Radio wars: B105 crushes competition as 4BC crashes and burns
In a landmark year for Brisbane’s fiercely competitive radio industry, B105 has emerged as the undisputed champion of the airwaves, while 4BC almost halved its listeners.
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Radio station B105 has emerged on top of Brisbane’s fiercely competitive radio industry, dominating the final ratings results of the year and cementing a 2024-long winning streak.
It comes as Channel 9-owned 4BC almost halved their listeners following recent breakfast line-up changes.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) station B105 achieved an unprecedented feat, ranking number one in the overall category across all eight surveys throughout the year, with its final results revealed Thursday.
The station’s breakfast show, “Stav, Abby and Matt,” has been a driving force behind B105’s success.
The brekkie trio claimed victory in seven out of eight surveys in the breakfast category, narrowly missing a clean sweep when SCA sister station Triple M took the top spot in the year’s second survey.
B105 breakfast show co-host Abby Coleman said she was grateful for the milestone results.
“We can’t thank Brisbane enough for being a part of our show this year and making it Number One. Stav, Matt and I — and our amazing extended team at B105 — owe everything to our listeners and our clients,” she said.
The final survey of 2024, conducted between September 22 and November 30, saw Stav, Abby and Matt score an impressive 14.1 per cent market share, up 0.2 per cent from the previous period.
This result put them comfortably ahead of their nearest rival, Nova 106.9’s Ash, Luttsy and Susie O’Neill show, which scored 12.2 per cent.
KIIS 97.3’s breakfast show came in third with 11.8 per cent, followed closely by Triple M at 11.7 per cent.
Dark horse 4BH received a whopping score of 11.3 per cent market share in the breakfast category for the final survey — a miraculous rise from the ashes after holding as little as 1.1 per cent of the breakfast market just two years ago.
ABC Brisbane also saw a significant jump, scoring 8 per cent market share, up 0.6 per cent from the previous survey.
However 4BC Breakfast, now helmed by Peter Fegan, dropped to a dismal 3.3 per cent – the station’s lowest score in recent history.
4BC’s poor performance comes in the wake of a major shake-up at the station, with the axing of the longstanding breakfast trio Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare, and Mark Hine in September.
The move was reportedly intended to breathe new life into the station’s ratings, but the gamble appears to have backfired.
Peter Fegan, who took over the breakfast slot on September 30, has been unable to stem the tide of declining listenership.
Fegan’s predecessors started the year with ratings of 7.5 per cent, before dropping to 4.6 per cent when they were canned.
The station’s breakfast score of 3.3 per cent in the final survey represents its lowest rating in the category since 2019, raising serious questions about the wisdom of the programming changes.
Despite hitting all-time lows, 4BC has doubled down on its new direction, announcing Fegan as the permanent breakfast host for 2025.
“We’re thrilled about our new 4BC live and local line-up, launching Monday, 20 January 2025. Peter Fegan will play a key role in keeping Brisbane informed, engaged, and entertained in Breakfast, alongside Bill McDonald in Mornings, Sofie Formica in Afternoons and the newly-appointed Gary Hardgrave in Drive,” 4BC Content Manager Siobhain McDonnell said.
The final survey of the year saw B105 score 13.3 per cent of the market share overall, followed by Triple M at 11.7 per cent, Nova 106.9 at 11.4 per cent, and KIIS 97.3 at 9.9 per cent.
SCA’s Chief Content Officer, Dave Cameron, celebrated the results.
“B105 and Triple M are the winning duopoly in Brisbane. What a magnificent day for B105 today celebrating an undefeated full year as the Number One station in Brisbane,” he said.
4BC also scored its lowest overall rating in recent history, taking just 4.4 per cent of the market share, beaten by both 4JJJ sitting 4.7 per cent and ABC Brisbane at 5.9 per cent.
In a bittersweet finale, Triple M’s drive show, ‘Rush Hour’ hosted by Leisel Jones, Liam Flanagan and Ben “Dobbo” Dobbin, delivered an impressive performance in their final survey, scoring a massive 11.3 per cent market share.
This result put them just behind B105 and Nova 106.9’s syndicated national drive shows, demonstrating the enduring popularity of the local content.
This comes after the November announcement that the “Rush Hour” drive show would be cancelled, replaced with an extended syndication of Melbourne’s “The Marty Sheargold Show” in 2025.
However, the decision has been met with mixed reactions from listeners.
Many are questioning whether the new format will be able to maintain the strong local connection that has been a hallmark of Triple M’s drive timeslot.
In the digital realm, 4BH emerged as the dark horse, taking the crown for the most streamed station in the final survey of 2024 with a 12 per cent market share.
Triple M came in second with 10.8 per cent, followed closely by ABC Brisbane at 10.4 per cent.
B105 also claimed victory in cumulative audience for the first time this year, reaching a staggering 636,000 listeners, narrowly beating Nova’s 629,000.
As the dust settles on 2024’s radio wars, the industry is bracing for significant changes in the coming year.
Nova’s breakfast show will transform into the “Ash, Luttsy and Nikki Osborne show,” with Nikki Osborne stepping in to replace the departing Susie O’Neill after nearly a decade on air.
“As we look forward to 2025, we’ll be welcoming a fresh new voice to the breakfast show our listeners know and love with the launch of Ash, Luttsy and Nikki Osbourne,” Group Programming Director at the Nova Network Brendan Taylor said.
“This survey also marks the end of an era as we bid farewell to our beloved breakfast host, Susie O’Neill. But stay tuned – we’re excited to reveal what’s next for Susie, who will be back on the airwaves across the NOVA network in 2025,” he said.
KIIS 97.3 will be shaking things up by introducing former rugby league star Corey Oates to their breakfast line-up from January, joining veterans Robin Bailey and Kip Wightman as a permanent fixture to the show.
Triple M’s popular “Rush Hour” drive show with Leisel Jones, Liam Flanagan & Ben ‘Dobbo’ Dobbin has bid farewell, making way for an extended syndication of Melbourne’s “The Marty Sheargold Show.”
4BC, still reeling from its poor performance, has confirmed Peter Fegan as the permanent breakfast host for 2025, while Gary Hardgrave has been announced as the new drive host.
OVERALL WINNERS FOR 2024
B105, 13.11 per cent
Triple M, 11.78 per cent
Nova 106.9, 10.93 per cent
4BH, 10.13 per cent
KIIS 97.3, 9.88 per cent
4BC, 5.46 per cent
ABC Brisbane, 5.45 per cent
4JJJ, 5.26 per cent
BREAKFAST WINNERS FOR 2024
B105, 14.16 per cent
Triple M, 12.08 per cent
Nova 106.9, 11.78 per cent
KIIS 97.3, 11.03 per cent
4BH, 9.68 per cent
ABC Brisbane, 8.15 per cent
4BC, 5.28 per cent
4JJJ, 5.20 per cent
*Averages calculated over eight surveys for 2024.
(Source: GfK)
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