To the army of announcers and production teams who work in radio, the radio ratings survey dates mean more than being a report card that tracks their performance.
It’s also a calendar they use to book their holidays! One of the paybacks for early-rising breakfast hosts is getting a few more holidays than the average worker. (A bonus not always extended to their support teams like producers, newsreaders etc.)
But there is a change coming in 2025 that will see the industry reschedule holiday plans.
The move should be welcomed by the ad industry that uses the data to fine tune their investment in audio.
What doesn’t change
Every year Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA) engages GfK to hold eight metro radio surveys across the year. That is not changing. In 2025 there will again be another eight survey periods.
The data from each of those surveys is generally released on Tuesdays. That won’t change either. Seven of the eight ratings releases will be on a Tuesday in 2025. The odd one out is Survey 2 with the release on Thursday April 29, done on that day to allow for Easter which drops late next year, and also Anzac Day.
What is changing
While there will be eight survey periods next year, the data from only seven of them will be released in 2025. In something of a genius move, CRA will drop the results from Survey 8 2025 at the start of 2026, on Tuesday January 20 to be precise.
This means the trade won’t have to scramble for a ratings release just days before Christmas. It also means the survey year can run a little later into the year.
That last bit just might not go down well with the talent.
Move your holidays
The 2025 survey year will start a little later in January – not until the week of January 19 (or Monday January 20 for most).
Good news right? But wait…the Survey year will end with Survey 8 2025 running until Saturday December 13. That is quite a change.
This year Survey 8 wraps on Saturday November 30, meaning all radio teams who work strictly to survey dates get the whole of December off.
To many this will be a big deal and might take a little getting used to.
CRA’s Lizzie Young
‘A pivotal step for the radio industry’
Lizzie Young, the new CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio, told Mediaweek: “Extending Survey 8, 2025, by two weeks into mid-December, with results released 20 January 2026, is a pivotal step for the radio industry. Capturing audience data during the crucial holiday season provides invaluable insights into consumer behaviour during one of the year’s highest spending times.
“This move enhances the relevance of our audience insights and aligns seamlessly with peak retail activity – maximising radio’s commercial impact.
“Launching fresh data in January empowers agencies and advertisers to kick off the year with actionable insights, reinforcing radio’s essential role in effective media planning. This schedule change expands radio’s reach into the year’s most lucrative weeks, strengthening its value as a strategic tool for audience engagement and campaign investment. By making this move, we’re setting the stage for a vibrant future where radio remains at the forefront of audience engagement.”
Number of survey weeks doesn’t change
The change doesn’t impact the number of metro survey weeks. There will be surveys across 41 weeks of the year. The breaks will drop differently though.
There will be a week’s break starting March 2, after just six weeks of survey. It’s back to work and then there’s a two week break from April 13 across Easter.
There’s a two-week mid-year break from July 6 and then a final one-week break from September 28.
But get this – the survey year now won’t end until December 13. Say goodbye to that lengthy December vacation.
In other major metro markets – Newcastle, Canberra and Gold Coast/Tweed Heads – there will be three survey periods each next year.
For metro DAB+ ratings, the surveys will be the same as the metro surveys.
Download your 2025 GfK metro survey dates here.
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