2GB ratings down in all timeslots after drama-filled few months
Sydney powerhouse 2GB has taken a slight hit in the latest radio ratings after a controversial few months which saw 67 advertisers pull spending from the Alan Jones breakfast show and the host hospitalised with a “flu dog.”
Confidential
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Alan Jones’ station 2GB and his breakfast show took a small hit in the latest radio ratings off the back of his comments aimed at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and a bout of illness that landed him in hospital.
The Macquarie Media Limited station fell across all timeslots with the station overall dropping 0.6 of a percentage point to maintain a market leading share of 13.4 per cent.
Jones’ breakfast slot shed 0.3 of a percentage point to a share of 17.1, well ahead of his nearest competition at the ABC 702 with its share of 11.5 per cent, representing a big jump of 1.6 per cent.
Jones made international headlines on August 15 for his comments about Ardern, where he said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison should ”shove a sock down Ardern’s throat” in response to her statements on climate change.
During the survey period, which ran between July 14 and August 17, Jones was also hospitalised with a nasty bout of the flu.
The broadcaster was off air for a week during the middle of the survey with Steve Price bumped up from afternoons to fill in on breakfast.
Upon leaving hospital, Jones told listeners that he was recovering from a “week from hell” and received a “heavy dose” of cortisone to reduce inflammation affecting his vocal chords.
The station subsequently apologised and issued a warning to Jones when 67 advertisers including Anytime Fitness, Koala mattresses, Virgin Australia, Mercedes Benz Sydney and the Commonwealth Bank pulled their spending.
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“The survey period only included a few days following Alan Jones remarks regarding Jacinda Ardern,” commentator and Mediaweek editor James Manning told Confidential.
“While the drop in Jones’ breakfast share could be linked to the comments, he still commands the second highest breakfast share in Australian metro radio behind only sister station and the slightly less controversial Ross (Stevenson) and John (Burns) on 3AW with their 18.6 per cent share.”
Radio Info managing editor Peter Saxon added: “The numbers are too small to attribute to the Jones/Ardern comments. What is far more important is the loss of advertisers than the loss of ratings. 2GB remains far and away number one.”
Elsewhere in breakfast, FM duo Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson at KIIS 106.5 registered a small rise to 11 per cent (up 0.1), followed by WSFM’s Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones and Amanda Keller at 8.2 (down 0.3) and Nova’s Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli steady at 7.5 per cent.
At 2DAY FM, for the last survey for disbanded breakfast team Grant Denyer, Ed Kavalee and Ash London, the trio lost 0.7 percentage points to a share of 2.4 per cent.
At 9am, 2GBs Ray Hadley dropped 0.7 of a percentage point to a leading share of 15.3 per cent, while at noon, new 2GB afternoon host Steve Price registered a decline of 0.3 percentage points to a share of 11.6 per cent in his first survey since taking over from Chris Smith.
In the 4-7pm drive slot, 2GB fell 1.6 percentage points to a share of 8.7, behind ABC 702 with its share of 9.8 (up 0.7) and Nova’s Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold at 9.5 per cent (down 0.5). Between 3-6pm, Ben Fordham came in equal first with Nova on 9.8 per cent.