Sydney FM radio duo Kyle and Jackie O knock 2GB’s Ben Fordham off his number one perch
Radio kings Kyle Sandilands and Alan Jones are polar opposites but both adhere to the broadcasting maxim: give the listeners reason to tune in.
Radio kings Kyle Sandilands and Alan Jones are polar opposites in almost all aspects of life, but both adhere to the same broadcasting maxim: you’ve got to give the listeners a good reason to tune in.
Sandilands and his on-air partner of 21 years, Jackie “O” Henderson, finally grasped radio’s holy grail on Tuesday, with the latest ratings survey showing the KIIS1065 duo had dethroned 2GB’s Ben Fordham from the No 1 spot in the cut-throat Sydney breakfast show timeslot – the most prestigious radio real estate in Australia.
It comes after 80-year-old Jones, who was replaced as host of the Nine-owned 2GB’s breakfast program by Fordham in May 2020, told The Australian earlier this week that if the offer was right, he would consider a return to the airwaves which he dominated for three decades.
While Fordham is a talented broadcaster, and very well-liked across the media – indeed, Sandilands himself considers the 44-year-old a good mate – a common refrain within the industry is that Fordham is “too safe”. He certainly doesn’t create the same headlines that Sandilands does, and Jones used to.
Congrats @kyleandjackieo on the win in the radio ratings.
— Ben Fordham (@BenFordham) July 5, 2021
You’ve worked hard over decades and deserve the victory.
CONGRATULATIONS 🥳
In other words, Sandilands and Jones are masters at giving people a good reason to listen.
Sandilands is the epitome of an anti-PC crusader; he upsets listeners across the social spectrum, he doesn’t defer to politicians of any stripe, and he challenges cultural norms.
Many think he’s highly offensive, but more listeners prefer his and Henderson’s program than any other breakfast show in Australia. And advertisers are knocking down the door of KIIS1065 to be associated with the show.
Jones also refused to toe the line during his 30 years on air, but in a different way to Sandilands. He regularly monstered politicians, some of whom were privately fearful of appearing on his program, but he took often-controversial stances on a range of issues, and audiences found it compelling.
What the ratings of recent months seem to suggest is that Fordham isn’t delivering the level of spice that Sandilands brings by the truckload each weekday morning, and Jones could generate on any issue of his choosing.
Sandilands was quick to defend Fordham on Tuesday, saying that his friend piloted a “good show”.
But he also suggested that news and talkback programs on AM radio have lost their broad appeal, due in no small part to the “Covid fatigue” of listeners. “For sure they’re tired of Covid chat, because it’s the same information that’s just being recycled 24 hours a day. It very rarely changes,” Sandilands told The Australian.
“I would hate to be on a radio format where I’ve just got to keep recycling the same phrase over and over and over.
“We’ve been living with Covid long enough – it’s time to just be aware of what’s going on, get the right information (out there) and then have debates about things that are worth debating.
“But the rest of the time, Jackie and I are just mucking around, doing other shit.”
In The Australian on Monday, Jones said that the drift away from talkback stations to FM stations during Covid was because radio hosts across all news stations were “saying things people don’t want to listen to”.
“There’s no point to being in the chair or behind the microphone if you haven’t got any balls, and that’s what the public expect,” Jones said.
Sandilands, who is holidaying in Queensland, where he toasted his victory with friends on Tuesday, said he would welcome a return to the airwaves by Jones.
“Alan’s got it in him. I’d love to see him back on the radio. He’s got plenty to say,” Sandilands told The Australian.
He also said that his and Henderson’s ratings win was a testament to their “unscripted, unplanned” approach.
“Jackie and I haven’t really changed. But people are a bit more accepting these days, and not as uptight about things as they used to be,” he said.
“I have noticed in the past month or two that there are lot more members of the older generations ringing through (to our program).
“Maybe they got dislodged when Alan left 2GB, maybe they were just in search of something different, or maybe they’ve read enough (about me) to realise that maybe I’m not such an arsehole after all.”
The FM pairing registered 15.5 per cent of the breakfast audience share in Sydney in the survey released on Tuesday which covered audience data from mid April to late June, a 2.6 point bump from the 12.9 share they recorded in the previous survey. Fordham notched his third consecutive rating survey drop (this time from 13.5 to 13.3). According to GfK, the official provider of radio ratings for Commercial Radio Australia, Fordham has shed 91,000 listeners — 19.4 per cent of his audience — since February.
It is the first time since December 2003 that 2GB has not won the breakfast timeslot — on that occasion, then-ABC host Angela Catterns nudged Jones in a single survey by 0.1.
The Nine-owned talk station recorded its 134th consecutive overall ratings survey win on Tuesday, but its dominance is being genuinely threatened for the first time in 18 years.
KIIS1065 recorded an overall share of 11.2 per cent of the Sydney radio market in this survey, leaving the station just 0.5 percentage points shy of 2GB.
In Melbourne, however, the entrenched dominance of Nine-owned 3AW is holding firm.
The breakfast duo of Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft easily retained top spot — their audience share didn’t move since the previous survey, steady at 20.1.
It was well ahead of ABC’s radio breakfast show hosted by comedian Sammy J at 13.8.
In the morning show slot, radio stalwart Neil Mitchell also remained comfortably on top at 18.9 (up 0.4 points), followed by Gold 104.3’s Craig Huggins on 12.2 (down 0.2 points) and ABC’s Virginia Trioli at 11.9 (up 2.8 points).
In Adelaide, 5AA’s breakfast show, helmed by David Penberthy (also a senior writer on The Australian) and Will Goodings, wrested the number one position from the ABC, increasing their share to 15.5, up from 13.8. Conversely, the ABC’s breakfast show hosted by Ali Clarke slipped from 14.4 to 12.4.
In Brisbane’s breakfast show timeslot, Nova’s 106.9 show hosted by Ash, Kip and Luttsy at 11.8 (down 0.2 points), recorded the highest market share. In Perth, 6PR’s morning show, hosted by 60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett, sits third at 11.1 points (down 0.3 points), behind FM stations 96FM and MIX 94.5.
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