ABC asks listeners for urgent feedback after plummeting radio ratings

The public broadcaster is urging listeners to provide their insights into the radio stations which have experienced declining audiences and left executives wanting to know why.

ABC has asked listeners for feedback as radio audiences shrink. Pictured is radio presenter James Valentine. Picture: Richard Dobson

The ABC has sent an urgent survey to listeners to gauge whether their radio stations are diverse enough and providing accurate and impartial news coverage.

The survey was sent just days after the public broadcaster recorded dwindling ratings in the first radio audience poll, with many programs on its main metropolitan stations shedding several thousand listeners over the past year.

Members of ABC Yourspace – an online community where members are regularly asked to share their thoughts on programming across the national broadcaster’s channels – were last week sent the questionnaire about the publicly funded radio stations.

The survey explains that the ABC wants to “ensure our radio programming is of the highest possible quality”, with respondents asked to fill out a 10-minute survey.

Poll questions include whether the listeners’ ABC local station has “good presenters”, and if they could change one thing about local radio, what it would be. It also asks respondents to rate specific programs on a scale ranging from “very poor” to “excellent”.

The survey also asks for assessments about whether the ABC provides accurate and impartial news coverage, reflects the diversity of Australia, has good coverage of the arts, and delivers quality news coverage.

Figures from radio ratings firm GfK this month revealed flagship radio shows including ABC Melbourne’s mornings program and Sydney’s breakfast show have lost significant audience share over the past 12 months.

The Melbourne mornings program, which is normally hosted by Virginia Trioli but has been helmed by fill-in hosts including Rafael Epstein and Ali Moore in her extended absence since late last year, has lost about a quarter of its audience since early last year.

Its audience share was 8.9 in the first survey of 2022 but it ­recorded a 6.6 per cent result in the first survey this year.

ABC Sydney breakfast host James Valentine’s show has plummeted from an audience share of 11.6 in the first survey in 2022, to 8.3 per cent this year.

The survey also asks listeners if they use the ABC listen app that has all the public broadcaster’s stations and podcasts in it.

Overall, the total audience of the ABC’s main stations has fallen in the past 12 months – ABC Melbourne from 7.4 to 5.8, ABC Sydney has dropped from 9.2 to 5.9, Adelaide plunged from 12.4 to 8.1, Perth slipped from 7.1 to 5.7, while ABC Brisbane was down from 9.3 to 6.5.

It was reported last week that the ABC has established an internal advisory group and hired external consultants to examine the reasons for the poor performance of its radio division.

Originally published as ABC asks listeners for urgent feedback after plummeting radio ratings