Network Analysis of the first survey of 2014, now conducted for Commercial Radio Australia by GfK.

Although there has been a change in provider since the previous survey from Nielsen to GfK both the previous ratings figures and the current ones are based on the same core methodology: diary recall. All sample sizes and demographic targets are unchanged. Differences in data will be the result of typical market fluctuations, along with the unprecedented changes to on-air teams around the country (see our earlier story).

Networks

SCA

It wasn’t a complete disaster for SCA. FOX in Melbourne held up fairly well with the new breakfast duo, Fifi and Dave pulling a respectable 7.9 share. B105 in Brisbane went up marginally while Triple M jumped from an 8.0 to a 9.4. Meanwhile, in Perth Mix 94.5 extended its lead marginally.

But that’s as good as it got for the Network. Both their stations in Adelaide lost ground.

Surprisingly the Triple M brand which looked likely to benefit from upheavals elsewhere on the FM band also went backwards in both Sydney and Melbourne. A steady performance there would have helped salve the wounds wrought from the disaster at the Today flagship, 2Day-FM. In one fell swoop, Kyle and Jackie O have taken away their number one rated FM audience and transplanted it to KIIS FM.

ARN

The gamble paid off big time. Only two people in radio history have up until now taken an audience with them to another station – John Laws and Alan Jones. But neither did it in just one survey like Kyle and Jackie O.

On other days, the big news for ARN might have been the fact that Jonesy and Amanda on WS FM breakfast put in a blinder to go from a 6.2 to a 9.3 share level pegging with Kyle and Jackie O – a feat they never achieved when they were working at rival networks.

The results mean that ARN now owns the number one and two FM station (three and four overall) in Sydney. Melbourne, while not as spectacular as Sydney, also went well with both Mix 101.1 and GOLD enjoying modest gains. But there’s still a bit of work to do before ARN can make good on its claims that it will own the #1 and #2 stations in both major markets.

In Brisbane things couldn’t be chirpier for ARN. its over lead posting a 13.4 share while 4KQ jumped 1.2 to an 8.1.

Both Adelaide stations took a bit of a tumble, but we doubt there’ll be any alarm bells ringing for them at ARN headquarters today.

NOVAENTERTAINMENT

Who’s going to stop the rise and rise of smoothfm? Up to 6.5 in Melbourne and a 7.1 in Sydney, smooth is going from strength to strength with one of the skinniest expenses columns in metro radio.

Meanwhile the Nova brand isn’t doing badly either. In Sydney, 969 shed just 0.2 to place them on a 7.5 share overall. This despite a significant 0.8 rise by Fitzy and Wippa in breakfast.

In Melbourne NOVA 100 shed just 0.3 to come in at 8.1 overall (#2 FM) while its new breakfast show with Meshel and Tommy lost some ground but still managed a first up share of 7.4.

In Brisbane, where they’ve been engaged in an epic tussle for the number one spot with 97.3 FM, Nova 1069 lost the battle this time, dropping to number two. Elsewhere the Novas remained relatively steady.

Talk Stations

For all those pundits that expected 2UE to drop further in the mire with its new line-up, surprise, surprise – the station actually went up. What’s more, the station rose in every shift giving some solace to management that the talent decisions they made were right.

Okay, its not out of the woods yet. Far from it. But for now, the big bad wolf is occupied elsewhere and is not presently knocking on the door.

Meanwhile, 2UE’s Sydney nemesis 2GB continues to power along retaining the number one spot yet again, albeit with a slight seasonal dip that is expected this time of year prior to the football season. 2CH was steady on a 5.0 share.

In Melbourne where the Fairfax flagship, 3AW traditionally also has a poor first survey, at an 11.9 they were lower than usual. Still, it was good enough to retain the number one spot.

SEN with no footy slumped to a 2.9.

While the Fairfax Brisbane branch, 4BC, had been down for the count, it’s managed an up tick to go to 5.9. In Perth, though, 6PR took a dip from 7.7 to a 6.0 share overall.

The biggest rise for a talk station, however, was in Adelaide where NOVA ENTERTAINMENT’s sole talk station went up 2.5 to a 13.0 share on the back of its new breakfast team, David Mark and Jane.

Triple J

A network unto itself, the j’s went up in Melbourne and Perth but down everywhere else.

ABC Local

The big news for the ABC local network emanates from Adelaide where 891 surged to 13.7 to take out number one spot, dislodging the previously unassailable MIX102.3.

Bedding in its new breakfast program with Robbie Buck who replaced Adam Spencer has taken a toll on 702. The shift plummeted 2.4, yet the station dropped just 0.8.

In Melbourne, it was steady as she goes, 774 posted just 0.2 difference from last time to come in at 10.6. Brisbane, though, took a 1.8 tumble to settle on 9.0 overall.  Similar results in Perth where 612 fell by 1.9.

Cities

Click on the snapshots for each city’s full chart.

Sydney
 
Kyle and Jackie have done what only John Laws and Alan Jones did in the past, and brought their audience with them to a new station. The KIIS result is of course the biggest news this survey. KIIS moved from 5.0% overall (when it was Mix) to 8.4%, with K&J’s breakfast audience almost tripling the results from the previous survey. Breakfast scored 9.2 share points, up from 3.3 in Survey 8 2013. Today breakfast halved its share.
 
