Radio ratings: 2GB smashes rivals yet again in first survey of 2019

Kyle Sandilandshas backtracked after on air comments boldly declaring he is not enrolled to vote and won’t be having his say in the upcoming state election. It comes after the latest AM and FM radio ratings were revealed. See who dipped and rose.

Jonathon Moran and Sally Coates

2 min read

March 12, 2019 - 4:52PM

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Kyle Sandilandshas backtracked after on air comments boldly declaring he is not enrolled to vote and won’t be having his say in the upcoming state election.

Speaking to Sam Dastyarion the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday morning, Sandilands said he wasn’t enrolled.

But a spokesman for the radio shock jock told Confidential: “Kyle is 100 per cent enrolled, he was just taking the piss.”

The comments came after a segment featuring disgraced former Labor MP Dastyari in which Sandilands said he was “not on the roll, not voting”.

A spokesman for Kyle Sandilands said he is “100 per cent” enrolled to vote and was taking the piss during an on-air chat with former politician Sam Dastyari.

Dastyari then made the point that not being enrolled and not voting was a “proper offence,” to which Sandilands said: “Yeah, so what? What, are you going to ring the cops? I bet you will.”

AM radio station 2GB has enjoyed a smashing start to the new year, leading the Sydney market with an overall audience share of 13.4 per cent.

On the FM dial, smoothfm also had a stellar start, leading with a 9.7 per cent share of the market — a jump of 0.6 percentage points in the first radio ratings survey of the year.

GfK figures show ABC Sydney followed at 8.9 per cent, a drop of 0.3 percentage points, ahead of WSFM at 8.8 and KIIS at 7.7.

2GB radio host Ben Fordham. Picture: John Feder

Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones at 8.2 per cent, a drop of 0.8. Picture: John Feder

Nova went down overall by 2.1 percentage points to a share of 6.5 per cent.

In the all important breakfast market, 2GB’s Alan Jones shed 1.3 per cent to a leading share of 15.2 per cent, ahead of ABC Sydney at 10.4 and KIIS duo Kyle and Jackie O who came first in FM breakfast but third overall at 10.1 per cent.

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smoothfm duo Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniel were the second most listened to FM breakfast show with a share of 8.5 per cent — a jump of 1.4 percentage points. The pair was ahead of WSFM duo Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones at 8.2 per cent, a drop of 0.8.

Nova’s Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli fell two per cent to a share of 6.4.

smoothfm duo Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniels. Picture Chris Pavlich

Australian radio broadcaster Alan Jones. Picture: Chris Pavlich

“Nova has suffered a significant fall this survey from breakfast through to drive,” commentator and Mediaweek editor James Manning said.

“But we need to be wary of big jumps in a single survey. Nova management would be unlikely to act on the results of a single survey without waiting to see a significant trend over time or without evidence of a continued downward trend over time.”

Kate Ritchie and Marty Sheargold. Picture: Ian Currie

Over at 2DayFM breakfast, Ash London joining Grant Denyer and Ed Kavalee had little affect with the trio dropping 0.2 percentage points to a share of 4.4 per cent.

In the drive shift between 3-6pm 2GB’s Ben Fordham was on top for AM and FM with 10.7 per cent, rising from 8.6 in the final survey of 2018.

Nova 96.9’s Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell and Marty Sheargold suffered a big drop of 4.3 percentage to 8.3 per cent share in the afternoon 4-7pm timeslot which was won by smoothfm’s Byron Webb.

Ray Hadley’s 9am 2GB show led the morning timeslot with a 15 per cent share, well ahead of his nearest competitor at smoothfm with its 9.9 per cent share.