Brenden Wood: 2GB’s ratings slide can be put down to many reasons

A rare ratings slump for radio giant 2GB could be for a number of reasons. Here Brenden Wood outlines what radio insiders are saying.

2GB radio host Ben Fordham is among the most popular presenters on the network. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Talkback station 2GB finds itself staring down some of the worst radio ratings it has seen in the past 20 years, a stark contrast to the station’s consistent glory days under the ownership of John Singleton, or ‘Singo’, as he’s affectionately known.

Now under the ownership of Nine Entertainment, led by Tom Malone and Greg Byrnes, both of whom have decades of experience in the Sydney radio market, 2GB’s sudden decline would seem bewildering.

Malone, the station’s boss, and Byrnes, the programming mastermind, will spend the day analysing the radio ratings to see why the nosedive occurred?

It’s not as if 2GB lacks star power. Ben Fordham, Ray Hadley, Chris O’Keefe and John Stanley — all prominent names in Sydney radio — anchor the station’s line-up. For this team to go backwards so dramatically points to something happening behind the scenes.

Ray Hadley is one of the stars of 2GB. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Audiences simply don’t abandon a station of 2GB’s stature overnight.

One theory floating around in industry circles points to the survey measurement system itself. According to whispers inside the radio world, a substantial number of survey diaries and monitoring devices seem to have landed in the homes of Smooth FM, WSFM, and ABC Sydney radio listeners — all stations that, like 2GB, target the 40-plus demographic.

Even more eyebrow-raising is the claim that a contractor for the ratings company, GfK, reported a notable shift in monitoring watches from one key demographic area of Sydney to another.

Chris O'Keefe is one of the recognisable names at the station.

GfK uses several means to measure radio listening – including paper diaries, streaming and devices that look like wrist watches. The smart watches devices are worn by participants and they monitor audio exposure.

If true, this would suggest that the core 35 plus age demographic may not be listening as much, or as long, to 2GB — or perhaps not at all.

A spokesperson for the commercial radio industry’s peak body, Commercial Radio Australia, says there’s ‘been no shift in demographic placement of devices.’

The anomaly is that the radio ratings measurement – like TV – isn’t foolproof and doesn’t measure every person consuming the content.

2GB breakfast presenter, Ben Fordham, has his finger on the pulse, and knows what listeners prefer to hear.

“The Olympics provided lots of memorable moments but they also interrupted our normal programming and that pushes a few people away”, Fordham said in a text message sent to me.

“2GB listeners love news and opinions and when you take those things away and replace them with live sport there’s a risk they’ll switch off or listen to something else. The good news is that everything is back to normal now so hopefully the results will reflect that by the end of the year. If not, we’ll just have to work even harder.”

Another question being asked in the industry is whether or not 2GB’s management has spread itself too thin?

In recent months, Byrnes has been concentrating heavily on the content being broadcast on their Brisbane talk station 4BC. Last month he oversaw the departure of the station’s breakfast and drive shows, and is currently restructuring the Brisbane newsroom.

Has the focus on Brisbane seen management neglect their Sydney radio station?

Some other tough questions Byrnes and Malone must confront is whether or not they should increase their budget spends by installing a local general manager and program director in Brisbane so that they can focus on 2GB Sydney.

For Fordham, Hadley and Nine Radio management, the hope will be that this ratings dip is temporary, and that a bounce-back is imminent before their on air teams head off on their Christmas holidays.

* News Corp’s Brenden Wood has previously been the executive producer for radio shows in Sydney and Brisbane