2GB 13.9%: Unchallenged again throughout 2018 as the market’s #1 with Alan Jones and Ray Hadley a formidable duo guiding the station across the morning with Steve Price entertaining and informing the audience at the other end. Let’s not forget Chris Smith and Ben Fordham taking charge of afternoons. The station finished the year on 13.9%, down from its best for 2018 of 15.4%. Alan Jones ended 2018 on 16.5% after hitting 19.0% recently. Hadley finished the year on 17.9% and Price on 16.3%.

smoothfm 95.3 9.1%: Landmark year (another one!) for the station and the brand as smoothfm ranks #1 in Sydney and Melbourne for the first time. The station’s best Sydney share this year was 9.6%. Breakfast with Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniel ended 2018 on 7.1% (equal second-best result in 2018 and up an impressive 1.1 survey-on-survey) after hitting 7.7% earlier in the year.

KIIS 1065 8.8%: Ending the year as #2 FM station, its best share this year was 9.5%. Kyle and Jackie O rank #1 FM breakfast on 10.5%, short of their best earlier this year though, which was 12.3%.

WSFM 8.7%: Most stations seem to move in a band of 3.0 up and down over the year and WSFM takes full advantage of that. The station’s best 10+ share this year was 11.3%. Jonesy and Amanda lifted 1.8 in the final survey, although they are still short of their best this year, which was 10.3%.

Nova 96.9 8.6%: The station has unleashed its full festive force in the final survey with its best share of the year, in fact its best in over three years. Joining in the fun is breakfast with Fitzy and Wippa who jumped 1.3 this survey to 8.4%, which is also their best in over three years.

104.9 Triple M 5.4%: The numbers have tracked lower for the past three years. The station hasn’t been on 7% since survey one in 2016. It’s best this year was 6.1%, which was the only time it hit 6% in 2018. The Grill Team line-up is yet to be confirmed for 2019. Breakfast best this year was 6.6% and its survey eight number was 6.2%. Breakfast had four surveys on 7% or better in 2017.

104.1 2Day FM 5.4%: The station has ended the year just short of its 2018 best – 5.6%. Breakfast with Grant and Ed posted 4.6% in survey eight, short of the year’s best on 4.9%.

2CH 1170 3.0%: The numbers dipped a little in the final survey of the year with the 10+ share down from its best of 4.6%. Breakfast with Indira and Trevor did 2.5% this survey, its best in 2018 was 3.8%.

Macquarie Sports 954 1.1%: Although this is the best result for several surveys, it is sobering to remember the station was on 3.5% before Talking Lifestyle was shuttered earlier this year. Similarly in breakfast, Mark Levy and Mark Riddell have done a great job lifting breakfast share, although earlier in 2018 under the old format breakfast was on 4.4%.

Sky Sports Radio 0.7%: The station has recorded its lowest share in over three years to end 2018. In terms of the year’s best, it is now on half what it did when Sky Sports peaked on 1.4 earlier in 2018. Similarly breakfast is well short of its best – 0.8% now and 1.6% earlier in the year. Breakfast is on its equal smallest share in two years.

3AW 14.8%: Another good year for the now Nine-owned Macquarie Radio Melbourne station. 3AW has ended the year with its best 2018 share, while breakfast with Ross and John was not far off its best of 20.0% with a survey eight breakfast share of 19.4%. Morning, drive and evening were all overall timeslot champs, and afternoon was #1 AM, nearly double the ABC Melbourne share.

smoothfm 91.5 10.6%: Nova Entertainment is now able to boast the #1 FM station in Sydney and Melbourne which must be a powerful selling point for the sales team. 91.5 has recorded its highest ever 10+ and breakfast shares. smoothfm was the biggest 10+ mover in the market – up 0.8 as the station posted its best share of the year. Also setting a new record for 2018 was breakfast with Mike and Jen with share also up 0.8 to 8.9%. That is also their best for the year and the biggest mover in Melbourne.

Gold 104.3 9.7%: Despite ranking #2 FM, the station was short of its best this year, which was 10.8% in survey four. That survey was also when breakfast posted its best number this year – 8.7%. However Christian O’Connell has recorded his best ratings this year on 8.4%, which is his second consecutive lift. And get this – he is now outrating Eddie McGuire and The Hot Breakfast. Quite an achievement for a visitor that none of the audience had heard of just a few surveys ago.

