Kyle and Jackie O lose top FM breakfast crown for first time in 55 surveys
Kyle and Jackie O
Today’s radio survey is the first time in nearly seven years and 55 surveys Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson have not held the number one breakfast show position in Sydney, losing their crown to Australia Radio Network stablemate Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller on WSFM.
Today’s results, the third in the GfK survey, are the most meaningful so far from new provider GfK, with ARN’s content director Duncan Campbell admitting “three books makes a trend”, as the company celebrated having the number one and two stations in Sydney, having put together a massive marketing push since launching the new Kiis1065 station in January, then rebranding WSFM Pure Gold in April.
Campbell told Mumbrella Kyle and Jackie O took the news “well” adding: “I spoke to them both, they both congratulated Jonesy and Amanda obviously they know the hard work that goes into these shows and as Kyle says eight surveys make a year.
“But it’s nice to have a friendly rivalry between these two shows, and we always said we wanted the number one and two FM stations in Melbourne and Sydney.”
ARN boasted the top FM stations in Sydney, Melbourne (Gold), Adelaide (Mix 102.3) and Brisbane (97.3FM).
See the ratings reports for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.
However, things have not gotten any better for Kyle and Jackie’s former station 2DayFM, with its star studded breakfast line-up of Sophie Monk, Merrick Watts, Jules Lund and Mel B dropping to 3.6 per cent audience share, making it the lowest rating commercial FM breakfast show in Sydney.
Craig Bruce, content director for 2Day’s parent company Southern Cross Austereo, admitted they are currently in negotiations with former Spice Girl Mel B over her role with the show for the second half of the year.
However, when asked directly if the show was a long-term proposition he said: “We’re absolutely focussed on making this show as good as we can, that’s what we’re doing right at the moment is staying focussed on making sure tomorrow morning is a great show, and making it better every day.”
Later on he added: “We’re committed to every element of our breakfast show, not only in terms of how it’s sounding but how it works for our clients and we;re comfortable with where it’s currently sitting.”
On Friday the network flagged ratings woes in radio and its TV agreement with Ten as causing it revenue stress, signalling a ten per cent drop in earnings was expected this year. Bruce said the survey, which saw most of SCA’s stations rise, was a “positive” story for them.
Melbourne produced an unusual result with four stations tying for share with 6.9 per cent, including SCA’s FoxFM and Triple M along with Nova Entertainment Group’s Nova100 and Smoothfm.
The ratings for Nova and Smooth remained relatively stable in most markets, but Paul Jackson did point to a drop for Sydney breakfast duo Fitzy and Wippa as a seasonal blip, but also pointed to the fact the pair’s share of 7.1 per cent was two points up on where the duo sat this time last year.
He also stressed the fact the network has the highest combined audience nationally, and said the hype around so many new shows in different markets has boosted interest in radio as a whole, adding: “People have been talking about radio for the first time in a long time. It’s exciting for us and it should be exciting for the advertisers as well.”
Alex Hayes
Jonesy and Amanda are a great team – but i think the people who should be getting the biggest pats on the back are the people who relaunched the station as Pure Gold.
The ads look classy, not daggy – which has been the big issue for many people listening to a station that only plays classic music. People dont want to be pigeon holed as daggy. Many 39+ age demographics are still very young at heart, and the new rebranding sums up their outlook on life.
For these people, it’s no longer embarrassing to say they listen to WSFM.
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Did I miss something. Or is AM radio no longer counted?
Jack
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HELLO – THIS IS JUST POOR COVERAGE – THIS STATEMENT IS WRONG
“the number one breakfast show position in Sydney, losing their crown to Australia Radio Network stablemate Brendan Jones and Amanda Kelleher on WSFM”
THEY HAVE NEVER HELD THE CROWN – THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN # 1
THERE IS ONLY KING: ALAN BELFORD JONES – GET IT RIGHT!!
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Agree. Kyle & Jackie O have NEVER been the number one Breakfast show. They have been the number one FM Breakfast show, but never the overall Breakfast show.
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Radio stations in Sydney include AM and FM bandwidth and of which the survey is based upon. The number 1 radio station for the Sydney market is actually 2GB and it has held this number 1 position for 10 years now – quite an achievement don’t you think? Perhaps understanding the radio ratings before you publish an article of this nature that goes out to so many industry folk might be advisable.
