‘They are done for the year’: TripleM content boss dismisses Kiis Melbourne breakfast show
Clear trends have started to emerge across different markets in the third radio survey of the year. Nic Christensen spoke with the programming bosses of the three main commercial FM stations about a 'bad book' for ARN, the drive battle nationally and what is going on in the Melbourne and Adelaide markets.
On radio ratings days of the recent past it is usually the Australian Radio Network putting the boot into rivals Southern Cross Austereo, but yesterday the shoe was firmly on the other foot.
The major headache for SCA’s flagship Sydney station 2DayFM in recent times has been the stagnant audience of breakfast show Rove and Sam, but yesterday that finally showed what it claims are “green shoots” – a 0.3% share rise – and it was ARN’s Kiis and Gold brands that were struggling across the board.
Fitzpatrick: ARN are done for the year in Melbourne.
TripleM head of content, Mike Fitzpatrick, didn’t miss in targeting what he sees as his opponent’s weakness – Kiis’s breakfast show in Melbourne.
Focusing on ARN’s problems in Melbourne, a market the Kiis owners have said is its priority for this year, Fitzpatrick told Mumbrella:
“I think we can wipe ARN off the map. I think they are done for the year.
“With that amount of marketing and that amount of investment in a rebrand, this is their second breakfast show in two years and Kiis are still performing the way they are at a five share, I think you have to say the race for third place has been won by Nova.”
Melbourne’s FM breakfast race
The third ratings survey for the year saw Matt Tilley and Meshel Laurie fall a whole 1.2 share points in the one survey to a 5.5 share, putting them in sixth place behind FM breakfast leader TripleM, FoxFM, Gold, Nova100 and even SmoothFM which was 0.1 points ahead of them on 5.6.
ARN’s content director, Duncan Campbell, concedes: “Nova and us are still in play but we didn’t have the result we wanted. We are disappointed by the breakfast result, to be honest.
“I think we are seeing the effect of the football season for TripleM, as it does every year.”
But Campbell, who has often sought to highlight Southern Cross Austereo’s weaknesses, added that it would take time to establish the show.
Asked about Fitzpatrick’s remarks, Campbell responds: “Well, yes, I would argue with that. Putting in a new breakfast program is difficult – Mike should go ask 2DayFM about that – but we delayed the marketing of that breakfast show and the station because we wanted to make sure we had the show right.
“We have reintroduced ‘gotcha’ calls, which has had a really positive response socially. The show is definitely sounding better and we have just now launched a new marketing campaign.”
That marketing campaign launched over the weekend with TVCs featuring Matt and Meshel alongside more established network talent in the drive pairing of Hughesy and Kate.
Kiis had previously pledged to make Melbourne a major marketing priority but Campbell claims they have held back some of the money.
“A substantial investment began on Sunday – across multiple channels – we aren’t going to be changing the breakfast show,” says Campbell. “Matt Tilley and Meshel Laurie sound very good together – they are getting better, but the reality is it is just a tough market. We have a challenge there but we have confidence in our strategy.
“It is now just about execution and I am convinced that the numbers will come through in the second half of the year.”
ARN will be hoping that improvement comes quickly with the total people showing both Kiis and GOLD down 0.9 to 5.7 and 8.2, respectively, in the Victorian capital.
ARN’s bad book – WSFM loses second place in Sydney
More broadly Campbell was forced to concede yesterday’s results were a “bad book” for ARN.
The GFK ratings showed declined for Kiis and Gold stations in both the key markets of Sydney and Melbourne, with Jonesy and Amanda on WSFM losing second place in breakfast to Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa after shedding 1.1 points.
Campbell: There were a couple of surprises this survey.
“There were a couple of issues that were surprises,” concedes Campbell. “One was WSFM and the other was Kiis in Melbourne, but we take a long-term approach to our stations and focus on consistency.”
The ARN content boss also points to previous surveys in recent times in the West where the network has fallen but then recovered.
“We deliver consistent results and the market does respond to that,” he says. “When we do have issues, as we had in the year with Perth and Adelaide, we are now seeing those correct themselves because of our approach.
