Moment Fifi Box won Melbourne’s radio war

This week Fifi and her co-hosts, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody, clinched the top spot in Melbourne’s radio war. Here’s how they did it.

Melbourne’s FM radio market is currently the most competitive market in Australia.

There are several powerhouse shows all battling it out for ratings glory, including Gold FM’s Christian O’Connell, Nova’s Jase and Lauren and KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O.

But when the latest round of radio ratings was released on Tuesday, it was Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick who emerged victorious, clinching the coveted title of the number one FM breakfast show in Melbourne.

The win came as no surprise to industry insiders, because during that ratings period the Fox FM breakfast team pulled off an incredibly moving on-air campaign called “The Underdogs”, which gained a huge amount of traction in Melbourne.

“I think it’s the best radio promotion of the last few years,” Craig Bruce, host of

the Game Changers Radio: Melbourne Radio Wars podcast, told news.com.au.

Brendan Fevola, Fifi Box and Nick Cody.

So what was it all about?

It all started when a mum rang into the show and told the Fox hosts that her son was being bullied at school and was excluded from playing sports with the other kids.

After the heartbreaking call, the Fox hosts came up with the idea of assembling a footy team filled with other kids who were struggling.

Some had lost parents, some were battling cancer, some simply had no friends.

They then arranged for the team, named The Underdogs, to play the curtain-raiser at Marvel Stadium on July 26 before the Carlton vs. Port Adelaide game.

Fev acted as the team’s coach, Andy Lee was the water boy, and the Channel 7 commentary team and a bunch of AFL legends met with the kids before the game.

Thousands of screaming fans welcomed the youngsters onto the ground and cheered them on as they had a kick on the hallowed turf, with many of the children’s parents in tears on the sidelines.

“What you have done for us … to get this together is incredible,” one mum told the Fox hosts on the night. “Us parents feel (our kids) are loved, so thank you.”

Fifi, Fev and Nick's Underdogs was an amazing radio promotion.

A different mum broke down as she told Fifi, “I don’t know whether you guys know this, but my heart only functions at 30 per cent and I’m not going to see Jax (her son) start high school, so this is the biggest event I will see in his whole life.”

It was radio at its best.

“It’s probably the number one thing I’ve done in my radio career,” Fifi told news.com.au this week.

“To run those kids out onto the ground on that Friday night to roars of cheering from 40,000 fans, it still gives me goosebumps to think about.

“One of the best levers we can pull in radio is making a difference in people’s lives, and that’s not lost on us … and when we can really unite a city to get behind people doing it tough, that’s even better than winning the ratings.”

Fifi comforts a mum during the Underdogs campaign.

Radio’s most hardworking team

The Underdogs isn’t the only reason Fifi, Fev and Nick went number one in the latest radio ratings.

“They are clearly the hardest working show in the market right now,” Bruce told news.com.au. “There’s not always a correlation between work ethic and survey results, but in this case it’s made a difference.”

An example of the team’s hard work is their “Brekkie in the Burbs” campaign, which sees the show broadcast from a different Victorian suburb every couple of weeks.

Outside broadcasts, as they’re known in the industry, take a lot of organisation, and some hosts consider them quite taxing

But not Fifi, Fev and Nick.

“It was something we decided to do when we came out of Covid because we missed that connection to our listeners,” Fifi told news.com.au.

“We just wanted to get out there and see them, get photos with them, and hug them.

“We’re a very tactile team, maybe too tactile (laughs), but we love it.”

Hundreds of listeners turn up to each “Brekkie in the Burbs”, and they not only get to meet the Fox hosts but also some celebrity guests.

“Tones and I just randomly turned up to one because she lived down the road,” Fifi recalled. “That was pretty amazing!”

One of Fifi, Fev and Nick’s Brekky in the Burbs.

Chemistry

Another secret behind the Fox team’s success is the chemistry between the three hosts.

“We’re best mates,” Fifi told news.com.au, before raving about her two co-stars.

“Fev brings star power. He’s an absolute legend in this city, and he also has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve worked with.

“And as for Nick, he is so funny. My stomach literally aches at the end of the show from laughing.

“He’s one of Australia’s premier comedians, and he’s super smart and switched on.”

And then there’s Fifi herself.

“We should never underestimate the talent and appeal of Fifi Box,” Bruce told news.com.au. “She is such a warm, loveable personality that really connects with her audience.”

Fifi, Fev and Nick have been broadcasting together as a team since 2021 and Fifi says they’re currently going through a purple patch.

“We’ve really hit our stride,” Fifi told news.com.au. “When you hit a sweet spot in whatever job you’re in, you know it, and I just know.

“It’s a well-oiled machine at the moment and it’s just humming!”

Fifi, Fev and Nick have been co-hosting the breakfast show since 2021.

Kyle and Jackie O

There’s been a huge amount of interest in Melbourne radio this year thanks to Kyle and Jackie O’s expansion into the market.

At the start of 2024, Kyle predicted their KIIS FM show would be number one by the end of the year, but instead the pair have so far failed to make a dent in Melbourne’s FM ratings with the show languishing in sixth place.

When asked why she thought Kyle and Jackie O had so far bombed in Melbourne, Fifi refused to sink the boot in.

“Melbourne’s a competitive market, and I think any new show takes a while to warm up,” she told news.com.au.

“There’s really no bad blood … I just don’t buy into that, I’m happy for everyone.”

It’s that kind of positive attitude that has made Fifi one of Australia’s most loved personalities, and a worthy winner of Melbourne’s radio ratings war.