Russel Howcroft and Ross Stevenson‘s audience is very different to that of Kyle and Jackie O‘s so Nine’s Greg Byrnes isn’t too worried their breakfast crown is up for grabs.
After the release of yesterday’s second radio ratings survey for 2024, Nine Radio’s head of content spoke to Mediaweek about Ross and Russ’ dominance, 2GB’s 40% spike during its coverage of the Bondi Junction tragedy, and next survey’s sporting focus.
2GB’s audience spiked by 40% during the events at Bondi Junction and 2GB is a widely trusted brand: How important is that brand building when it comes to Aussies switching on the radio for fast, accurate information in an unfolding crisis?
We pride ourselves on doing it like no other.
This means having broadcasters in the position who have the experience to know how to respond. However, there’s a balance between getting the information out quickly and making sure it’s correct. Misinformation is floating everywhere, especially with the advent of social media, so it’s not just about being first, you need to be right.
Experience is key, and experience is about checking the right information is being disseminated. That’s what our audience has learned to trust us for and we take great pride in delivering.
This survey is the last before Kyle and Jackie O hit Melbourne – how do you think they’ll fit into the landscape and can Ross and Russ on 3AW hold them off?
3AW’s audience, particularly around that breakfast program is like no other, which also means it’s very different from anyone who might be tuning into Kyle and Jackie O’s.
But ultimately, it’s not up for me to decide how they do their show and Ross and Russ’ entire production team is behind them, and focused on what they do and what they can control, that being to ensure each day is better than the last. They certainly set the agenda at 3AW in Melbourne.
Russel and Ross
What areas will Nine be particularly focussed on for the next survey?
The next survey will be a full football (AFL and NRL) survey and football is a very key product within our brand. Responding to breaking news will also always be a focus, and the Olympics are now under 100 days away. We’ve ramped up our Olympic branding across the network, and Nine Radio will be alongside Nine Publishing and TV to bring the most extensive coverage seen to date.
See also: ‘Biggest undertaking in the history of Nine’: Nine’s Paris Olympics plans, 100 days out
Any other standout highlights?
The streaming data from this survey is quite remarkable. Ross and Russ had a huge 47% commercial share and Ben [Fordham] was at about 40%. The events on the weekend show that more and more people are finding content through a connected device.
Our content on that platform levels the playing field in relation to quality of broadcast, because it sounds great and it takes away some of that stigma associated with traditional AM.