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Hi Matthew,
You seem to have missed the qualifier word FM in all of this story. If you read the detailed story you’ll see that is all fully referenced, including Alan Jone’s 0.2 per cent slip.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Hi Anon,
Thanks for the comment. See the reply to MATTHEW – and the full Sydney ratings story which is referenced and linked to in this article.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Hi Alex, thanks for your response. It’s the first paragraph that I have issues with. When you quote “#1 breakfast show” you should state FM/AM in front of this statement, if you are not providing credit to the actual winners of that particular segment so it is 100% clear. You can imagine there is constant confusion with AM vs FM. All the best
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Calm down people! Didn’t the heading give away the topic of this article? I think many of us are interested in how the many changes within the FM bandwidth are panning out. I’m sure there will be another article covering the micro changes within the world of AM radio soon enough.
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Go A & J – way above anything and anyone else at ARN
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Takeaway from the comments: people who work in radio can’t read
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Who cares about AM, why is no one pointing out that Amanda Keller’s name is wrong in several articles?
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Hi Alex.
One thing I have never understood is why all print journo’s feel the need to separate AM from FM? We all listen to the radio on home stereos, car stereos, etc which pick up both.
In this day and age of Digital Radio there is no differential at all.
Sadly the “FM” line is trotted out because media writers can’t pedal the same “Alan Jones wins again” story or even better in Melbourne “Ross Stevenson and John Burns notch up 99 consecutive number ones.
Instead, how about you all write about “Music Stations” and “Talk Stations”? At least then Magic 1278 and 2CH might get an occasional mention in there.
Simon Owens
Producer 3AW
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Try the Breakfast Spot on FM99.3 Mondays Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it might be worth your while!
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Get over it. Jones and Hadley and 2GB have a core demographic of 55 plus skewing even older to 65. They listen to more radio than any other target group as they sit at home with the cuppa and iced vovo. How many clients target 65 plus as a primary group and research compelling shows if you have eaten or drunk x product til that age, you are not likely to switch brands. FACT
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Uh, uh, Alex.
You can’t go all Orwellian and rewrite history. Read your own copy:
“Today’s radio survey is the first time in nearly seven years and 55 surveys Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson have not held the number one breakfast show position in Sydney,”
Wrong, wrong. Every radio ratings story you publish keeps pushing the FM barrow.
It’s not JUST sloppy journalism (though it certainly is that): every radio ratings story you publish gets it wrong. It might happen one day but it hasn’t happened yet. Please, get it right – 2GB breakfast is STILL the number one breakfast show position in Sydney.
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There is a perception that Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson are dynamos and Kings and Queens of Sydney radio.
Most surveys they have around 9 or 10 percent ( i.e.: 90 percent NOT listening)
They have also never been number 1 – a myth spread by them and PR people, who think the public will not notice the FM reference.
We all know Jones and often the ABC are well ahead of these two “entertainers”
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Love mumbrella but that’s an ordinary piece….over and above the AM/FM clarification, I’m pretty sure her name is not Kelleher.
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Do people still listen to radio? Why
Adds, adds masquerading as taffic reports, adds masquerading as stupid promos, and buffoons like Kyle talking drivel, oh and maybe you can find some music, occasionally.
Hello Spotify
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Hi Simon,
Thanks for the comment.
That’s an interesting point. I think the real upheaval in radio of late has been around the FM rather than AM, which lends to stories as new patterns emerge. And you’re right, writing Jones wins again isn’t much of a story after a while – it’s almost a given these days. There’s a similar thing with TV ratings where we look for not just what wins the night (often The Voice, MKR etc), but where the movement and trends emerging are.
We’re always looking at how we cover things like radio ratings, so we’re open to suggestions.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
anyone who criticises any media outlet for deigning not to write “Jones wins again” with every rating survey doesn’t understand media and journalism (but not to the same extent as Ken Cowley doesn’t!)
until the crown slips, there is no news value in reporting this fact – it falls into the ‘no shit sherlock’ category
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People – Ratings day is largely covered this way in trade press because they highlight commercial radio stations – where most money is spent by advertisers.. This largely relates to you or your clients.
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I work for an FM station and even I find this to be lazy and uninformed “journalism”.
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@mindreader when you state “How many clients target 65 plus as a primary group and research compelling shows if you have eaten or drunk x product til that age, you are not likely to switch brands. FACT” I would be keen to see this research.
The research I have read actually claims the opposite – it’s the older Australians with expendable cash (makes sense, their children have left home and they are earning much more than they ever did in their 20’s) and are even more receptive to trying new products, services and deals than younger audiences (and can afford to!)
Research: “Challenging conventional wisdom about the marketing value of middle-aged Australians” compiled by Woolcott Research
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