101.9 Fox FM 9.6%: End of another good year for the Hit Network’s best performing station, which ironically doesn’t brand itself “Hit”. Cracking year too for Fifi, Fev and Byron as they dominated breakfast ratings all year. Fox is short of its best 10+ though after recording 11.4% and this is its third consecutive survey in single figures. Breakfast was also in double figures for much of the year with three surveys on 10.3%. But considering the Fox breakfast show ended last year on 7.0%, it has been a massive turnaround year. Need to also pay tribute to drive newcomers Hughesy and Kate who end the year #1 on 11.0%.

Nova 100 7.5%: Overall numbers were lower this year. Although 7.5% is the best 2018 result, it would have ranked as its sixth best rating last year. Chrissie, Sam and Browny ended with one of their lowest shares of the year – 7.2%. Their best was 8.4% in survey one. Kate, Tim and Marty are #2 at Xmas, although they have narrowed the gap between them and Hughesy and Kate.

105.1 Triple M 6.8%: The station has ended the year with its third best share. The high point was 7.4% way back in survey one. The Hot Breakfast has recorded its best share of the year – 8.3% – but Eddie, Wil and Darc won’t like trailing Christian O’Connell. It was also The Hot Breakfast’s only survey over 8% this year. Disappointing end to the year for Mick and Jane in drive where they rank #5 out of six FM stations.

KIIS 101.1 FM 6.1%: Almost good news for the station with its best 2018 share. But then if that’s the high, it can’t have been a great year. Kiwi radio stars Jase and PJ were close to their best – which means they were short of 5.9%, which they had three times this year. The station was over 6% all afternoon this survey including Will and Woody.

SEN 3.1%: Not a great end to the year after a couple of promising results on 3.8% recently. Breakfast with Garry and Tim was on 3.5%, just short of its best of 3.7%.

Macquarie Sports 1278 0.1%: You don’t need Mediaweek to point out the obvious here. The best was 0.4% in two surveys this year. Breakfast has an asterisk, which is also not good after a high of 0.2% earlier in the year. Perhaps too early to label the format a fail until the cricket season is over, which could drag in some converts.

104.5 Triple M 13.3%: Stunning result to end the year with Triple M recording its best 10+ and breakfast shares in over three years. Station has cemented its self as the clear market leader although it is fiddling with the breakfast line-up with Nick Cody coming in for Lawrence Mooney. Expect the Moonman to be working harder than ever next year though with duty calling across the Triple M network.

Nova 106.9 11.3%: The Brisbane market has spread a little with decent gaps between the major stations. That’s not great news for Nova. Although it ranks #2, it is with its lowest 10+ share since the first surveys of 2016 and 2017. At breakfast, Ash, Kip and Luttsy with Susie O’Neill are on 10%, which is their lowest share in over three years.

Hit 105 10.2%: The station has dipped as the year ends with its lowest share. Breakfast is also down with Stav, Abby and Matt on 10%, which is their lowest since mid-2017.

97.3 FM 9.7%: Share was up marginally this survey, although 97.3 has ended 2018 with its two lowest shares in the past three years. Breakfast with Bianca, Mike and Bob ended the year on 9.5%. While that is up 0.4 on survey seven, those two results are also the station’s lowest two shares in three years.

4KQ 8.5%: The final result for the year is down from the year high of 9.9%. Also down was breakfast with 7.9% after Laurel, Gary and Mark’s best this year – 9.3%.

4BC 7.0%: It’s been a very strong result for the Macquarie Media station with new owner Nine enjoying the best ratings in five years. Alan Jones jumped 1.5 this survey to 8.8%, while Ray Hadley is also recording his best in Brisbane with 9.9%.

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Top Photo: The new Triple M signing Nick Cody meets Marto, Robin and Moonman

Mix 94.5 14.8%: Not sure what is the best result to end the year – be #1 overall or #1 in breakfast. SCA and Nova Entertainment might have differing opinions about that in Perth. Mix has ended the year as #1, but it is short of its best 10+ result – 15.7%. Breakfast with Clairsy, Matt and Kymba ranks #2 overall yet is below their best this year of 15.1%.

