Networks and city by city analysis. WSFM has overtaken 2Day to become Sydney’s number one FM station, third place overall, behind AM stations 2GB and ABC702. Market leaders 3AW, 97.3, Mix 102.3 and Mix 94.5 have dropped, but still retain their number one positions in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. New breakfast leader in Brisbane.

See the full results charts here and Spin Cycle here.

The Networks

ARN

Whatever else was going to happen for ARN today wasn’t going to much matter after the first numbers in Sydney trickled through confirming that WS-FM had knocked off 2Day as the town’s number one FM station. Yet, there was even a little good news for its problem brand Mix in Sydney which edged a tad higher with the help of Tim Ross in Drive up 0.7.

As if Sydney’s result wasn’t enough, there was GOLD in Melbourne too, with that station bounding ahead 1.7 to put it just 0.5 behind FOX. But after such great promise, the MIX brand has eased back and Breakfast with Chrissie and Jane down to a 5.0 share.

On any other day, it may have worried management that their #1 station in Brisbane, 97.3 had bled 1.4 while B105 surged 1.8. Still they remain #1, albeit by a slender margin. 4KQ also dropped a bit after massive gain last time.?

In Adelaide, Mix dropped 2.0 but stayed #1 while Cruise remained steady. But who cares on a day when WS became #1 FM in Sydney?

Southern Cross Austereo

Obviously not a great start for SCA with its hitherto almost unassailable flagship, 2Day-FM, losing it’s number one FM crown in Sydney to WS-FM. And it wasn’t as if WS had beaten them. All it did was stay still on the 8.5 share it had last time, but 2Day had dropped 0.9 overall, with drops recorded by every shift, which was enough to dip the station under its classic hits competitor.

On the other hand, there was much better news for Triple M which recorded it’s best result for some time – especially in Mon – Fri where it is on 6.9 equal with Nova. No doubt Triple M is hoping to get those weekend figures up when the football is factored in.

In fact the Ms went up in every market.

Melbourne was good – no great – for the Triple M brand which has consolidated its position and returned a healthy 7.6 share overall with Eddie’s Hot Breakfast on 7.9.

Brisbane recorded positive growth for both Triple M and B105, with the latter now just a whisker away from regaining its lead from 97.3 FM. Good news too in Adelaide where both SCA stations Triple M and SA gained share. But in Perth, both stations lost ground, altough Mix 94.5 remains a comfortable leader.

DMG

It was kind of a steady survey for the DMG network. Although it had its ups and downs, it all ended up pretty much the same.

Smooth95.3 in Sydney, while having aspirations to reach a 6.0 share, instead went backwards to settle on 5.0. But in Melbourne smooth91.5 posted its best result and surged 0.8 to land on 5.5 – first time its been ahead of its Sydney sibling

Nova 969 edged higher in Sydney on the back of a solid performance by Breakfast duo Fitzy and Wippa. In Melbourne, Nova edged correspondingly lower as did its Breakfast duo, Hughesy and Kate.

In Brisbane, Nova stayed  steady on an 11.9 share to retain the #2 spot overall, but this time after a big drop by 97.3FM, it find itself only 0.1 adrift of the market leader.

Adelaide was also good for Nova where it went up 0.3, but lost a place to resurgent Triple M. Nova in Perth, though had a nice gain to win second place bhind Mix.

Fairfax Radio

A mixed bag for the AM talk network. The good news is that 2UE in Sydney is showing some signs of life. Although it only edged up a measly 0.1, it was a 0.1 that counted in getting the station to a 5.0 overall. True, the new Breakfast show is still problematic as it slipped back to 3.9, but Paul Murray’s shift to Mornings is looking like it might pay off. He rose 0.7, while every other weekday shift also enjoyed gains.

With summer over, one might have expected talk stations to come into their own, but in Melbourne, 3AW went the other way, shedding a further 1.1 and bringing it down to a 12.6 share. Still a comfortable leader behind 774, but worrying signs given that every shift, bar nights, recorded a dip – no more so than Neil Mitchell’s program which dropped a massive 2.3. And that’s on top of the 1.8 he dropped last time.

In Melbourne, Magic also lost ground, but in Brisbane, 4BC went up marginally. While in Perth, 6PR added 1.0 to reach 9.7 and beat the local ABC station. But 96FM lost as much to be relegated to third place behind Nova.

Macquarie Radio Network

It has been an emphatic win for the network flagship taking line honours in every shift from Breakfast through Nights and on the weekends too. That’s particularly big news for Ben Fordham in Drive, a shift which is traditionally won by music, not talk stations.

While Ray Hadley regained most of what went missing from his shift over summer, Alan Jones only retrieved a fraction (0.3) of the 2.8 he dropped last time. Still, a 15.7 share in Breakfast in Sydney is nothing to sneeze at.

2CH also enjoyed a modest gain to land on a 5.4 share.

