Kyle and Jackie O’s Melbourne ratings slide again

KIIS FM paid the big bucks to bring the controversial radio duo into the Melbourne market, but the move has seen them lose close to half of their audience share.

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have been hit with another Melbourne setback in the latest radio ratings.

The $200m KIIS FM pair had a glimmer of hope in the last survey — lifting by 0.7 of a percentage point — but have dropped from 5.8 to 5.1 per cent in the latest round of ratings.

Since KIIS FM sacked radio rivals Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips in favour of the controversial duo, the station’s breakfast ratings have been in free fall.

The station’s share of Melbourne’s breakfast radio audience was 9.1 per cent. It now sits at almost half that.

Meanwhile, Jase and Lauren continue to go from strength to strength in their new role at Nova, holding steady at 10.2 per cent, which was enough to claim the top spot for FM breakfast.

Kyle Sandilands, with co-host Jackie O Henderson, has threatened to pull out of the Melbourne market if ratings don’t improve. Picture: Supplied

The pair unseated previous FM leader, GOLD FM’s Christian O’Connell, who slid from 10.8 to 9.7.

In May, Sandilands made a stark threat over his ratings struggles in Melbourne: “If we don’t rate better by the end of this year I’m pulling the carpet out.”

FOX FM’s high profile show, Fifi, Fev and Nick, came in third on 8.9 while Mick Molloy’s breakfast show on Triple M dropped 1.4 to 5.9.

Meanwhile, over on the AM dial, the tide appears to be turning for ABC Melbourne and its breakfast pairing of Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy.

Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy have seen a ratings bump. Picture: Supplied

After seeing their ratings fall across the first two surveys of the year, the duo lifted from 5.6 to 7.6, with the ABC recording ratings rises across mornings, afternoons and drive.

3AW’s Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft are still breakfast kings on 18.1, mornings with Tom Elliott was steady on 14.9 but drive host Jacqui Felgate had the biggest station drop from 9.9 to 7.8.

GOLD FM’s drive host Dave ‘Higgo’ Higgins was in front on 11.3 with Triple M’s The Rush Hour with Billy Brownless and James Brayshaw improving to 9.7.

SEN dropped marginally in breakfast while there was a small gain in mornings, afternoons and drive.