Radio ratings – Sydney: Kyle & Jackie O reclaim top FM breakfast slot as 2DayFM drops to bottom of commercial pile
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson have regained the top spot in the Sydney FM radio breakfast battle, overhauling Jonesy & Amanda on WSFM Pure Gold, whose show dropped 2.1 per cent in audience share according to the latest round of GfK’s radio ratings.
However, Talkback AM radio still dominates the Sydney market, with 2GB gaining 0.6 per cent to 13.1 per cent audience share for Monday to Sunday, ahead of ABC702 which had the biggest share rise to 10.7 per cent, while Fairfax Radio’s 2UE saw a bounce, lifting 0.8 per cent to a share of 4.6 per cent audience share.
Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller had been celebrating being on top of the ratings for two surveys with WSFM Pure Gold, but the audience slip gave their Australian Radio Network stablemates Kyle and Jackie O top spot after a rise of 1.5 per cent, for a share of 10.5 per cent. However WSFM Pure Gold is the most-listened to FM station in Sydney with 9.4 per cent of the audience, ahead of KissFM’s 8.7 per cent.
The 2DayFM breakfast show enjoyed its first ratings lift of the year up 0.6 per cent in share to 3.6 per cent, after the departure of Mel B, although the station lost 0.4 per cent of its overall share dropping to 3.8 per cent, making it the lowest rated commercial radio station in Sydney.
Meanwhile Nova Media saw a shift in fortunes with its easy listening station SmoothFM gaining 0.7 points to 7.2 to post a bigger audience share than youth focussed Nova, which dropped 0.8 point to 6.4, leading group programming director Paul Jackson to predict it would eventually become the number one FM station
On 2GB Alan Jone saw his share for breakfast lift 1.4 per cent to 15.5 per cent, while 2UE’s Gary Linnell and John Stanley saw a rise of 0.6 per cent to 3,9 per cent.
Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa dropped 0.4 per cent to 5.8 per cent, but managed to leapfrog Triple M’s grill team which lost 1.1 per cent share dipping to 5.6 per cent overall, as Nova’s stablemate SmoothFM remained steady at 5.5 per cent share for Bogart Torelli.
In drive ABC 702’s Richard Glover topped the ratings, picking up the largest audience share gain of the survey of 2.8 per cent to 13.5 per cent of the audience, as 2GB’s Ben Fordham slipped back 0.2 per cent to 9.8. 2UE’s drive presenter Justin Smith dopped 0.2 per cent to 2.4 per cent
In the FM battle Nova’s national; line up of Kate Richie, Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold remained top with a share of 9.7 per cent, with KiisFM’s national offering Tim ‘Rosso’ Ross gaining 0.6 per cent to a 9.0 share. 2DayFM’s Dan & Maz lost the most listeners, down 1.0 per cent to a share of 4.6 per cent whilst TripleM’s One Percenters, Joe Hildebrand and Matt Tilley losing 0.6 per cent to a 4.7 share.
Speaking to Mumbrella Southern Cross Austereo’s head of content Craig Bruce said the focus for 2DayFM fir the rest of the year is to “go after Nova” in the breakfast slot, adding: “If you look at their numbers, as much as everyone loves Fitzy and Wippa their breakfast show has absolutely stalled. It’s not out of the realms of possibility that we can overtake them.
“We know why we lost share as we gave up Kyle and Jackie, I’m not sure after three years Nova know why Fitzy and Wippa aren’t working. It’s much tighter than the numbers would suggest.”
On the departure of Mel B from breakfast he said it “was not a significant change” as “we wanted her to help launch the show as a marketing device” adding they were now focussed on the remaining presenters of Jules Lund, Sophie Monk and Merrick Watts.
Nova’s Jackson remained relaxed about the station’s figures despite the slight drop, saying there would be no changes to programming line ups going into 2015, but admitting he expects the breakfast duo “to do better”.
“I wouldn’t say it’s stalled,” he added. “Overall we’re going brilliantly, and I don’t get hung up on any one particular survey, you have to look at it across the entire year.”
Noting it is the first time SmoothFM has moved above Nova in the overall share he said he expected the station, which did not exist three years ago, to continue growing from its number three FM adding: “I believe in the long term it will be the number one radio station.”
ARN’s national content director Duncan Campbell said they were extremely happy with the picture in Sydney, with the number one and two stations by share, adding they aimed to continue to grow share.
Alex Hayes
Oh no … 2ue will put out yet another “we’ve turned a corner” press release!!!! LOL
User ID not verified.
2GB on 31%? Man, the world will end if that’s true.
I think you mean 13.1…..
User ID not verified.
Hi Weasel,
Yep, you’re right. They’re not that dominant.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Is this the first time that smooth has rated higher than its sister station Nova? Who would have guessed five years ago that 95.3 would be the Sydney money maker for DMG?
User ID not verified.
I normally love your stuff but this article’s a bit sloppy
For one, the station’s called WSFM, not Pure Gold. And you refer to it as that multiple times.
Also, Justin Smith is not a new drive presenter, he’s been in that slot all year. And he doesn’t rate 9.6
User ID not verified.
Hi Umm,
Thanks for the comment – indeed you’re right- WSFM Pure Gold is the full name of the station, and Justin has been in that slot all year. His rating was a transpositional error – corrected now.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Serves Today FM right they let 2 of the most popular FM hosts go and when they did did that I left Today FM to follow Kyle.
I have been folloring the ratings since Kyle and Jackie O left Today FM and I am so proud tehy are number 1.
These big CEO’s or Managers need to listen to their listerners and keep the people that bring in listerners they do not need to dictate to me to whom I should be listerning to because I decide who I listern to.
Great Job Kyle and Jackie O
User ID not verified.
More reinforcement that the greatest percentage of people in Sydney….are stupid 🙂
User ID not verified.
Kyle and Jackie O courted controversy again at survey time which put them front and centre in listener’s minds and top of the ratings. Just goes to show how shonky the radio ratings system is. The more repetitive Nova becomes, the further it drops in the ratings. Nobody wants to hear the same song played every two hours (sometimes less) especially not adults.
User ID not verified.
Unless Jim they also listened. I’d be interested in your evidence to show that THEY didn’t listen.
User ID not verified.
Have to agree Offal – cannot believe the drivel that Sydney’s FM radio scene has become. Are people stupid or what? Kyle completely humiliates his female sports reporter, she leaves, there’s an uproar – yet their ratings increase? Vote with your feet people!
You want a real alternative that is safe for the kids and actually gives you a good vibe? Look past commercial radio… I found Hope 103.2 a couple of years ago and never went back.
User ID not verified.
Do the ratings track people who listen through the internet on various devices?
User ID not verified.
2ue and 4bc is so shocking under the Clark forbes watch. Those two stations have been destroyed.
User ID not verified.