 point off Mix.

Perth:

Let’s head west and check out the lay of the land:

• Firstly to the monster that is Mix Perth – down 1.2 overall, yet still it holds the #1 ranking by 4 points, this station is a monster…no wonder SCA won’t risk rebranding it to a Triple M, particularly with Triple M’s chequered history in Perth.
• Speaking of falling in line with the network position – how did 96FM go? Well not well. down again, this time by half a point to 6.9. Excluding 6IX the station is in last place, with very ugly dayparts and demos. No doubt there will be some kind of reset for 2017.
• Hit 929 was off a little, but after a big result last survey, it has consolidated those gains, even though it has been leapfrogged by Nova, but SCA will be pleased with the Hit 929 growth through 2016.
• Nova have come back nicely this survey, up to 11.8 and into #2, all dayparts up, and a great demo result for Nova, they’ll be very pleased.
• Nice jump for 6PR, up 0.6 to 8.2%, with all dayparts improving.
• 6IX have copped a whack of nearly a point, with all the demos that matter falling.
• And, like Adelaide, a mixed result for the ABC. Triple J off a point, and slipping further behind the commercial FM’s – except for 96FM, who it is 2 points in front of – and ABC720 improving half a point to maintain the distance between it and 6PR.

Source: Radio Today