Sydney radio ratings: Alan Jones holds onto breakfast crown despite controversy
The ongoing scrutiny on broadcaster Alan Jones may have hit his station 2GB’s bottom line, but thus far it has had little discernible impact on his ratings share.
2GB breakfast, measured from 5:30am to 9:00am, still commands a market-leading 16.8% audience share, down just 0.3 share points from the previous survey.
The breakfast battle in Sydney. Source: GfK (Click to enlarge)
The latest Jones controversy began in August when in on-air comments, he suggested Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison shove a sock down the throat of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern. He also said Ardern should be backhanded.
The comments and resulting outrage led to a mass exodus of advertisers and Jones being put on notice by his employer Macquarie Radio, however, until now, it has been unclear if it would hit his listener base.
Jones made the comments on 15 August. The most recent radio ratings survey, released today, measures the period 14 July to 21 September.
Jones’ two-year contract goes through until 2021
2GB has also maintained its overall lead in Sydney, with a share of 13.4%, exactly the same as during the prior survey which measured 26 May to 29 June and 14 July to 17 August. It’s also well ahead of any other station from 9am to 12pm when Ray Hadley is on air, with a 14.7% share.
The station, however, doesn’t lead the Sydney market in drive, measured from 4pm to 7pm. In drive, 2GB has an 8.6% share, down 0.1 points from last survey. Ben Fordham is on air from 3pm to 6pm. At 6pm, Ross Greenwood takes over until 8pm.
This puts the AM station behind FM’s Kiis 106.5 (featuring the “Will & Woody’ program), which is on 10.0%, and Nova 96.9 (‘Kate, Tim & Marty’), also on 10.0%. Smooth 95.3 FM is also ahead of 2GB on 9.0%, as is the ABC on 9.4%.
2GB also faces stiff competition in the afternoons. It has a 10.5% share, on par with WS FM, and just ahead of Smooth’s 10.3%.
In FM, the leader in the Sydney market overall remains Nova Entertainment’s Smooth FM, which climbed 0.1 points to a 9.2% share. Australian Radio Network’s (ARN) Kiis 106.5 climbed 0.9 points to put it within spitting distance of Smooth, with a 9.1% share.
Sydney radio ratings survey 6. Source: GfK (Click to enlarge)
Kiis, however, with the ‘Kyle & Jackie O Show’ (featuring Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson), remains on top in FM breakfast, climbing 0.6 points to 11.6%.
Its closest FM competitor is ARN stablemate, WS FM, which remained stable on 8.2%. WS FM has Amanda Keller and Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones in the breakfast slot.
Triple M’s ‘Moonman in the Mornings’ featuring Lawrence Mooney, climbed 0.5 points to a 6.4% share, placing it sixth in the FM market.
Also in breakfast, the results of Southern Cross Austero’s (SCA) experiment on 2Day FM are yet to fully play out.
After consistently low ratings and a high turnover of hosts, the station moved to a music-focused show, with veteran radio exec and broadcaster Jamie Angel behind the microphone.
The new show began on Monday 19 August, part way through this survey period. The station climbed just 0.1 points in breakfast to a share of 2.5%, placing it in sixth.
Overall in Sydney, 2Day FM climbed 0.4 points to 4.5%. Its biggest gain was in drive (4pm to 7pm), where is climbed 1.5 points to 5.8%. 2Day FM features Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little from 3pm to 4:30pm, and then Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes and Kate Langebroek from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Ed Kavalee, formerly of the 2Day FM Sydney Breakfast show, has been filling in for Langebroek.
Oh so funny … “Alan Jones holds onto breakfast crown despite controversy” … just goes to show that the people who complained are not listeners. Outrage just for the sake of it again …
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Correct Ex ABC and to the advertisers who cancelled reminded me of the expression ‘ to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face’.
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Sure, but the number of 2GB listeners is a tiny fraction of total Sydneysiders and indeed total Australians. The advertisers who didn’t cancel are potentially risking their reputation amongst that larger group which completely dwarfs loyal 2GB listeners.
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So you can only complain if you are a dedicated listener exABC? Kick Alan off air already
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Not even Daenerys could challenge Alan for his throne. Long live the King of breakfast radio. Pleased to hear Alan hasn’t been silenced by pier pressure & big kudos to Gerry Harvey for standing by G2B. The advertisers who deserted have shown there colours and in my opionon are all snow-flakes.
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Maybe the people complaining about Alan Jones are listeners, but still continue to listen ? It doesn’t mean they turn off.
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…wouldn’t surprise me if he actually increases his share in the next survey! Agree with exABC – and as a result of the rage created, many new listeners might be attracted – after all, Jones is only spruiking the truth – albeit his truth! He is right on so many issues…no one comes close on drought, climate, rugby, politics, lockout laws, stadia, Brexit, Trump…
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Just goes to prove that Australia is a dumb country – and getting dumber. The same population that voted back in Morrison and his putrid mob are listening to Jones in record numbers.
Stupid is as stupid does. And getting more rancid by the week.
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ALAN JONES IS STILL TOP RATING BREAKFAST RATINGS IN SYDNEY IT SEEMS TO ME TAT TYHE LOSS OF ADVERTISERS DID TI EFFECT THE 2GB RATINGS.
DR SALLY CUCKBUTN WILOL BE HEARD OF 2GB TUS SATIRDAY NIGGT ALING WOTH 3AW, 2CC & 2CC
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@Jason ……..spoken like a true Jones fan
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Well ratings are a vote. And if reduced to two party preferential radio ratings survey, say Kyle versus Alan. It may be probable that Alan becomes the majority favourite. So those arguing for his removal can easily turn to another station, but don’t stop people being able to listen to him.
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Macquarie Sports 954 last again
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Ha you wish!
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Hear hear
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Jason, you’ve been dropping a bit of your wisdom on Mumbrella of late… and I for one am loving your witty and intelligent discourse.
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Your post, Max, highlights the breathtaking arrogance of people who continually lose elections yet think everyone else is the problem.
No son, you’re not actually superior to anyone.
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Stated with all the rigour of a true patriot Max. Does that sour grape
still leave an odious taste ?
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Do you have to hear something abhorrent being said live for it to be objectionable?
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With Jones you get information based on fact.Some people can’t handle that ,as it doesn’t always align with their ideology.
I notice people commenting here who shouldn’t be listening to Jones based on their politics -agree on one thing Australians getting dumber -if smarter ratings for Jones would be higher than 16:8%
Sorry about election result -thats called democracy.
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