Nova picking up wins on ‘genuine connection’
Nova’s group programming director Brendan Taylor admits he was nervous to see if the winning streak his network had hit in 2024 would continue once the calendar had flipped over.
“We ended the year in our best ever position,” he says. “Everything was getting into sync at the end of last year – but survey one, you’re always a bit nervous because there’s no wave rolling.”
As it turns out, 6.5 million metro listeners cannot be wrong. That’s the network’s overall audience in the capital cities, for both Nova and Smooth, and it happens to be the biggest audience the network has ever achieved.
“It’s incredibly pleasing,” Taylor confirms when chatting to Mumbrella on Thursday morning. You can hear his smile down the phone line. Consistency seems to be the key to Nova’s growing success, and it’s a word Taylor uses often, both in regards to Smooth’s continued domination over Sydney — #1 FM station in Sydney, and the most listened-to network in the entire country — and Nova’s national takeover of the afternoons.
Brendan Taylor
Adelaide is the perfect case-study for how Nova’s national network shows are coming together.
SCA’s Triple M rules the mornings, but once Chrissie Swan comes on at 2pm, it seems the entire city collectively switches the dial to Nova, and keeps it there, throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel command the drive slot, with the #1 drive-time show in the country and the most-listened to show overall in Australia. The show is followed by the ‘Late Drive with Ben, Liam and Belle’, which airs nightly between 6pm-8pm in a slot that is traditionally filled with repeats of morning shows.
Smallzy’s Surgery comes on from 8pm-10pm, also the most listened-to show in its bracket, nationwide. This success is replicated around the country, and the consistency of this run is something that Taylor is clearly proud of.
“We’re not shy about it, we want to own that network output from 2pm onwards,” he says. “Commercially the 25-54 audience – we know what it means to our commercial side of the business. It’s good and pleasing to see the audience coming in, and holding, particularly in those network slots.”
After 24 months of rebuilding, all the pieces seem to be in place.
“I think it’s never been stronger,” Taylor says of the current lineup. “I think our national shows and our breakfast shows are driving the brand forward. You know, the cume [cumulative audience] that we’re seeing in all our breakfast shows, even including Sydney, who had their best breakfast cume ever, through to Jase & Lauren [in Melbourne] and Nathan, Nat and Sean in Perth, they’ve just all had really good days, that contribute to that overall number.
Jase and Lauren
“It just shows there is a genuine connection and, you know, to get it in Survey 1 probably means a little more because, like I said, it’s a fresh start.”
Jase and Lauren on Nova were pipped in the Melbourne breakfast race by Christian O’Connell on Gold, after leading throughout the back end of 2024. The two shows aim for different demographics, and Taylor is nothing but complementary about O’Connell’s show.
“I’m actually really pleased,” he says of Jase and Lauren’s results. “If you look at this time last year in Melbourne, they’re a 6.7 [percentage share], and we’re a 10.1 now – I think that’s their third best share result.
“I suppose if I look at the market, it’s fair to say Christian was undercooked last year. He’s a quality broadcaster. And the survey results previously speak to that.”
O’Connell ruled his time slot throughout most of 2023.
“It’s not a surprise to me that he’s moved up in the rank,” Taylor says. “We haven’t had the marketing presence that our competitors have. So it’s purely based on the quality of the content and the connection they have with their audience.
“And again, survey one, it’s always the nervous one because it’s a fresh sample. So, you know, a fresh sample that is voting Jason Lauren is a positive for me.
“It’s only survey one and it’s a long, long year. But to start the year off in this position, it’s a great credit to the team and how we all work together – both on and off the air.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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