Where will ears turn post-Alan Jones?

An online listening survey late next month will keep advertisers in the loop.

Australian broadcaster Alan Jones announces his retirement from radio at his home in Sydney. Picture: Kris Durston

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) plans to release a special online listening survey late next month to keep advertisers in the loop, but it won't give an early indication of Ben Fordham and Neil Breen's performance on breakfast radio following the departure of Alan Jones.

Amid concerns by media buyers about buying airtime following the industry body's decision last month to suspend the next three official radio surveys during COVID-19, CRA said Tuesday that it has commissioned research provider GfK to undertake the survey via an online e-diary.

Neil Breen. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

The survey will capture data across the five major capital city markets from a sample of 2000 participants from May 17 to June 13. It will provide information on how many people listened to radio and key metrics on time, place of listening and demographics. However, it won't provide individual station-specific results.

A CRA spokeswoman told The Australian that "clients will get a useful insight into audience trends", including the capital city performance and aggregated data on day parts, such as breakfast.

"The survey is not intended to replicate the official radio surveys due to the sample size and different methodology involved.”

It is understood that sales directors have been working together to continue to give agencies information following the suspension of surveys three, four and five, which are conducted by GfK and require fieldwork.

Ben Fordham. Picture: Supplied

Jones surprised his listeners a week ago that he would leave Nine Entertainment's 2GB and 4BC radio stations at the end of the month. Minutes later, Nine announced Fordham, who hosts the afternoon show on 2GB and 4BC, as Jones's successor in Sydney, the nation's biggest radio market.

Jones’s departure from radio after 35 years is expected to lead to a drop in ad revenue for Nine, although ad bosses anticipate that Fordham will attract new brands and younger listeners.

Nine has decided to split Jones’s breakfast hosting duties by appointing television and newspaper journalist Breen last Saturday as the host of a new 4BC breakfast program in Brisbane.

Breen, who has worked at the media group’s commercial TV network Nine as a sports journalist since late 2012, and Fordham will start in their new roles on June 1.

CRA chief executive Joan Warner said people have continued to rely on radio for information and companionship as their daily routines have changed.

A GfK report, released on April 16, found radio listening had increased by 1 hour and 46 minutes a week to an average of 18 hours during the lockdown period, compared to the weeks immediately before the health crisis, according to CRA.

Official radio surveys will resume with survey six on September 29, while survey seven has been brought forward by one week to November 5. The eighth and final survey of the year will now be released on December 8.