ABC Radio has undergone a relatively big shake-up in the past few months. New content bosses have arrived from commercial radio, bringing with them a refresh of the metro stations.
As new head of audio content Ben Latimer told Mediaweek earlier this year, changes in commercial radio can also impact ABC listening habits: “There has been significant upheaval [in radio] outside of the ABC in some markets. It takes a while for audiences to settle into a relationship with a particular program or presenter.”
See also: ABC head of audio content Ben Latimer ready for GfK report card on programming changes
ABC content chiefs: Chris Oliver-Taylor, Ben Latimer and Mike Fitzpatrick
There are three new breakfast shows at five of the ABC Radio mainland stations. Two of the three are performing well in what are very early days.
Craig Reucassel presents Sydney breakfast, Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller took over in Adelaide, and Mark Gibson got breakfast in Perth. There has been one stand-out performer so far out of these three markets. No spoilers – see below.
There has also been some change at the four ABC national networks – RN (aka Radio National), Triple J, Newsradio, and ABC Classic. We summarise those ratings results market-by-market too.
Below, we dig into some of the data surrounding who did well in GfK Survey 2, 2024 at ABC Radio.
See also: All commercial station radio ratings market by market for GfK Survey 2, 2024
ABC Radio: Sydney
The station’s overall share of 5.1% must be close to an all-time low. The good news – the only way is up. Something they used to say a lot at the sinking 2Day FM after Kyle and Jackie O left. The Sydney share is also the lowest of any of the ABC metro stations in the GfK surveys.
Breakfast with Craig Reucassel slips to 7.1%. The good news – he outrates five commercial Sydney breakfast shows. Many listeners are enjoying the former bad boy from The Chaser. Among the breakfast options Reucassel is outperforming are the Melbourne-based Sydney commercial FM breakfast shows hosted Dave Hughes and Mick Molloy on the SCA duopoly.
Breakfast is no longer the high point at the ABC station though. That honour at ABC Sydney now goes to Renee Krosch in evening on 7.2%. A share that is higher than Reucassel’s by the smallest possible margin. Krosch has been with the ABC for over two decades. The former producer is now making a mark on air.
Renee Krosch – now ABC Radio Sydney’s highest-rating presenter
In between those two shows over 7%, the numbers are not great. All other dayparts are under 5%. The good news? The share numbers for the return of James Valentine to afternoon and Richard Glover in drive are both up. Valentine is on sick leave though, with Tim Webster hosting until his return.
ABC combined share in Sydney: 13.7% (14.8%)
ABC Sydney: 5.1% (5.4%) Cume 510,000 (572,000)
ABC Sydney breakfast with Craig Reucassel: 7.1% (7.9%) Cume 285,000 (318,000)
ABC Melbourne
The station share of 6.0% is down 0.5 from the start of the survey year.
Breakfast with Sammy J was down 0.8 to 7.3%, meaning it trails all commercial FM breakfast offerings except Marty Sheargold at Triple M and music at KIIS. You can probably take KIIS off the list of stations the ABC outrates after 29 April when Kyle and Jackie O arrive. The good news: ABC breakfast remains way ahead of the four niche AM players. And of course its sister ABC networks.
Sammy J hosts local radio Melbourne breakfast
The evening show with David Astle also outrates ABC breakfast in Melbourne. Not by much, but it is the station’s high point on 7.8%.
Mornings with Rafael Epstein was down 0.3 to 6.7%, and afternoons with Trevor Chappell was down 0.7 to 4.7%. The good news is that Ali Moore in drive was steady on 5.8%.
ABC combined share in Melbourne: 14.3% (15.2%)
ABC Melbourne: 6.0% (6.5%) Cume 534,000 (538,000)
ABC Melbourne breakfast with Sammy J: 7.3% (8.1%) Cume 301,000 (304,000)
ABC Brisbane
Station share is not pretty with 4.2% in a market with 12 stations jostling for audience. (Sydney has 15, Melbourne 16.)
Breakfast with Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan is close to the station high on 5.9%. But that honour goes again in this market to evening host Rebecca Levingston with 6.3%. While that’s a win, it’s down from 7.6% in Survey 1 this year.
Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan host local radio Brisbane breakfast
Across the rest of the day, there is no daypart over 4%, with afternoon and drive on 3.1% each. The drive figures are up though from a miserable 2.6% in Survey 1. Also on the improve was Steve Austin in the morning with share up 0.3 to 3.9%.
ABC combined share in Brisbane: 13.9% (14.1%)
ABC Brisbane: 4.2% (4.3%) Cume 221,000 (228,000)
ABC Brisbane breakfast with Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan: 5.9% (6.1%) Cume 121,000 (128,000)
ABC Adelaide
The good news story of the metro radio network with a station share of 7.4%, up from 6.6% in Survey 1.
Breakfast with Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller has hit a chord with the people of Adelaide, with share hitting double figures: a number not seen in any of the survey books for any of the ABC dayparts in any other market. The hosts are now less than 1.0 behind the Adelaide AM marker leader – David and Will on Fiveaa.
Adelaide ABC breakfast hosts Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller
The station performs well too in the mornings with David Bevan on 8.5% (+1.0) and evening where Jason Chong is on 7.2% (+1.4). Afternoons with Nikolai Beilharz (6.0%) and drive with Jolene Laverty (5.2%) were also both up this survey.
ABC combined share in Adelaide: 18.0% (17.4%)
ABC Adelaide: 7.4% (6.6%) Cume 151,000 (150,000)
ABC Adelaide breakfast with Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller: 10.9% (9.5%) Cume 97,000 (91,000)
ABC Perth
The station share of 5.7% sees it just above its long-time commercial rival 6PR on 5.5%.
Breakfast with Mark Gibson was up 1.0 to 7.6%, the second-highest metro breakfast share of any ABC station.
Mark Gibson hosts local radio breakfast at ABC Perth
ABC Perth evening with Philip Clark was the station’s high point with 10.7%. That was actually down 1.1 on the Survey 1 result. Afternoon and drive were both flat or down and under 5%. Morning with Nadia Mitsopoulos was on 5.6%, up 0.6.
ABC combined share in Perth: 16.4% (18.0%)
ABC Perth: 5.7% (5.6%) Cume 236,000 (201,000)
ABC Perth breakfast with Mark Gibson: 7.6% (6.6%) Cume 133,000 (106,000)
Some of the ABC Radio brands
ABC national networks
Radio National (RN)
Sydney 1.2% (+0.1)
Melbourne 2.3% (+0.1)
Brisbane 1.1% (-0.1)
Adelaide 1.2% (-0.2)
Perth 1.2% (+0.3)
ABC Newsradio
Sydney 1.3% (+0.1)
Melbourne 1.4% (+0.3)
Brisbane 0.8% (-0.4%)
Adelaide 1.7% (+0.2)
Perth 1.6% (-0.1)
Triple J
Sydney 3.7% (-0.4)
Melbourne 3.2% (-1.1)
Brisbane 5.5% (-0.1)
Adelaide 5.1% (-0.1)
Perth 5.6% (-1.4)
ABC Classic
Sydney 2.4% (-0.6)
Melbourne 1.4% (+0.3)
Brisbane 2.3% (+0.5)
Adelaide 2.6% (-0.1)
Perth 2.3% (-0.5)
See also: Tracking ABC’s radio ratings in Survey 1, 2024 – How did new breakfast hosts perform on debut?
Source: GfK Radio Ratings Survey 2, 2024
Figures in brackets are for results in GfK Survey 1, 2024