Number one station 2GB slipped slightly, as is usual for commercial talk stations in a summer survey, dipping 0.7 to 12.6% overall. ABC702 was in second place, dropping 0.8 to 9.6%. Breakfast dropped most as listeners got used to Robbie Buck, who replaced Adam Spencer.
 
KIIS was third placed, followed by stablemate fourth placed WSFM, up 1.7 to 8.1% Jonesy and Amanda’s breakfast shift increased from 6.2 to 9.3 share points. This gives ARN claim to number one and two fm stations in Sydney.

Nova sits at fifth place, down 0.2 to 7.5%, and smooth continues its rise, now sitting at sixth place after a gain of 0.6 to 7.1%.
 
Triple J is seventh in the market on 5.5%, down 0.7, and 2CH is eighth on a steady 5.0%. 2UE comes next in ninth place with 4.9%, up 0.7
 
But where are the SCA stations? Triple M is in tenth place, on 4.8%, down 0.7 and 2Day is eleventh, down 4.4 to 4.0%.

2GB won breakfast ahead of ABC702 then KIIS and WSFM (tied for third place breakfast). Nova won 10-24s, KIIS won 25-39s, WSFM won 40-54s, and 2GB won the over 55s.

Melbourne
 
Magic had the biggest gain and 3AW the biggest loss in Melbourne.
 
First placed 3AW slipped 1.9 hare points to 11.9% overall. Second placed ABC774 dipped 0.2 to 10.6%. Third placed Fox FM slipped slightly, down 0.1 to 8.5%.
 
Nova held its fourth place, down 0.3 share points to 7.9%, with Gold nipping at its heals on 7.8%, up 0.2, moving up one position to fifth place.
 
Triple M was pushed to sixth place, down 1.2 share points to 6.8%. Mix 101.1 gained 0.7 to 6.5%, equal with smooth, up 0.6 to 6.5%.
 
Magic had the biggest rise of the survey, up 2.2 to 6.2%, closely followed by triple j on 6.1%, up 0.7.
 
ABC Classic FM was 3.2%, SEN was 2.9%, RN was 2.5% and NewsRadio scored 1.5%.

3AW won breakfast ahead of ABC774 and Triple M. Fox won 10-17s, Nova won 18-39s, Gold won 40-54s and 3AW own the over 55s.

Brisbane
 
ARN’s 97.3 has rolled Nova for top spot in Brisbane.
 
97.3 gained 1.4 share points to 13.4%, while Nova lost 1.7 to 11.9%, pushing it into second place.
 
B105 was third, up 0.3 to 10.1%. Triple M gained strongly, up 0.4 to move into fourth place with 9.4%.
 
Triple j was in fifth place at 9.4%, down 1.1 share points. ABC612 slipped to sixth place, down 1.9 to 9.0%.
 
4KQ gained 1.2 share points to 8.1%, followed by 4BC, up 1.0 to 5.9%.
 
The newly renamed Magic 882 (previously 4BH) lost 1.3 share points, dropping to 4.7%.
 
ABC Classic FM was on 2.0, RN on 1.8 and NewsRadio on 0.9.

97.3 won breakfast ahead of ABC612 and Nova. Nova won 10-17s, B105 won 18-24s, Nova won 25-39s, 973 won 40-54s, 4KW won 55-64s and ABC612 won the over 65s.
 

Adelaide
 
There was a lot of movement in the Adelaide market this survey.
 
Mix 102.3 toppled from first place, losing 2.4 share points to 13.4%, making way for ABC891 to claim top position with 13.7%, an increase of 1.4 share points overall.
 
FIVEaa moved up to third place with a gain of 2.5 share points bringing it to 13.0%.
 
Fourth placed Nova gained 0.5 to 11.6%, and after that there’s daylight between the top four and the rest of the pack.
 
SAFM is in fifth place on 7.8%, down 0.7. Cruise is in sixth place with 7.7%, down 0.9, followed by Triple M , down 1.3 to 6.8%, and triple j on 6.3%, down 0.6.
 
Classic FM scored 2.7, RN had 2.0 and NewsRadio scored 1.8%

ABC891 won breakfast, ahead of FIVAaa and Mix. Nova won all the younger demographics between 10-39.  Mix won 40-54s, ABC612 won the over 55s.

Perth
 
Mix 94.5 retained its top spot with an increased share in Perth, up 0.8 to 14.1%. Second placed Nova93.7 slipped 0.3 share points to 12.3% while 96GM gained 1.1 to reach 11.6 to finish just behins triple j with 11.7.
 
Triple j was third, up 1.3 to 11.7%, followed by stablemate ABC720 on 10.7%, up 0.4.
 
92.9 was placed fifth, dropping 0.7 to 8.4%, followed by 6PR and 6IX level at 6.0%. 6PR lost 1.7 share points and 6IX gained 0.2.
 
Classic FM scored 2.3, RN was 1.9 and NewsRadio was 1.4.

ABC720 won breakfast, ahead of Mix and Nova.  Nova won the 10-17 demographic, triple j won 18-39s, Mix won 40-64s, ABC720 won over 65s.

See the raw results here, Spin Cycle here.