Kyle Sandilands seeks Hughesy's advice on cracking the Melbourne market

Kyle Sandilands has turned to Dave 'Hughsey' Hughes for advice, as The Kyle and Jackie O Show struggles to gain traction in Melbourne.

Despite their dominance in Sydney, where they hold a 13.5% market share, the duo's highly anticipated expansion into Melbourne in April 2024 has yet to deliver the same success, currently sitting in fifth place with just a 5% share.

With the first audience survey of 2025 set to drop later this month, the show’s performance has sparked debate about the challenges of networking a Sydney-based program into a competitive new market.

Kyle and Jackie O

Advice from Hughsey: 'Just relax'

Sandilands put the issue to Hughes during a chat on their KIIS FM breakfast show this morning, asking: "How do you think we're going to go in the Melbourne ratings this time around because it's been a bit of a stalled start down there".

Hughes, whose own breakfast show on 2DAY FM was axed by SCA in 2024, was quick to downplay the issue, advising Sandilands to "just relax" and let the audience come to them. Sandilands was skeptical, pushing for a more strategic answer, but Hughes remained firm in his belief that Melbourne listeners would either adjust or move on.

"That's all you can do," he said, to which Sandilands replied: "No effort. Do nothing. That's your advice?"

Under the microscope

ARN's original decision to network The Kyle and Jackie O Show into Melbourne has come under scrutiny, particularly after ARN Media chairman Hamish McLennan's remarks about the importance of live and local content.

In an interview with ABC Radio National's MediaLand, McLennan defended the move, pointing to the local news and production staff supporting the show in Melbourne. However, he acknowledged that the transition has not been seamless, admitting, “I think in some regard, the guys pushed the envelope too hard … Melbourne is a distinct market, and we haven’t got the content platform right.”

Hamish McLennan.

Balancing performance

McLennan's candid assessment of the show's initial performance in Melbourne was critical for advertisers, as it underscored the importance of understanding market nuances and tailoring campaigns to resonate with specific listener demographics.

While defending Sandilands and Henderson as "performers," McLennan's comments signal a need for content refinement to better align with Melbourne's tastes, directly impacting the show's attractiveness to advertisers.

Commercial reality

Despite the challenges, McLennan reinforced ARN's financial commitment to Sandilands and Henderson, emphasising the commercial benefits of networking the show. “We’ve made a huge financial commitment to Kyle and Jackie O … and we need to get payback for that,” he said.

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