Kiis boss hints at Melbourne shake up as Hamish and Andy make inroads
Hamish and Andy have made some big inroads for the Hit Network in their first full ratings survey, leading rivals to claim this will be their peak. Nic Christensen talks to content bosses at Nova, ARN and SCA about today’s results and looks at what impact the shake up in having on the overall radio market.
Say what you want about the rise of Hamish and Andy one thing is clear: the bravado of their rivals Nova and ARN has quietly evaporated. So much so it’s got Kiis bosses looking at their Melbourne lineup for next year after a disastrous survey 6 in the Victorian capital.
Last survey the question many were asking is just how far Hamish Blake and Andy Lee would move the overall audience share of the beleaguered Hit Network? Today’s radio survey shows the duo made significant inroads into their rivals in drive nationally, helping boost the network’s audience share in every market except Sydney, where 2DayFM went backwards.
But can the duo singlehandedly continue the momentum?
The drive time battle
This survey has seen the drive market realign nationally.
Source: Gfk
The Hit Network has retaken the lead in drive in Hamish and Andy’s home town of Melbourne (and the overall FM market) and had a major impact Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide posting significant increases.
As the network’s rivals are quick to point out while Hamish and Andy have definitely changed drive the impact is less significant in people 10+ where HitFM had the following results:
- Sydney 4.0 (-0.4)
- Melbourne 9.2 (+0.9)
- Brisbane 9.8 (+1.2)
- Adelaide 9.3 (+1.5)
- Perth 11.0 (+1.1)
Jackson
And rivals of Southern Cross Austereo owned Hit are eager to spin this as its high watermark.
“This is their peak moment, says Paul Jackson, group programming director at Nova. “They have galvanised everyone to this peak point.
“This is the point they have funnelled everyone to and so they are going to get a decent rise but we have to either increase with them or ahead of them,” he adds, brushing off concerns about a massive 3.5 point fall for the likes of Nova’s Kate, Tim and Marty in Brisbane.
ARN boss Duncan Campbell was also looking to put the boot in arguing that the market should focus on overall impact: “It’s the Network figures that count.”
“Their impact has been greatest in Melbourne and Perth – which we always knew it would be – but around the country they will be disappointed by the performance overall.”
However, HitFM’s Dave Cameron rejects this interpretation and insists the momentum will continue.
“We are extremely happy,” he said. “Hamish and Andy are a number one show everywhere and in places like Sydney where they aren’t number one it is just a matter of time.”
On Jackson’s claim that this is as good as it gets for Hit Cameron fired back: “If (Jackson) thinks we have peaked then he can go make a good cup of English tea pop his feet up and see what happens…
“The Hit Network is now beating Nova in the work day in Melbourne and as of today in Adelaide and Perth.”
Hit changes the rhetoric on 2DayFM in Sydney
Dan & Maz lost 0.8 share this survey in
While the figures are good in drive overall for Hit the weak point was clearly Sydney.
“Sydney remains challenging for us with breakfast there but rising in that market is good for us,” said Cameron.
“The growth in Sydney will come when our breakfast show gains momentum and Dan & Maz have come into a market where listener bonds are already established it takes longer to gain traction.”
This is a change in language for 2Day and Hit who just a few months ago were insisting that it would be drive that lifted the breakfast slot.
Asked whether they might review the talent Dan Debuf and Maz Compton, who posted a 0.8 share point fall in Breakfast Cameron gave mixed signals.
“The breakfast show remains a challenge for us,” Cameron admitted. “We haven’t finalised any lineups for around the country for 2016 but remain committed to Dan and Maz.”
“The show has only been on-air nine months but we will continue to make inroads.”
ARN’s Duncan Campbell however described 2DayFM as “broken”.
“They should be especially disappointed in Sydney where 2Day is really a broken radio station,” he said.
“It hasn’t really impacted us in 10+ people as a network we have gone from 7.3 to a 7.9 share they are still trailing Kiis, Nova and Triple M.”
KiisFM to get a shakeup in Melbourne?
Hughesy and Kate lost traction on their home turf of Melbourne
The other notable poor performance in survey six was Kiis 101.1FM which shed 1.3 share points, losing significant audience share in every timeslot.
That comes despite Campbell having said last year the Melbourne station was ARN’s major focus in 2015.
“We are disappointed with Kiis in Melbourne, we are number two with Gold but the Kiis101.1FM has failed to really perform to expectations this year,” admitted Campbell.
“We have put in place plans that will unfold and execute as we get ready for 2016. I am confident that in 2016 KiisFM will perform much better than it has done.”
Asked if that meant a shake up in the lineup Campbell was coy saying only: “We are talking overall changes to Kiis and I’m happy to talk about those changes in more detail at a later date.”
Questioned on whether they were worried about Melbourne identities Kate Langbroek and Dave Hughes shedding 1.7 points Campbell said the problem was broader.
He added: “When you look at the Kiis101 result it is across the board it is unfair to isolate individual show performances – the whole station is down.
“It’s a disappointing result I won’t hide from that.”
Nic Christensen is the deputy editor of Mumbrella.
The reason Kiis aren’t doing so well, is their breakfast show – Jane Hall and Matt Tilley. I dont like either of them. I used to listen to Chrissy Swan and Jane Hall, but cant stand Matt Tilley… If I listen to a breakfast show, i leave the radio on for the drive show.
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HandA only won drive in 2 markets – Melbourne and Perth. And in some markets it came third. I would hardly call it the success story. Although, granted, it is early days.
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This time last year Mix/KIIS in Melbourne was No 1 FM in Breakfast. They got rid of Chrissie Swan and now are down the drain. Stupid!
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Kath if you’re going to have a shot, have your facts correct. This time last year Mix/Kiss was not #1 FM in brekky, it was #4.
The “jane and chrissy show” was ever #1 for only 1 survey in its whole time on the air, and that was after fox and nova changed their bky, it lasted 1 survey and then that show fell back again.
People love to rewrite history as though it was a successful show canned by ARN, when it fact it consistently failed.
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