“It is not as good a result as we would have liked today but it is consistent. We are still the number two network in the country and Kiis remains number one in Sydney.”
Kiis in Sydney fell from 9.4 last survey, in total people, to 8.1 this survey – a decline of 1.3 points; but Campbell concedes it was the fall of Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller from second place in Sydney FM breakfast that caught them by surprise, with WSFM down 1.2 share to 6.9 in total people.
“Of all the results that is the one that took us by surprise,” he explains. “We don’t shy away from the issues such as a surprise result for WSFM in Sydney.”
Asked what he thought the reason was, Campbell responded: “I don’t really know. It was a really surprise. We have had very strong above the line marketing campaign, the ad popped, the outdoor was strong. The station has been very consistent and so that was a surprise but we don’t overreact to one book.”
Nova celebrates its win in Adelaide
ARN’s misfortune appears in many markets to have been a boon for Nova, leaving group program director, Paul Jackson, celebrating.
“This is a fantastic survey for us,” says Jackson. “As a network we are in the leading position in terms of cumulative and share in all key demos and all of the Nova stations have gone up. You don’t get that everyday.
Jackson singles out the network’s Adelaide station, Nova 91.9, and its breakfast hosts Lewis and Lowe – aka Dylan Lewis and Shane Lowe – for special mention.
“Adelaide is the star of the day,” says Jackson. “We have never been number one in Adelaide. That’s incredible.”
The Adelaide market has become a close race, with the previously dominant Mix102.3, owned by ARN, conceding its lead this year, with Campbell noting that reclaiming its lead is an important goal for 2016.
“We missed Adelaide and have to take some responsibility for that,” he says. “We should have maintained number one but we have acted fairly quickly and it is correcting itself.
“The breakfast show remains number one FM for the 45th survey in a row,” he adds, noting how Mix’s Jodie and Soda were still in the lead in the time slot with 11.5 to Lewis and Lowe’s 11.3. “It will return to number one in couple of books.
“It’s great that Nova has done so well and they do have a good breakfast show there but we are correcting it there – sooner rather than later.”
SCA claims ‘green shoots’ for Rove and Sam
For the Hit Network the good news this survey with Sydney breakfast show of Rove McManus and Sam Frost finally showed an uptick in audience, with a 3.3 share.
McManus and Frost lifted to a 3.3 share.
However, Gemma Fordham, content director for Hit, isn’t popping champagne just yet.
“It’s always been about slow, incremental growth for us – that and consistency,” says Fordham. “Sydney is an interesting market for us and what we are dealing with is our third breakfast show in a short amount of time and we have lost a lot of trust with the audience.
“It’s was always going to be a hard battle plus all the other shows in the market are heritage shows. Today is definitely green shoots and it is a step in the right direction with large cumulative gains for the station and for breakfast.”
Drive contest settles into a rhythm
Hamish & Andy: more to grow?
After months of focus on the drive battle and the impact of Hamish Blake and Andy Lee’s return, the market appears to have found a rhythm with SCA’s rivals conceding the duo have real traction.
Survey three sees Hamish and Andy with the clear lead in the time slot in Melbourne and duelling for supremacy in Brisbane and Adelaide.
“Hamish and Andy took a while to get some traction but they are getting some movement in some markets,” says Campbell. “Hughesy and Kate are still performing well and are up in Perth.
“They are also up in Brisbane and Adelaide but Hamish and Andy have also done well. It is a real battle between those two shows, and to be fair all three (FM) drive shows are really good shows.”
Fordham: Hamish and Andy “are maintaining and growing”
HitFM’s Fordham says she is pleased with their results, but she believes there is more growth to come.
“The numbers are definitely healthier than they used to be, even three or four months ago,” she says. “We have to remember the results when they first started and where they are now. They have had steady growth, they are number one nationally in this book a position they took from Nova in the last survey.
“They are maintaining and growing, which is what we wanted. The show is where we want it to be and I know it has more growth in it.”
