Radio ratings: ABC takes hit in major markets

The ABC has been hit with more bad news, with radio listeners continuing to turn their nose up at its revamped schedule.

ABC radio host Wendy Harmer. Picture: AAP

The ABC has been hit with more bad news, with radio listeners in Sydney and Brisbane continuing to turn their nose up at the public broadcaster’s revamped schedule.

ABC Sydney dropped 0.3 percentage points to a 7.5 per cent share of the Harbour City market and ABC Brisbane fell 0.5 points to 6.8 per cent, according to ratings agency GfK.

During the working week, ABC Sydney lost audiences throughout the day, with only the evening slot attracting listeners. It also saw a fall in audiences over the weekend.

At ABC Sydney, which teamed breakfast presenter Robbie Buck with morning host Wendy Harmer for a 6am to 10am program across the breakfast slot and part of the morning slot, dropped 0.2 points in the breakfast slot to 8.9 per cent, with the morning down by 0.5 points to 7.4 per cent.

In Brisbane, ABC also fell out of favour with listeners, despite last month being the only ABC metropolitan station to improve its audience numbers. Its breakfast and morning shows fell 0.5 points to 9 per cent and 0.4 points to 6.1 per cent, respectively.

The fall in radio listeners comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the ABC, which axed its managing director Michelle Guthrie last Monday, and subsequently led to the resignation of chairman Justin Milne a few day later.

However, ABC Melbourne and Adelaide managed to increase their radio audiences, up 1.1 points to 9.1 per cent and 1.5 points to 10 per cent, respectively.

In Melbourne, where the traditional timeslots were maintained, the ABC breakfast program, with Sami Shah and Jacinta Parsons, rose 1.5 points to 10 per cent.

The Mornings program with Jon Faine from 8.30am to 12pm, including Faine’s Conversation Hour, rose 0.2 points to 12 per cent.

ABC Adelaide’s Breakfast program rose 0.9 points to 12.8 per cent, while its morning slot enjoyed an increase of 2.6 points to 10.4 per cent.

ABC Perth’s breakfast show is up 0.4 points to 11.3 per cent and its morning show rose by 1.5 point to 8.8 per cent, according to the GfK survey, which covers the period from July 15 to September 22. Overall, the ABC in Perth rose 0.3 points to 8.3 per cent.

Ray Hadley, left, and Alan Jones, right, enjoyed a healthy ratings period. Picture: James Croucher

Radio kings Alan Jones and Ray Hadley have lured more listeners, with both 2GB hosts increasing their share of the airwaves.

Jones, who hit the headlines last month after losing the Toowoomba defamation court case, is still the most popular breakfast show in Sydney, with a 19 per cent share of the city’s breakfast audience, up 2.1 points.

A Supreme Court judge has ordered Jones and 2GB to pay a record $3.75 million, which they are considering appealing.

2GB’s owner Macquarie Media said it is Jones’s 214th survey win and his best result since 2011.

Hadley continues to dominate the 9am to 12pm Sydney radio audience, up 1.2 points to 20.2 per cent.

Macquarie Media chief executive Adam Lang was very pleased with the results, noting that the 115th consecutive survey win “shows that 2GB continues to earn the premier status of being Sydney’s favourite radio station.”

“This is the highest result for the station since 2011 and we thank our listeners for their continued support,” Lang said.

Kyle & Jackie O, pictured with model Miranda Kerr, reclaimed top spot in the Sydney breakfast slot. Picture: Instagram

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson have reclaimed the top spot as the number one breakfast show on FM radio in Sydney after a brief blimp.

The pair, who openly talk about their personal lives on KIIS FM, rose 0.9 points to a 10.2 per cent share of the Sydney breakfast audience.

WSFM’s Amanda Keller and Brendan “Jonesy” Jones — who took the top spot from Sandilands and Henderson last month, fell 1 point to take a 9.3 per cent share.

Sandilands and Henderson have proved very popular on KISS FM, which they joined at the end of 2013 from 2Day FM. Their breakfast show regularly features celebrity interviews, including Kris Jenner and segments including nude dating.