Sydney radio ratings: KIIS FM knock 2GB from top spot
Talkback station 2GB was toppled as Sydney’s number one rated network for the first time in 18 years. Here’s how it was knocked off the top spot.
Confidential
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KIIS FM will shoot for a radio ratings survey hat trick, according to a top executive at the station.
KIIS 106.5 shot to the top of the Sydney radio ratings in the first of eight GfK results for the year, knocking 2GB off the podium for the first time in 18 years.
“Whether we can sustain those ratings is the million dollar question,” Duncan Campbell, chief content officer at KIIS parent company, ARN, told Confidential.
“We’ll be doing our best to try and do that obviously. I’d love to get at least three (number one) in a row to prove it’s a real trend.”
KIIS 106.5 claimed the title of top station in Sydney with a leading overall share of 11.9 per cent of the radio market, ahead of 2GB at 11 per cent.
That represents a jump of 0.3 of a percentage point for KIIS and a drop of 1.5 per cent for 2GB.
WHAT DROVE THE TURNAROUND
It is an extraordinary turnaround, with 2GB having held the number one spot in Sydney for 146 consecutive surveys or 18 years.
In the all important breakfast slot, 2GB’s Ben Fordham has also been toppled from the number one spot in the first radio ratings survey for 2023.
“The strategy is always for Kyle and Jackie O to be themselves, the show is a real machine,” Campbell said.
“Combine that with people looking for escapism as interest rates go up, you get a perfect storm being created and the results were there today. I think the news cycle’s been a bit soft, people are fatigued with bad news sometimes, the issues with the economy, they want a bit of an escapism. When that happens, music stations tend to do well and we’ve seen that reflected in the KIIS results.”
OH, BABY: SANDILANDS’ SECRET
Campbell added that Sandilands becoming a father for the first time had endeared him further to listeners.
“Kyle’s baby I think has shaved off some of those rough edges for him, I don’t mean that in a negative sense. He’s more accessible than he ever has been,” Campbell explained.
Fordham came in with a 14 per cent share, which was down 1.7 percentage points, compared to new market leaders Kyle and Jackie O with their whopping 15.9 per cent share, up 1.1 percentage points.
Greg Byrnes, head of content at 2GB parent company Nine Radio, said: “It’ll be a big year and we’re up to the challenge.”
GfK has for the first time this survey provided accumulative and average audience figures in its initial survey results release.
That provides a deeper look at total audience numbers and average audience, which is used by advertising agencies.
For breakfast this means Kyle and Jackie O this survey has drawn a total audience of 842,000 listeners from 5.30am to 9am compared to Ben Fordham on 2GB with 417,000.
Traditionally on the AM dial, shares are higher as listeners generally tune in for longer.
“They’ve built momentum and it came home to roost over the summer break when people were actively looking for a bit of escapism as those credit card bills came in,” Campbell said of the result. “It’s being overly simplistic, but there’s a bit of truth to that as well.”
Before the survey release, Fordham and mornings host Ray Hadley were bracing for a “tickle”.
“We finished last year on top, although I think there is a new methodology around at the start of this year so we might cop a touch up today,” Fordham said, Hadley commenting: “If there is a tickle up to be taken, we will take it on the chin.”
Elsewhere in breakfast, WSFM’s Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones and Amanda Keller scored a 9.5 per cent share of the market, up 0.7 share points, ahead of ABC Sydney at 8.3 per cent, down 0.1 share points, and Nova 96.9s Fitzy and Wippa at 6.9 per cent, up 0.9 share points.
In mornings, Hadley also took a hit but remains number one in the timeslot with a 14 per cent share, down 1.9 share points and ahead of KIIS at 12.9 per cent, down 0.1 share points.
In other stations overall, behind KIIS is smoothfm 95.3 with a share of 10.3 per cent (down 0.1), followed by WSFM at 8.9 per cent (up 0.2) and Nova 96.9 at 7.0 per cent (down 0.1). ABC Sydney took a hit of 0.4 share points to an overall station share of 5.9 per cent.
Industry commentator James Manning, editor-in-chief of Mediaweek, said “it is a massive shake up”.
“For the first time in 18 years, 2GB is no longer the number one station in Sydney and that is a massive change for the market,” Manning said. “Remember, there are eight survey releases in a year and people look for trends so I don’t think there will be huge implications straight away from a commercial perspective. Summer surveys tend to always favour FM stations but there is no doubt survey two will be keenly watched to see if the trend continues.”
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