ABC

Not a survey the ABC would like to remember as far as local radio is concerned. The brand went down in every city, nowhere more so than in Sydney where it shed 1.5 but still retains the number two spot leaving 2GB the only station in double figures in that market.

triple j fared better, going up in Adelaide and Perth, staying steady in Melbourne while taking a dip in Sydney and Brisbane.

Cities

Sydney

Market leader 2GB had the biggest gain this survey, up 1.2 share points overall to 13.2%. Second placed ABC702 dropped most, down 1.5 to 9.4%. 2Day FM dropped 0.9 share points to 8.4%, slipping into fourth place behind WSFM, which was steady on 8.5%.

In other notable share movements, Triple M rose by 0.7 to 6.4%, ABC Classicfm was up by 0.5 to 3.4% and smoothfm fell by 0.6 to 5.0%. Other stations were steady, with less than half a percentage point movement either way.

Nova won the 10-24 demographics, 2Day won 25-39s ahead of triple j, WSFM won 40-54s, ABC702 won 55-64s and 2GB won the over 65s.

The breakfast timeslot was won by 2GB’s Alan Jones, followed by ABC702 and 2Dayfm. WSFM was placed fourth in breakfast.

2GB had a clean sweep, winning all reported weekday and weekend shifts, a feat not seen in this survey for some time. While 2GB usually wins the majority of shifts, it is unusual for one station to take out every shift in the market, whcih has happened this time around for the Macquarie Network station.

Melbourne

3AW slipped by 1.1 share points to 12.6%, but still retained its number one status in the Melbourne market. Second placed ABC774 also dropped, down 0.9 to 11.4%. Fox FM was third, slipping fractionally, down 0.1 to 9.2%.  Gold FM gained most this survey, up 1.7 share points to 8.7%, pushing out Nova from fourth position. Nova sits in fifth place on 8.0%, down 0.4.

In other movements, smoothfm rose 0.8 to 5.5%, Triple M gained 0.7 to 7.6%, and ABC Classicfm rose 0.9 to 4.0%. Magic and Mix 101.1 slipped a little, down 0.5.

Fox won the 10-24 demographics, Triple M won 25-39s, Gold won 40-54s, ABC774 won 55-64s and 3AW won the over 65s.

3AW’s Ross and John won breakfast ahead of ABC774  and Fox. ABC774 won mornings, Gold won afternoons, Fox won drive, 3AW won evenings and weekends.

Brisbane

Despite suffering the biggest drop of the survey, 1.4 share points, 97.3 retained top spot in Brisbane with 12.0% overall. Second placed Nova 106.9 was steady on 11.9%. B105 had the biggest rise of the survey, gaining 1.8 share points and moving into third place with 11.6% overall.  Fourth placed ABC612 dipped 0.5 to 10.6%.

In other movements, 4BC gained 0.6 to 6.8% and Radio National rose by 0.5 to 2.2%. 4BH and ABC Classicfm dipped 0.5 share points.

B105 dominates the 10-17 demographic, Nova won 18-39s, 97.3 won 40-54s, 4KQ won 55-64s and ABC612 won the over 65s.

Brisbane has a new number one breakfast show this survey with B105’s Labby Stav and Abby inching into first place just ahead of 97.3 in that timeslot. Triple M won mornings and afternoons, Nova won drive, ABC612 won evenings and 97.3 won weekends.

Adelaide

Mix 102.3 had the biggest drop of the survey, losing 2.0 share points, but the station still retained top position in the market with 14.8%. Second placed 5AA slipped 0.7 to 11.9% and third placed ABC891 slid 0.6 to 11.2%. Triple M rose 1.1 share points, grabbing fourth place with 9.6%, followed by Nova, up 0.3 to 9.4%.

SAFM rose 0.4 to 9.1% and triple j had the biggest gain of the survey, up 1.6 share points to 8.7% overall.

Nova 91.9 won the 10-245 demographics, triple j won 25-39s, Mix won 40-54s, ABC891 won 55-64s and 5AA won the over 65s.

ABC891 topped the breakfast timeslot, ahead of 5AA and Mix. Mix won mornings and afternoons, 5AA won drive, ABC891 won evenings and Mix won weekends.

Perth

Market leader Mix 94.5 slipped a little, down 0.5 to 13.8%. Nova pushed into second place with a gain of 0.8 to 11.9%, followed by 96fm, down 1.1 to 11.4%. Fourth placed triple j rose 0.6 to 10.8% and 6PR rose into equal fifth place with a gain of 1.0 to 9.7%. 92.9 was equally fifth place on 9.7% after losing 1.1 share points.

In other movements, 6IX gained 1.2 share points, rising to 5.8% and ABC720 dropped 0.8 to 9.1%.

92.9 won the 10-24 demographics, triple j won 35-39s ahead of Nova, Mix won 40-54s, 6PR won 55-64s and ABC720 won the over 65s.

Mix 94.5 won breakfast just ahead of ABC720. Mix also won mornings, afternoons and drive. Nova won evenings and Mix won weekends.

See our other reports for this survey: Full results. Media releases.

Post your own comments below. You do not have to be a paid subscriber, just log in to comment.