ARN’s Duncan Campbell talks about a critical corner for the KIIS Melbourne station with this survey.
The Crocmedia-managed SEN station is also at the crossroads after a big investment in talent earlier this year.
KIIS 101.1 10+ 5.4%, Breakfast 5.9%
Cumulative audience: 840,000, Breakfast 433,000
ARN is playing the long game here. All of the station’s five 10+ results this year have been below every 2017 survey result. The breakfast results are almost the same – except that a rise in survey 5 means Jase and PJ have improved on one of the 2017 surveys results.
KIIS breakfast hosts Jase and PJ with Hamish and Andy
ARN’s Duncan Campbell told Mediaweek after the survey 5 result:
“I feel we have turned a critical corner here with the breakfast result. Research showed us there was a lot of churn going on with some of the audience moving to Fox, Nova and smoothfm. We have also been trying to market the show in a very crowded marketplace so familiarity remains an issue for that show. For it to go up a point on what was a flat book is a critical turning point. Hopefully we will now see some momentum build and it would be great to see Jase and PJ above The Hot Breakfast after the next survey.” There is a gap of just 1.1 between the two Melbourne breakfast shows.
The best result at KIIS is the drive show which sits on 7.2%, way above the station average.
The KIIS cume audience isn’t a bad result, but the station needs to get them to listen longer.
Photo: KIIS breakfast hosts Jase and PJ with Hamish and Andy
SEN 10+ 2.9%, Breakfast 3.2%
Cumulative audience: 10+ 272,000, Breakfast 144,000
The station has just recorded its second-lowest result since the start of 2016. Breakfast continues to hover around the station breakfast average for the past 18 months.
Most disappointing perhaps is the result for Gerard Whateley who delivers a cracking show Monday to Thursday at 9am in addition to his Friday night and Saturday football duties. Whateley is on 2.4% in morning, which was down 0.7 in survey 5. (See below for core audience stats.)
One bit of good news the station shared after survey 5 was that footy fans are listening the longest to 1116 SEN for their call, with SEN Footy (Saturday and Sunday afternoons) #1 for time spent listening.
Other positive results from survey five come from drilling down into key demos:
• Growth in breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson to 8.2%+ from 7% (6am-9am, Monday-Friday, males 25-54)
• 1116 SEN’s chief sports caller Gerard Whateley continues to connect with sports fans, with Whateley #1 with males 35-54, with a 10.3% share+ (up from 4.1% in the previous survey). Share also increased, to 6.1% with males 25-54 (up from 4.5% in the previous survey)
• Afternoons with Andy Maher jumped to 6%+ from 3.8% (12 noon-3pm, Monday-Friday, males 25-54)
• KB & The Doc have increased to 6.9%+ from 5.8% (3pm-6pm, Monday-Friday, males 25-54)
• Time On with Sam McClure hits headlines on the drive home with an increase to 8.4%+ from 8.1% (6pm-7pm, Monday-Wednesday, males 25-54).
The station noted consumption is also growing in the digital space, averaging 1 million podcast downloads per month during the AFL season, driven by breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson (305,000 downloads per month) and Whateley (400,000 downloads per month).
However, some listeners are still coming to grips with what they can stream via SEN and the new second frequency SEN+.
Pacific Star Network CEO and managing director Craig Hutchison said he was pleased with the survey 5 results. “The focused drive to capture the 25-54 male sports fan in Melbourne is working for 1116 SEN. To see increases from 6am to 7pm, it shows we’re on track with an incredible runway for what’s to come.
“With the announcements of the SEN XI cricket commentary team, fierce AFL Finals ahead, the introduction of SEN+, the acquisition of the AFL Record and a share in Melbourne United, this is the time for 1116 SEN to super-serve our sports fans.”
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Top Photo: SEN breakfast hosts Garry Lyon and Tim Watson with regular Daisy Pearce