The watching brief at the Nova network for many this year has been Nova 100 breakfast. It’s been the story of a remarkable turnaround.
Having a look at the big picture has been good too. This was the message from Nova Entertainment chief executive Peter Charlton on survey day:
“To be able to say that Nova Entertainment has achieved the highest total audience of any metro network in every survey of 2024 is not something we take for granted. With Smooth FM achieving the #1 FM station in Melbourne and Nova maintaining the most breakfast listeners of any metro network are further proof points that we’re doing the right things.
“Our all-of-audio strategy continues to resonate with both audiences and commercial partners, something further demonstrated by [the Survey 6] results. Our teams across the country should be exceptionally proud of their work so far this year, and we move towards the end of the year more motivated and more ambitious than ever.”
To dive into the specific results, Mediaweek spoke with group programming director Brendan Taylor. We started at Nova 100.
“Jase and Lauren are four surveys in and they continue to perform really well. It’s a very competitive market as well all know and they are pulling a share of 9.6%.” When Taylor first scheduled the former KIIS breakfast team, the idea that the show could boast close to 10% of the overall Melbourne audience in such a short period of time would have seemed overly ambitious.
“We did have expectations, and what they have done is just so pleasing. We’re very happy for the team who have worked so hard.”
See also: Smooth FM – Radio’s quite achiever makes a lot of noise for the listeners across Australia
Nova Survey 6 highlights
• Nova is the most popular network for breakfast with more listeners than any other metro network (2,167,000 cume)
• Nova’s Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel the #1 drive show (4-6pm) in Australia with a 10.9% share and is the most popular with 1.425m listeners (cume)
• Nova’s Smallzy’s Surgery the #1 Evenings show (8-10pm) in Australia with share of 8.1% and is the most popular with 362,000 listeners (cume)
• Nova’s The Chrissie Swan Show the most popular afternoons show (2-4pm) in Australia with cume of 1.286m listeners
• Nova’s Ben, Liam & Belle the most popular late drive show (6-8pm) in Australia with a cume of 691,000 listeners
In Sydney, Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie has a strong cume, but Taylor noted converting some of those listeners to spend more time with the show would boost the share. “We have to ride the highs and lows of survey. This now gives us a target for the last two surveys of the year.”
Fitzy, Wippa and Kate. Top: Nova’s other breakfast shows Jase and Lauren, Ash, Luttsy & Susie O’Neill, Jodie & Hayesy and Nathan, Nat & Shaun
All metro markets are a battle for broadcasters, none more so than Brisbane. “There continues to only be a handful of share points between us all,” said Taylor. There are now five Brisbane stations fighting for top spot. The latest arrival in the lead pack is 4BH where BBQ Bob Gallagher and ACE Radio are helping reshape the market. Nova has slipped to #4 which is not a comfortable spot for the broadcaster. However, in cume, Nova ranks #1.
Taylor noted at the start of each day, Nova ranks #2 in share. “In breakfast, Ash, Luttsy and Susie are well positioned as is the station overall where it has the most listeners. A similar story for us there, we have the audience listening, we just need to focus on driving the connection with the audience to improve TSL.”
Nova Adelaide too has strong cume. “It is the most-listened-to breakfast show. They have only had a handful of surveys and they have all been very competitive results.
“The producers have really doubled down on that show in recent times and they have helped develop the chemistry between Jodie and Hayesy. For what is really still a new breakfast show to be winning the demos under 50 is impressive.”
It’s been a while since Nova wasn’t #1 10+ in Perth. Taylor was speaking from the West on this survey day. “They are not asking me back in a hurry,” he joked about the survey result.
While 96FM might be #1 this survey, Nova’s Nathan, Nat and Shaun have kept Nova on top at breakfast.
“We do want to get back to #1 of course though. I’m convinced we continue to have a great team and a great environment for that to happen.”
See also:
Complete coverage of radio ratings for Survey 6, 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Every commercial station in every market.