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Radio ratings – Sydney: Kyle & Jackie O reclaim top FM breakfast slot as 2DayFM drops to bottom of commercial pile

Sydney radio ratings - overall audience share survey 5 2014: Source - GfK

Sydney radio ratings – overall audience share survey 5 2014: Source – GfK

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.

Sydney radio ratings Mon-Fri and Breakfast: Source: GfK

Sydney radio ratings Mon-Fri and Breakfast: Source: GfK

Alex Hayes

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