Melbourne Radio Ratings 2023 Survey 5: 3AW breakfast flies, smoothfm topples Gold , Fifi Fev & Nick #1 brekky

Melbourne Radio Ratings, GfK Survey 5, 2023
Survey Period: Sunday May 21 to Saturday June 24 and Sunday July 9 to Saturday August 12

UP: 3AW +2.1
DOWN: Gold 104.3 -1.2

3AW 16.7% (14.6%)
Cume: 831,000 (+60,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 15.9% (17.6%)
Best Breakfast 22.8% (20.1%)

Ross Stephenson had a rare sick day on ratings day with much in-demand broadcaster and former footballer Jimmy Bartel stepping in to co-host breakfast with Russel Howcroft. The station shook off any cobwebs associated with the Survey 4 slip and surged ahead. Breakfast share was in rare air again with share pushing above 22% for the second time this year. Neil Mitchell’s future has been the subject of much speculation in the past few weeks and an increased share of 20.1% (+3.0) shows his worth to the station. A Melbourne Cup-sized field continues to jostle for the afternoon slot where share was down marginally to 11%. Evening with host Denis Walter was another daypart where share now sits at 20% or more with a lift of 4.5 this survey.

smoothfm 91.5 9.9% (9.6%)
Cume 1,188,000 (+19,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 9.4% (7.3%)
Best Breakfast 7.8% (6.1%)

Consistency continues to be a big attraction for advertisers here at the new #1 FM station in the market. A 10+ share of 9.9% is the best this year and the best since 2019. Mike Perso remains a strong breakfast performer, climbing ahead of former champ Gold 104.3 and is now sitting just 0.5 behind new leader Fox breakfast. Biggest demo growth was 40-54 which was up 1.0 to 8.9%.

Gold 104.3 9.6% (10.8%)
Cume 1,184,000 (-77,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 12.0% (11.4%)
Best Breakfast 11.2% (9.7%)

This is the first time share has slipped to single figures since 2020. Gold has lost some of its bragging rights too. The station is now #2 10+ and breakfast with Christian O’Connell has ended its breakfast winning streak, falling to #3 FM breakfast behind Fox and smoothfm. Key demos remained strong with Gold a clear leader 40-54 and it has stayed #1 FM 55-64.

101.1 Fox FM 9.4% (9.2%)
Cume 1,334,000 (+4,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 9.6% (7.8%)
Best breakfast 9.6% (7.4%)

Fox FM slipped 0.2 in breakfast, but because of tumbles elsewhere Fifi, Fev and Nick have popped up as the new #1 FM breakfast show on a 9.4% share. The station’s champion daypart remains afternoon where Kat Markey hosts and also doubles as the station operations manager. Fox drive slipped into single figures with Carrie and Tommy ranked at #3 FM, narrowly behind Gold and Nova. Fox remains strongest with youngest listeners, winning both 18-24 and 25-39 with shares of both on 16%.

Nova 100 7.5% (8.5%)
Cume 1,204,000 (-12,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 8.0% (7.1%)
Best breakfast 9.5% (7.5%)

The station lost 1.0 with 7.5% the second-best share this year so far. Breakfast with Ben, Liam and Belle returned its second-lowest share for 2023 on 7.0%. The numbers slipped a little in all dayparts with drive losing top spot to Gold. All demos went backwards a little with falls of between 1.5 and 2.1 across all ages from 18-24 to 40-54.

KIIS 101.1 FM 7.4% (7.5%)
Cume 1,206,000 (-32,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 8.4% (5.6%)
Best Breakfast 8.1% (5.4%)

Speculation about Sydney breakfast being networked into Melbourne overshadowed some of the KIIS 101.1 breakfast activity in this Melbourne radio ratings survey. The result was good though, with a lift of 1.0 for Jase and Lauren to 7.5% which is their best figure this year and the station’s third-best breakfast result in close to a decade. The only other daypart growth came for Will and Woody in drive where share edged higher from 8.1% to 8.8%. Biggest share move was a dip of 2.9 to 18-24 where KIIS lost top spot to Fox.

105.1 Triple M 6.1% (5.7%)
Cume 803,000 (+26,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 7.3% (5.0%)
Best breakfast 6.3% (4.0%)

Share burst back over 6% where it sits for the third time in the five surveys so far this year. Breakfast with Marty Sheargold also lifted back to 6.0% for the first time this year. A breakfast share of 6.0% was recorded just in four of the 16 surveys in 2022 and 2021. Afternoon and drive both lifted to with shares respectively of 7.2% and 6.7%. An appetite for Marty and rock classics might explain how the station’s biggest shares are with listeners 10-17 and 18-24.

SEN 3.7% (3.1%)
Cume 392,000 (-3,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 3.0% (1.3%)
Best Breakfast 3.4% (1.3%)

Sports HQ has recorded its equal-best station share since 2019. Breakfast with Garry and Tim plus Bucks, Kane and Kingy was steady on 3.1% which is the equal second-best in close to two years. There were two big movers at the station – Gerard Whateley took morning share up 1.1 to 4.1% and Dwayne Russell pushed afternoon share higher, also to 4.1%. Strongest demos are 18-24 (5.6%) and 55-64 (6.2%).

Magic 1278 0.8% (1.3%)
Cume 133,000 (+1,000)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 1.6% (1.0%)
Best Breakfast 1.3% (0.5%)

Share dived 0.5 to 0.8% which is the lowest figure since the Covid-impacted 2020 ratings year. Breakfast was also knocked around, down from 0.8 to 0.4%. The best-performing dayparts are afternoon on 1.0% (down from 1.7%) and evening on 1.3% (up from 0.9%).

RSN 927 0.8% (0.7%)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 0.9% (0.4%)
Best Breakfast 1.4% (0.4%)
Cume: 86,000 (-4,000)

Of the three minnow AM stations in the Melbourne survey, RSN held its ground the best, with share edging up 0.1 to 0.8%. Breakfast was steady on 1.1% which is the best RSN daypart.

3MP 1377 0.6% (1.1%)
2022 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 1.9% (0.6%)
Best Breakfast 1.1% (0.3%)
Cume 87,000 (-32,000)

The station will be hoping this is a one-off result with share down 0.5 to 0.8%. Breakfast hit a new low too with share of 0.3%. Cume audience also tumbled for a second successive survey.

See also Melbourne Radio Ratings 2023 Survey 4: 3AW and Gold on top; Nova, smoothfm & Triple M brekky up