Nine Radio flounders as 2GB sheds listeners
Nine Radio’s dominance is under threat in Sydney as 2GB takes a nosedive in ratings after changing its dominant line-up and changing its ad models.
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Nine Radio’s powerhouse Sydney station 2GB has lost tens of thousands of listeners across key timeslots in 2021, with many shunning the station’s overhauled on-air line-up and migrating to “easy listening” FM channels.
Since Nine Entertainment’s takeover of Macquarie Media in 2019, 2GB has imposed significant changes to its daily talkback line-up, including the departure of media heavyweight Alan Jones and afternoons host Steve Price, and the entry of broadcasters Deb Knight and Jim Wilson.
Industry sources say 2GB is “floundering” and is at real risk of losing the top spot in the lucrative breakfast timeslot, now hosted by Ben Fordham, a disastrous outcome for Nine given 2GB has held the No.1 position for two decades.
Nine’s Tom Malone runs the radio stable but since he has been in the top job the gap in breakfast ratings between 2GB and ABC Sydney has narrowed – Fordham is now just 0.4 per cent ahead of ABC breakfast duo Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck, while KIIS 1065’s Kyle and Jackie O sit at 12.9.
Jones departed the 2GB breakfast program last year, after a record-breaking 226 survey wins and a final audience share of 17.9, but this has fallen to 13.5 under Fordham.
The shift in listening habits has seen other stations gain ground in the latest ratings survey including Sydney’s smoothfm 95.3, which saw a big climb in its morning and afternoon programs — which increased by 2.5 and 2.8 respectively — while Nova also saw a spike in many timeslots.
2GB’s mornings host Ray Hadley observed on-air last week after the release of the latest ratings survey: “We are being chased down by smooth and I’ve got an idea that people with the Covid pandemic are just looking for some respite, and that sort of music does offer them some respite.”
Industry sources said the Nine Radio stable had seen listeners turn away because it no longer had “hard-hitting conservative voices”.
Price, who now hosts his own breakfast program Australia Talks on Southern Cross Austereo, said 2GB “had a winning formula and they blew it up”.
“People who listen to talkback radio in the traditional form, for instance 3AW or 2GB, hate change, they just don’t like it,” he said.
“They’ve changed their breakfast, afternoons and drive shift, the only person who hasn’t moved and who is consistently strong is Ray Hadley on mornings.”
The introduction of Deb Knight as afternoon host and Jim Wilson in the drive slot on 2GB has also failed to yield results – Knight is in 6th spot and Wilson 7th in their respective timeslots.
Advertising veteran and former shareholder of Macquarie Media John Singleton said the success of Alan Jones could not be repeated.
“Nothing is going to be the same without Alan Jones, there’s only ever going to be one conservative voice as strong as Alan Jones,” he said.
Singleton said advertisers had been weak in the past and bowed to the pressure of leftist activist groups to pull advertising on 2GB.
“The advertisers don’t want trouble,” he said. “I despise the influence of these people who threaten the CEOs, I’m horrified with the weakness of our business leaders.”
Also in Nine’s radio stable are Melbourne’s 3AW, Brisbane’s 4BC and Perth’s 6PR.
In the latest ratings survey 3AW remained a dominant force – breakfast duo Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft are in the top spot for the 224th consecutive survey with 20.1
Neil Mitchell’s mornings program still holds the number one position with an audience share of 18.4.
Nine’s managing director of radio, Tom Malone, said 2GB’s radio line-up remained strong and “you don’t change a winning formula”.
“We have the number one stations and are number one in breakfast and mornings in Australia’s biggest markets of Sydney and Melbourne,” he said.
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