Nova 93.7 13.7%: The station had an outstanding year. The final survey saw share 10+ down 1.0 from their best in 2018 of 14.7%. Breakfast with Nathan, Nat and Shaun also had a cracker with a #1 ranking for the last five consecutive surveys. They finish the year on 14.9%, just short of their best of 15.1%.

Hit 92.9 11.0%: The station ends the year with its best 10+ result in 18 months. Breakfast with Heidi, Xavier and Ryan ends 2018 on 9.8%, short of their best, which was 11.3%.

96FM 8.6%: The station lifted 1.0 this survey to post its equal second best result this year, behind the 9.0% in survey one. Breakfast with Paul and Lise was up 1.1 to 7.7%, which will please them and the station bosses, yet it is short of their best this year, which was 8.0%.

6PR 7.4%: Nine’s Perth outpost was down 0.4 this survey and is down from its 2018 high of 8.1%. The breakfast show hosted by Steve Mills and Basil Zempilas was also down and short of its best this year of 11.1%, which it achieved twice. It remains a strong performer though and #3 overall in breakfast.

6iX 5.9%: The station has ended the year with not only its best result for 2018, but its best figures in well over three years. Breakfast with Tim Gossage was on 4.7% after he hit 5.8% earlier in 2018. It’s the final survey for Gossage at the station who will be replaced by Ian Blackley in 2019 when the former Mix host returns to weekday radio in Perth.

Mix 102.3 12.9%: The station leads the market to end the year, but it is down from its best of 16.1% earlier in 2018. Breakfast with Jodie and Soda is #1 FM and #2 commercial, but with 12.8% it is well short of its best of 15.1% this year.

Nova 91.9 10.2%: A little programming tweak in breakfast seems to have corrected the ship, although it might be premature to read too much into that. The station is back close to its best this year of 10.5%. Breakfast with Dylan and Hayley recorded 9.8%, the station’s second best breakfast result after 10.0% mid year.

Cruise 1323 10.1%: There’s nothing this over achiever can’t do. Now it sits at #3 commercial in the market, overtaking Fiveaa this survey! Although just short of its 10.2% last survey, the last two results have been its best in over three years. Breakfast was down 1.1 to 7.2%, short of its 2018 of 8.3%.

Fiveaa 9.9%: The station has not only posted its lowest result this year, it’s the smallest share since survey two in 2016. Breakfast with Dave and Will was down 1.2 to 13.4%, short of its best of 15.6% this year.

Hit 107 9.4%: Without a breakfast show until next January, the station has recorded its best numbers this year and the best since 10.1% in mid-2017. The breakfast slot jumped a massive 2.1 this survey to 7.8%, not quite reaching its 2018 peak of 8.1%.

5MMM 9.3%: Finishing sixth out of six commercial stations not the ideal result to end the year. The station’s 2018 best was 10.9%, which is recorded twice. Breakfast with Roo and Ditts was up 0.2 this survey to 9.1%. However that is still well short of its best of 11.6% in survey two this year.

The move allows viewers to stream live television and discover on-demand content from more than 20 FTA TV channels on their Mac or PC, Australians can use any current browser to access the free FV website.

Additionally, the simple-to-use platform makes viewing more accessible than ever, with features including:

• Discover new content on FTA channels
• A TV guide for all FTA channels
• Easy access to your favourite shows
• Program recommendations

Freeview CEO Liz Ross said the addition of the new FV website gives Australians more access to free TV content through more platforms than any other country in the world.

“Aussies have completely free access to more than 10,000 programs with Freeview. There are no subscription fees, it’s available wherever you are, on whichever device you’re on and at whatever time you want to watch TV.

“We’ve designed these products to fit in with people’s lives. If you like a certain program, we’ll help you find others like it. Freeview is all about making it easy to watch some of the best TV content in the world, for free.”

The launch of FV on the web follows a 76% industry-wide growth in Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD) from the first half of 2017 to the first half of 2018.

The FV web destination joins Freeview’s suite of products including Freeview Plus for smart TVs and the Freeview FV mobile app, available on iOS iPhone, iPad, and Android phones through the Apple App Store or Google Play.

