Adelaide radio ratings: no one’s popping Champagne just yet
Much anticipated results from the first radio survey for the year are in and there are plenty of smiling faces at the ABC headquarters at Collinswood.
Aunty is just as competitive as the commercial networks, having to justify its budget like everyone else and survey one has been repaid in ratings and audience reach.
Jules Schiller and Sonya Feldhoff have seen a massive 2.8 per cent jump in the breakfast slot, where every fraction of every point is fiercely fought over.
The other pleasant surprise for the ABC is a jump in the morning shift where newcomer Rory McClaren has lifted that slot by 1.6% having taken over from retiring “human encyclopedia” David Bevan.
These are significant results but need to be put in perspective.
The ABC brekkie team has jumped three places up the radio wrung but is still behind MMM’s Roo, Ditts and Loz, who’ve racked up another win in this timeslot, which is pivotal for revenue making.
Their victory came despite plummeting 2.1 per cent from last year’s last hurrah.
MMM still dominates with a 14 per cent market share across all age groups and must be applauded for staying in front when all others are coming at them with baseball bats.
These guys have developed a blend of news, sport and fun without sounding too blokey, which is always a potential problem with a former male champion squash player and a hairy-chested Brownlow medallist at the microphone.
You could argue that the female influence of Laura O’Callaghan is the glue that keeps this team in check.
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But they’ll be hearing the drums beating today and taking stock.
FIVEaa won’t be hitting the panic button but are certain to keep any champagne on ice for at least another month, or longer.
Breakfast with Will Goodings and David Penberthy dropped by 1.3 per cent.
That places them in third spot with the ABC jumping to second in breakfast.
But at Hindmarsh Square they’ll be confident the swings and roundabouts can see ratings change quickly.
Knowing the importance of momentum in ratings, as I do, AA’s biggest regret will be kicking off 2025 on such a downer, but there’s always tomorrow.
The FM breakfast shake-up had mixed fortunes especially at MIX102.3, no pun intended.
I thought the newly paired duo, Max Burford and Hayley Pearson, would be the ones to watch in survey one.
They dropped by half a point and now sit uncomfortably in fifth spot.
Plenty of work and rethinking to do there.
Nova’s Jodie and Haysey also slid down the rating’s board by 0.8 per cent, which would have been disappointing for them.
SAFM’s experiment with Bernie Vince and Emma G barely moved the dial, and they sit on a lowly audience share of 6.8 per cent.
AA’s fortunes didn’t improve across the entire program schedule.
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The glumness baton would have been handed from son to father with Graeme Goodings also dipping slightly in the morning’s shift.
He dropped by 0.5 per cent to 7.1.
Leon Byner, who owned that slot for many years on AA, once told me that dropping into single digits was a sure sign of stormy times ahead.
That was many years ago when AM radio ruled the roost.
Goodings’ tough task is highlighted by the ABC’s McClaren jumping ahead of him in his first foray onto the radio airwaves.
The new guy with almost no experience has knocked off the radio veteran who has a wealth of knowledge in this cutthroat industry.
Afternoons was also a bitter pill for AA’s Stacey Lee whose ratings’ improvement at the end of last year was whacked with a 1.8 per cent drop and she now sits in seventh place, way lower than she should be.
If AA’s sports show in Drive is expecting a lift now that AFL’s started, Rowey and Timmy G had better get their skates on.
Just when you’d expect some heavy lifting in this slot they dropped by 2.1 per cent and are just ahead of easy listening CRUISE1323 which also fell across most shifts.
In Evenings, Leith Forrest continued his winning run at AA, but Spence Denny pegged back some ground at the ABC.
So, what do the audience demographics tell us?
MMM and Nova have picked up a huge swathe of big spending 18 to 24 year olds, which is just what they’d be looking for.
The ABC’s heartland has also been tuning in with a healthy lift in 25 to 54 year olds.
ABC SA manager Graeme Bennett says there’s been a long period of transition at Collinswood.
“Listeners have accepted the new voices they’re hearing, and we’ve been consistent,” he said.
AA’s bleakness also continues there with a drop in all age groups except in the 25-39 year band, where the figure didn’t shift at all.
So, my takeout is that radio program directors will either be muted in their celebrations, knowing much can change next time, or telling their troops that one survey doesn’t paint a true picture.
Both are correct.
The first sign of urgency to look for is usually splashing the cash on listener prizes in bid to buy your affection and a ratings increase.
Mike Smithson is weekend presenter at 7News and also has 40 years of experience in radio presenting and commentary.
