‘Bigfoot Ben’ Fordham is filling Alan Jones’s shoes nicely

Ben Fordham has comfortably held onto the No 1 radio spot in Sydney following months of uncertainty over his appointment as Alan Jones’s successor.

Breakfast host Ben Fordham in the 2GB studio. Picture: John Feder

Ben Fordham has comfortably held onto the No 1 radio spot in Sydney following months of uncertainty over his appointment as Alan Jones’s successor, while Melbourne’s talk back shows proved popular during the second coronavirus lockdown.

The long-awaited first radio ratings survey since Fordham took over 2GB’s top-rating breakfast program in June revealed only a small audience dip.

2GB’s breakfast audience share slipped just 0.6 percentage points to 17.3 per cent in Sydney, the nation’s biggest radio market, over the near two-month survey period to September 19. That’s much better than Nine’s forecast that it could drop to as low as 12 per cent, as they gambled on a younger host to take on Jones’s loyal audience.

However, Fordham isn’t getting carried away with his first ratings survey win, saying he doesn’t underestimate the big job in stepping into Jones’s shoes in Sydney’s competitive radio market.

“It’s one survey, that’s all it is. And I don’t underestimate for a moment the size of the shoes that I’ve been asked to fill,” Fordham told The Australian.

“We’ve still got some room to fill, so we’re going to keep on working harder and setting our goals even higher, and we just want to produce the best radio show we possibly can.”

Fordham is grateful that the majority of Jones’s loyal audience have stuck by him, noting the choice in Sydney’s radio market.

“I don’t underestimate for a moment the competition I’m up against; they are red hot, and they’re going to be coming back bigger and better, and I’m also conscious of the fact that what goes up must come down — it’s the law of physics.

“So I’m not getting too carried away with the fact that the numbers are high because what goes up must come down.”

ABC’s breakfast and morning shows in Sydney and Melbourne also gained listeners during the survey, but the public broadcaster fell out of favour in Adelaide.

ABC Sydney’s radio breakfast program, hosted by Wendy Harmer and Robbie Buck, remained the second most popular program, with its audience share up 1.6 points to 12.5 per cent.

Nine’s 4BC breakfast show in Brisbane with Neil Breen — who replaced Jones’s syndicated show — saw his audience share fall 1.5 points to 8.2 per cent. Breen trails ABC’s Brisbane breakfast show hosted by Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan, who retained the top spot, increasing their share by 0.4 points to 11 per cent.

In Australia’s second-biggest radio market, Melbourne, 3AW’s new-look breakfast team of Ross Stevenson and newbie Russel Howcroft picked up listeners during the second coronavirus lockdown. Their audience share surged 8.8 points to 26.1 per cent.

Neil Mitchell, who hosts 3AW’s morning show, also saw his audience share climb, by 3.6 points to 19.1 per cent, after rising 0.3 points in the previous survey.

ABC Melbourne’s breakfast line-up of Sammy J followed by Sabra Lane also did well, with their audience share up 3.1 points to 14.9 per cent.

The No 1 breakfast spot in Adelaide was claimed by FIVEaa’s Will Goodings and David Penberthy, who is also The Australian’s South Australia corr­espondent, with their audience share up 1.5 points to 15.4 per cent.

The pair beat ABC Adelaide’s Ali Clarke, who saw her audience share fall by 2.5 points to 14.2 per cent.

In Perth, Nova’s breakfast show with Nathan Morris, Natalie Locke and Shaun McManus comfortably held onto their No 1 spot, with their audience share up 0.6 points to 14.1 per cent.