FV on the web provides access to live-streaming and on-demand content from more than 20 FTA channels including: ABC, SBS, Seven, Channel 9, 10, 10 Bold, 10 Peach, ABC COMEDY/ABC KIDS, ABC ME, ABC NEWS, SBS Viceland, SBS Food, NITV, 7TWO, 7Mate, 7food network, 7Flix, Racing.com, 9Gem, 9Go! ,9Life, Extra and TVSN. More live channels will be added as they become available.

Visit FV for Web via www.freeview.com.au

* Source: OzTAM VPM, total BVOD catch up and live minutes viewed by year sourced 25 July 2018.

As part of their review of 2018, the film critics at The Hollywood Reporter have chosen the best performances of the year.

Included on the list is the work of two Australians.

This year’s feats of actorly alchemy on the big screen run a breathtaking gamut, said THR’s introduction to the winners list:

We’ve been knocked out by the artistry of famous stars playing famous people (Christian Bale, Rami Malek), character actors claiming centre stage (Olivia Colman, John C. Reilly) and experienced performers working in a new key (Melissa McCarthy, Ben Foster) – or a new language (Steven Yeun). An inspiring new generation of actors that includes Dominique Fishback, Timothee Chalamet and Elsie Fisher has etched charged and illuminating visions of teenage experience.

The entries on the two Australian actresses selected:

Elizabeth Debicki in Widows

Steve McQueen’s female heist thriller boasts a full cadre of talented women etching distinctive characterizations, but the gazelle-like Australian actress quietly slinks away with her every scene. Her angular beauty and rangy physicality, along with her air of cool disdain, have made her a magnetic screen presence ever since Baz Luhrmann’s otherwise gaudy gloss on The Great Gatsby. She’s long seemed poised to become the next Cate Blanchett, just waiting for the right breakout role. In the meantime, her limited scenes here with compatriot Jacki Weaver as her nightmare mother are sly dark-comedy gold. (Selected by David Rooney)

Toni Collette in Hereditary

An incandescent screen presence ever since her breakthrough in the Australian comedy classic Muriel’s Wedding, Collette navigates whiplash turns from fear to rage to hysteria and madness in writer-director Ari Aster’s assured horror debut. There’s a taut line linking Collette’s nuanced work as the emotionally frayed mother in The Sixth Sense to her operatic crescendo here, in one unforgettable scene at the dinner table ripping into Alex Wolff as her teenage son with an unmaternal ferocity that takes your breath away. (Selected by David Rooney)

The highly targeted campaign will see McDonald’s display Frozen Fanta creative when the local temperature goes above 23 degrees and McRib creative when the temperature falls below 23 degrees.

Steve Bovey, general manager of operations at QMS, said: “This dynamic campaign is a prime example of a major brand relating to their consumers at a localised level through the power of digital out-of-home. By using temperature control technology, McDonald’s are able to deliver a highly targeted and engaging campaign that provides strong cut-through and is better positioned to influence their customers’ purchase decisions.”

Luke Trask, McDonald’s account manager at OMD, said: “We are always looking for ways to optimise our activity to ensure we are serving the right message at the right time to consumers. QMS has ensured the process has been easy to implement and very effective so we are really pleased with the way these campaigns are coming to life and delivering on McDonald’s’ sales objectives.”

The campaign, developed in association with Broadsign, will appear across QMS’ premium digital billboard network throughout Victoria until the end of December 2018.

As a series of monstrous killings becomes ever more audacious, the series features Luther and new recruit DS Catherine Halliday are confounded by a tangle of leads and misdirection that seems designed to protect an unspeakable horror.

But even as the case brings him closer than ever to the nature of true evil, a reluctant Luther faces the ghosts of his own past. Striding back into the line of fire, he must choose who to protect, and who to sacrifice.

Directed by Sam Miller (Cardiac Arrest, The Life) the series also stars Wunmi Mosaku (The End of the F**king World, Vera, Dancing on the Edge) who joins the cast as Luther’s sidekick Catherine Halliday, Hermione Norris (Cold Feet, Spooks), Patrick Malahide (Game of Thrones) and Dermot Crowley (Stars Wars: Return of the Jedi).

Series 1 to 4 of Luther will be available to stream on demand from January 3 until June 2019.

Meerkats creative team Rikki Burns, Gordon Haynes and Josh Edge created radio ads that illustrate how kids see every day life-threatening hazards. The ads are designed to stand out and shock parents and carers into thinking about taking a St John Tiny Tots First Aid course.

