Radio Ratings Survey 7: 3AW continues its climb, Talk still top in Sydney and Melbourne

Radio ratings survey 7 results have just been released.

While there were a few significant falls in some cities, station rankings were mostly unchanged this survey.

The survey period included the AFL and NRL Grand Finals. Sydney and Melbourne eased lockdown during the survey period and 4BC and 4BH changed frequencies.

The survey was conducted by GfK for Commercial Radio Australia between Sun Aug 15 to Sat Sept 18 & Sun Sept 26 to Sat Oct 30, 2021.

Click the charts to pop out a full size image.

Mouse over a station in the interactive charts to see its share results since survey 1 2020.

Previous survey results here.

See also: DAB+ Results, Cumes, Spin.

 

Sydney

  • Top station 2GB slipped 0.7 to 15.7%
  • Second placed ABC Sydney lost 0.7 to 12.3% overall
  • WSFM slid into third place, gaining 0.5 to 8.1%, just ahead of ARN sister station KIIS, which was fourth at 8.0%

There was little dramatic movement this survey, with Triple M and Nova scoring the biggest gains of only 0.7, while 2GB and ABC Sydney both slipped 0.7.

Ben Fordham’s 2GB breakfast show increased further, up by 1 share point to hold 19.8% of the audience in that timeslot, more than Ray Hadley’s morning show, which lost 1.7 to score 18.3% in the morning timeslot. ABC Sydney was second in breakfast, followed by KIIS.

2GB won all shifts except drive, which was won by ABC Sydney.

KIIS won the 10-17 demographic, Nova won 18-24s, KIIS won 25-39s, ABC Sydney won 40-54s, 2GB won the over 55 age groups.

 

 

 

 

Melbourne

  • 3AW consolidated its lead further, up 0.7 to 18.9% in top position
  • Second placed ABC Melbourne lost 0.8 to 11.2%
  • Gold was third, rock steady at 10.9%

Fox had the biggest fall this survey, dropping 1.1 share points to 5.5% overall, while 3AW had the biggest rise, gaining 0.7. There was very little significant movement in other stations.

3AW breakfast with Ross and Russel gained a further 0.5 to capture nearly a quarter (24.3%) of the Melbourne breakfast audience. ABC Melbourne is second in breakfast followed by Gold, both stations slipped slightly but held their positions in the breakfast rankings.

3AW won all shift timeslots in the market.

There was a lot of movement in the 10-17 demographic, with Triple M and Fox losing share in the age group and Nova increasing its share of 10-17s. Nova won the 10-17 demographic.

18-24s was won by Nova, Fox won 25-39s, Gold won 40-54s and 3AW won the over 55s.

 

 

 

 

Brisbane

  • Nova leads the Brisbane market with 11.5% overall, down 0.2
  • Second placed 4KQ is closing fast, up 0.4 to 11.3%, with some of the AM listeners who changed their dials to reset 4BC and 2BH perhaps found 4KQ on the way through
  • Third placed 97.3FM had the biggest gain this survey, up 1.7 to 11.0%

Brisbane is a market where the leaders change often. This survey the two top stations were within a fraction of a share point (0.2) of each other. 97.3FM also jumped into the leaderboard race with the biggest gain of the survey. ABC Brisbane had the biggest fall of the survey, dropping 0.8 to 7.8%.

Nine Radio’s 4BC and 4BC swapped frequencies during the survey, resulting in some instability in their figures, it will take a couple of surveys to be able to judge whether the frequency swap has had any long term effect on ratings figures. Nine has outsourced the programming of its music stations to Ace Radio for 4BH, 2UE and Magic and has consolidated all its talk stations on the lower end of the band where low AM frequencies carry better have deliver stronger signals and better coverage.

Nova won breakfast with its old team Ash, Kip, Lutty & Susie O’Neill. Kip Wightman has now left the show. 4KQ was second in the breakfast timeslot.

4KQ won mornings, Triple M won afternoons, Nova won Drive, ABC Brisbane won evenings and 4KQ won weekends.

Nova won the 10-17 demographic, B105 won 18-24s, triple j won 25-39s, Nova and 97.3 both tied for top position with the 40-54 age group, 4KQ won the over 55s.

 

 

 

Adelaide

  • Top station Mix had the biggest fall of the survey, but still retained number one position with 11.5%, down 2.3 share points overall. It is the station’s thirteenth consecutive survey at number one.
  • Second placed ABC Adelaide lost 1 share point, scoring 11.3% overall
  • Third placed Cruise gained 0.2 to 10.1%

Nova Entertainment’s talk station FIVEaa had the biggest gain of the survey, up 1.7 share points to 10% overall, in fourth place, taking some audience from rival talk station ABC Adelaide.

South Australia’s borders were closed to keep those states covid free during this survey period, as were the Queensland and West Australian borders, with more freedom of movement allowing different consumption behaviour from NSW and Victoria during this survey, as in other recent surveys.

ABC Adelaide had the top breakfast show despite a drop of 2.1 share points to score 15.8% in the breakfast timeslot. Commercial talk rival picked up the audience that ABC lost, gaining 2.4 to 13.6% in breakfast.

Mix won mornings and afternoons, Nova won Drive, FIVEaa won evenings and Cruise won weekends.

Nova won the under 40 demographics, Mix won 40-64s and ABC Adelaide won the over 65s

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perth

  • Nova leads the Perth market with 12.6%, down 0.5
  • Second placed 96fm lost 0.8 to 11.4%
  • Third placed Mix dropped 1.4 to 11.2%

Mix had the biggest fall, down 1.4 to 11.2% and 6PR had the biggest gain, rising 0.8 to 8.3% overall.

Breakfast was won by Nova, ahead of Mix then ABC Perth. During the survey ABC Breakfast presenter Russell Woolf sadly passed away.

96fm won Mornings, Mix and Nova tied for dominance of the Afternoon timeslot, Nova won drive and Weekends and ABC Perth won evenings.

Nova won the 10-17 , 25-39 and 40-54 demographic, triple j won 18-24s, 96fm won 55-64s and ABC Perth won the over 65s.

 

 

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