Sydney radio ratings: KiisFM asserts dominance over Sydney, wins FM breakfast, drive and overall share
The move of KiisFM’s Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes and Kate Langbroek to the Hit network in 2018 could be costly for ARN after the duo dominated Sydney drive time, handing the network an FM ratings win.
KiisFM – which will introduce a new drive show in 2018 – was the most listened to FM radio station, with a share of 9.5%, slightly ahead of ARN’s WSFM which attracted 9.4% of the Sydney audience.
Nova Entertainment’s Nova96.9 was up 0.4 ratings points from last survey to 7.6%, while WSFM’s rival Nova’s Smooth FM climbed 0.5 ratings points to 9.2%.
Sydney radio ratings survey 7 2017. Total audience share. Source: GfK
Triple M – which focuses it success on tackling the demographics – reported a share of 5.5%, a dip of 0.3 ratings points.
In sixth place on the FM bandwidth was 2DayFM, with a dip of 0.2 ratings points to 3.8%.
However overall it was Macquarie Media’s 2GB which nabbed yet another ratings win with an 11.8% share. But the result was a fall for the station, which fell 0.8 ratings points.
Also on the AM bandwidth was Talking Lifestyle – with a 3.3% share for survey seven and ABC Sydney, which was up 0.4 points to an 8.7% share.
KiisFM’s overall result was thanks to an 0.8 ratings point increase from Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O in breakfast (11%) and a 10.6% share (up 0.8 points) for Hughesy & Kate during drive.
Sydney radio ratings survey 7 2017. Source: GfK
Hughesy & Kate’s win put them comfortably ahead of rival drive show Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell & Marty Sheargold, which showed modest growth – up 0.2 ratings points to 9.9%.
Elsewhere in drive, 2DayFM’s Hamish & Andy – who are on the backend of their contract with 2DayFM – slipped 0.2 ratings points to 5%. The result put them in sixth place among the Sydney FM drive shows.
SmoothFM’s Byron Webb reported the biggest growth in drive, up 1.4 ratings points to 9.2%.
But WSFM’s drive show with Jason Staveley fell from third to fourth, down 1.1 ratings points to a 7.6% share.
The biggest fall in drive came from Triple M, with Merrick Watts’ Merrickville down 1.5 points to 5.6%. The show is set to conclude at the end of the year, with Mick Molloy and Jane Kennedy to replace him.
While Kyle & Jackie O nabbed in the FM breakfast crown – up 0.8 ratings points to 11.1%, Alan Jones won overall breakfast with a 13.8% share.
But the race to the top has become closer, with Jones falling 1.5 ratings points this survey.
Behind Kyle & Jackie O, was WSFM’s Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones and Amanda Keller, up 0.4 points to 10.7%.
Both of ARN’s stations were comfortably ahead of other FM competitors.
In third place in FM breakfast was Nova96.9’s Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, with a 7.4% share – up 0.8 ratings points.
Tied in fourth Smooth FM’s breakfast with Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniel and Triple M’s Grill Team with Gus Worland, Mark Geyer, Matthew Johns, Chris Page and Emma Freedman – which both reported shares of 7%.
It was another dip for 2DayFM’s Em Rusciano Radio Show with Harley Breen, declining in share by 0.4 ratings points.
The station finished in fifth amongst the FM breakfast stations at 2.9%. Breen is to be replaced by former Triple M Brisbane breakfast host Ed Kavalee next year.
On AM bandwidth, ABC Sydney reported a breakfast share of 10.2% while Talking Lifestyle finished with a 3.8% share.
Isn’t it that Triple M’s local drive won’t be replaced by Kennedy Molloy outright? So I think saying Merrickville is wrapping up is wrong… unless I missed something?
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Hi Niko,
Triple M local drive will be replaced by Kennedy and Molloy – the network’s first national drive show. Merrick will not be returning to Sydney drive in 2018.
Cheers,
Zoe – Mumbrella