Burns, Haynes and Edge said they hoped to make an ad that would reward the listener for their time by making it interesting and explained: “Seeing the world with a sense of childlike wonderment is a beautiful thing, when it’s not involving imminent death. We thought the responsible thing to do was to draw a distinction between the two.”

The round four craft category winner was awarded to sound engineer Paul Taylor from Sound Reservoir with the ad Crazy for Cars for Commercial Radio Australia’s 2018 brand campaign promoting the effectiveness of radio advertising.

Nine ads in round four were Highly Commended by judges.  

Highly commended in the single category were: two ads from the Meerkats Tiny Tots campaign for St John WA – Water and Stairs.

Also highly commended in the single category was the Aldi ad Always on Price – Kombucha from BMF by creatives Emily Field, Millicent Malcolm, Stephanie Allen and Rob Boddington.

Highly commended in the campaign category were BMF’s Aldi ads Always on Price – Croissants, Kombucha, Sausage from creative team Emily Field, Millicent Malcolm, Stephanie Allen and Rob Boddington. Eardrum was highly commended for the CRA Radio Alive Campaign from creatives Ralph van Dijk and Tristan Viney, and J Walter Thompson’s creative team of Wilora Keeley and Tim Newton were highly commended for the ad Sounds of Saving for Homebuyers Centre.

Three ads were highly commended in the craft category: Flaky Results and Trusty Tunes for the CRA Radio Alive brand campaign from sound engineer Paul Taylor of Sound Reservoir and The Sportiest Radio Ad Ever for Ford Australia from sound engineer Rodney Lowe from Production Alley sound studio.

Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia, said: “We’re pleased to see a run of excellent radio ads entered into the awards in the final round for this year and look forward to showcasing more radio in the last round early next year.”

The Siren Awards, run by CRA, celebrate the best in radio advertising and are judged over five rounds throughout the year.

The 2019 Gold Siren winner will be announced in May 2019 and wins a trip to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The client of the winning 2019 Gold Siren Award also wins a ticket to Cannes.

Silver Sirens are awarded in each of the three categories: single, campaign and craft. There is also a client-voted award, a $5000 cash prize, presented to the writers of the ad voted the best, by a panel of clients.

Round 5 of the 2019 Siren Awards is now open. Entries close 9 February 2019.

Listen to Round 4, 2019 winning ads here at www.sirenawards.com.au and find the Siren Awards on Facebook.

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Top Photo: Rikki Burns, Gordon Haynes and Josh Edge in the company car

For the first time, as part of Spotify’s 2018 Wrapped microsite, there was an option for Australian Spotify premium users to share their personal year in listening onto QMS’ Melbourne Square billboards outside Flinders Street Station including their photo, how much music they streamed, their top songs, top artists and top genre.

In collaboration with digital outdoor specialists Grand Visual, Spotify had complete creative control of Melbourne Square whereby listener data, copy, colour and imagery is updated and displayed on a twenty second loop.

From Times Square to Piccadilly Circus, iconic billboards around the globe will offer local Spotify premium users the ability to beam their 2018 Spotify Wrapped onto the big screen.

In Australia, this was solely activated by QMS in Melbourne from 10th-16th December.

Steve Bovey, general manager of operations at QMS, said: “We are so excited to be a part of Spotify’s highly anticipated annual end of year campaign. Melbourne Square provides the perfect large-scale platform to connect with the local Spotify community in a high impact way.

“Our annual Wrapped ad campaign is yet again, a true embodiment of our leading position as a true ‘platform for discovery.’ Our users have come to expect the year-end wrapped campaign year after year and are eager to see how their interactions on Spotify connect to what is happening across the global Spotify community,” said June Sauvaget, Spotify’s global head of consumer marketing. “At the same time, it serves as a large-scale ‘thank you’ to our listeners for their collective impact in shaping the platform throughout the year while further solidifying our place in the global cultural lexicon.”

“We wanted to channel the extraordinary year that was, and to showcase how Spotify is such a beloved and essential part of our daily lives, indelibly marking these Australian cultural moments, through music,” says Serena Leith, marketing director Spotify Australia and New Zealand.

“We’re excited to have Aussies celebrate with us by sharing their results with each other and take the opportunity to see their face and their year in music up in lights, outside Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station for this very unique experience.”