Melbourne Radio Ratings 2022 Survey 8: Cream rises to the top with 3AW and Gold stronger

by James Manning

Posted on 13 December 2022

KIIS the big radio ratings mover as Jase and Lauren and Will and Woody climb

Melbourne Radio Ratings
GfK Survey 8 2022, Survey Period: Sunday September 25 to Saturday December 3

UP: KIIS 101.1 +1.7
DOWN: 105.1 Triple M -1.4

3AW 15.1% (13.7%)
Cume: 865,000 (+47,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 18.9% (15.1%)
Best Breakfast 24.3% (20.1%)

Strong finish to the radio ratings year with the perennial market leader finding its way back above 15% after two consecutive surveys under that mark. 3AW has secured a better than 15% 10+ share for 12 of the last 16 surveys. Breakfast posted its best result this year with the Ross and Russell (pictured above) audience giving them 22.8%, the third time in 2022 breakfast has pushed higher than 20%. All dayparts lifted, from Neil Mitchell to Dee Dee Dunleavy, Tom Elliot, Sam McClure, Luke Grant and Denis Walter. Listening 55-64 jumped 5.8 to 23.0%, leaping clear of Gold which led that demo last survey.

Gold 104.3 11.9% (11.5%)
Cume 1,291,000 (-30,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 11.3% (10.0%)
Best Breakfast 9.4% (8.0%)

The station has enjoyed its second-best 10+ share of 2022, trailing only a 12.0% in Survey 4. Breakfast with Christian, Jack and Pats remains #1 FM breakfast with a clear lead over and improving Fox breakfast. The show dipped below 10% (only just to 9.9%) for the second time this year. Daytime and evening shares are dominant, with 12.0% or better from 9am through until midnight. Key demos remain strong too with 40-54 up 1.9 to 18.7%, more than double the share of any other station.

101.1 Fox FM 8.9% (8.3%)
Cume 1,360,000 (+35,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 7.8% (5.5%)
Best breakfast 7.9% (4.7%)

Competition is fierce in the Melbourne FM market. Fox is faring better than some though in the radio ratings as it closes the year in a much stronger position than it was just 12 months ago. In a lockdown-impacted 2021 Fox peaked at a 7.8% 10+ share. This year its lowest result was 7.8%. Fifi, Fev and Nick are also in a better place at breakfast with share up 1.0 this survey to 8.4%. Afternoon and drive with Carrie and Tommy deliver the biggest shares with both holding above 10%. Fox lost leadership of 18-24 and 25-39 this survey, but remains a clear second in both.

smoothfm 91.5 8.8% (9.0%)
Cume 1,158,000 (-25,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 8.9% (6.8%)
Best Breakfast 7.2% (4.4%)

The Nova Entertainment station has secured a good finish to the year after a slow start. Both the 10+ and breakfast shares were amongst the best surveys of the year. Share eased a little in afternoon and drive, but lifted in evening. smoothfm remains #3 FM across the week and #2 FM on weekends. The station is competitive across demos 40+, and is clear FM favourite with those at the higher end of that age group.

KIIS 101.1 FM 8.4% (6.7%)
Cume 1,255,000 (+19,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 6.4% (4.5%)
Best Breakfast 7.4% (4.6%)

KIIS is suddenly #4 FM which is better than its sounds in a super-competitive market. This survey the ARN station pushed ahead of Triple M and Nova. The 10+ share of 8.4% is among the best we can remember and certainly the best in well over six years. Similarly breakfast is enjoying its most consistent run of results in a long, long time. Jase and Lauren have now had a fourth consecutive share over 7% and the station needs to keep the accelerator pressed hard to the floor to keep the momentum going into 2023. Highest daypart by a considerable margin though at the station is drive where Will and Woody pushed share 2.8 higher to 10.4%. Byron Cooke has also been turning it on across the day, working his magic hosting music shifts with increased share from the end of breakfast until the arrival of 3pm Pick Up. KIIS is now the demo champ for 18-24 and 25-39 which should help top up the coffers into the new year.

Nova 100 7.5% (7.4%)
Cume 1,256,000 (+19,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 7.8% (6.2%)
Best breakfast 8.0% (6.1%)

So farewell Chrissie, Sam and Browny who leave breakfast radio ratings with a share of 7.5%, their equal lowest in a year that peaked at 9.5%. Nova 100 morning recovered somewhat, lifting from a scary 4.6% to a better 5.8%. Highest-rating daypart remains drive where Kate, Tim and Joel are on 8.7%. Nova remains a competitive third 25-39 and second 40-54. The new breakfast show might see Ben, Liam and Belle helping reposition the station a little younger. smoothfm at present is outrated by Nova 40-54.

105.1 Triple M 5.7% (7.1%)
Cume 802,000 (-105,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 5.3% (4.0%)
Best breakfast 6.2% (3.6%)

Slightly disappointing end to a year of growth for Triple M. But look at the big picture – 2021 ended with five consecutive surveys under 5%, this year nothing under 5% and two surveys over 7%. Breakfast with Marty Sheargold also improved the station’s trajectory – 2021 under 4% twice, 2022 under 5% only twice with peaks over 6%. Share eased in all dayparts this survey with drive strongest on 7.1%, albeit after 8.9% in Survey 7. Triple M also hurt in the demos this survey with 40-54 remaining the strongest on 8.0%.

SEN 2.3% (2.8%)
Cume 358,000 (-39,000)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 3.7% (2.2%)
Best Breakfast 3.8% (2.3%)

With the survey starting the day after the AFL Grand Final, expecting a lift in share might have been too optimistic. While 10+ share was down 0.5, breakfast share with Garry and Tim slipped too with the smallest SEN live radio audience since Survey 2. Morning with Gerard Whateley was also down from 3.7% to 2.6%. Both morning dayparts though remain the strongest for the station. The little-hyped fight with 3AW remains a largely one-sided battle in these numbers, except for listeners 18-24 where SEN has a sizeable edge with 2.7% v 2.1%. Both a long way behind the FM competition of course.

Magic 1278 1.4% (1.6%)
Cume 124,000 (-15,000)
2020 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 1.7% (1.0%)
Best Breakfast 0.8% (0.3%)

A consistent result and toward the upper end of the 2022 results. Amongst the minnows playing AM music, Magic now trails 3MP by a fair chunk (65+ the difference is 2.5% v 5.7%).

3MP 1377 1.9% (1.3%)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 1.2% (0.6%)
Best Breakfast 0.9% (0.4%)
Cume 164,000 (+28,000)

This is easily the best share since 3MP entered the survey two years ago. There has now been consistent growth since Survey 2, 2022 for the station targeting Morning Peninsula listeners, but welcoming anybody. Breakfast with Jon Vertigan and Julie Strini was up this survey and amongst their three best results of the year. The real growth is coming across the day with all shifts lifting significantly off what is a small AM music base. Cume audience had a significant rise too.

RSN 927 0.5% (0.6%)
2021 results: Best/worst
Best 10+ 0.6% (0.3%)
Best Breakfast 1.0% (0.2%)
Cume: 70,000 (+4,000)

The racing and sport station has been unable to replicate the higher station and breakfast shares enjoyed in the first two surveys of 2022. The biggest audience still tune in on weekends of course, in particular Saturdays. The demo slice of the pie remains small though, with its best a 1.1% of 65+.