Radio ratings: 2GB star Ben Fordham ends year with big win
Ben Fordham has made his legendary dad proud one last time, ending his final radio ratings for the year with a triumphant win. Meanwhile listeners gave their verdict on the Virgin Mary controversy that has dogged Kyle and Jackie O.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Ben Fordham has made his legendary dad proud one last time, ending his final radio ratings for the year with a triumphant win.
Just last week the 2GB drive host emotionally announced he would take the remainder of the year off to spend time with his terminally ill father, who passed away early on Sunday morning following a long battle with throat cancer.
Fordham’s 3-6pm show registered an impressive increase to an overall leading market share of 10.1 per cent, up from 8.6 per cent and ahead of all rivals on the AM and FM dials including Nova’s Kate (Ritchie), Tim (Blackwell) and Marty (Sheargold).
MORE SYD CON
Nine blow up over Brooke Boney’s Today role
MAFS’ Jessika Power cheated on Nick in Bali
“I haven’t seen the ratings but I am pleased to hear they are good,” Fordham told Confidential.
“This year has been our most successful yet in the drive shift. My dad would have been proud of this and I suspect he might have had something to do with it somehow.”
Fordham’s father was by his side as the popular radio and TV host took home the best talk presenter gong at the recent Australian Commercial Radio Awards for the fourth time and also won the Brian White Award for Radio Journalism.
Overall, 2GB maintained its Sydney market lead at 13.3 per cent, a small decrease of just 0.1 of a percentage point.
GfK figures place smoothfm as the number two station overall in Sydney with its 9.3 per cent share (up 0.1), ahead of KIIS at 9 per cent (up 0.1), the ABC at 8.1 per cent (down 0.2) and Nova steady at 7.6 per cent.
In the all important breakfast shift, Alan Jones well and truly remains Australia’s top broadcaster with a share of 16.1 per cent, way ahead of his nearest rival in KIIS duo Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O at 11.2 per cent.
The Kyle and Jackie O show result indicates a small drop of just 0.4 of a percentage point.
It is a strong result given the Virgin Mary controversy that engulfed the show over recent months and proves listeners stuck with the radio duo just as they did when advertisers pulled spots from 2GB after Jones made controversial comments about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
From 9am, Ray Hadley on 2GB leads the market with a share of 14.1 per cent, a decline of 0.6 percentage points, but well ahead of his nearest competition at smoothfm with a 10.2 per cent share, a jump of 0.3 of a percentage point.
Interesting to note is Steve Price’s afternoon show has continued to fall for 2GB.
Price’s audience has declined 0.6 of a percentage point to 9.8 per cent after dropping 1.1 per cent in the last survey. It is the only show on 2GB not to be the market leader behind smoothfm at 11 per cent (0.3).
Price took over from Chris Smith earlier this year and previously hosted evenings on 2GB, which now has John Stanley at the helm with his 15.9 per cent share, up 1.4 per cent.