The end is in sight for the 2023 radio ratings year, with the sixth survey results released last week.
See Also: Radio Ratings 2023, Survey 6: Highlights + Full Results
Mediaweek spoke with Nine Radio‘s head of content, Greg Byrnes, to discuss the survey highlights and what the rest of the year will look like for Nine Radio.
Reflecting on the survey six results, Byrnes says that he’s feeling “very pleased” about the results.
“We’ve attracted more listeners, we remain number one in Sydney and Melbourne – those are tough markets. We have really good results for 25-54s, they’re up about 5%.
“The streaming data just gets stronger and stronger, which is really encouraging for us in talk, because we always felt that our live and local content would work well on a connected device. The figures are showing that’s the case.”
One of the biggest highlights of the survey was 3AW, which saw the station record its highest cume on record for a Survey 6, as well as Breakfast with Ross and Russ come in with a market-leading share of 22.8%.
“What’s interesting about that cume result for 3AW is that it’s not only the best Survey 6 on record, but it’s certainly in the top five all time, going back to when the current methodology was put in place – which is about 2004,” said Byrnes.
“3AW is the clear number one, it dominates Melbourne – and we don’t take that for granted, we work very hard to maintain that. It’s always good on days like survey day when we’re seeing that the hard work has been reinforced.”
Ross and Russ
When asked what it is that he believes is driving these results across the Nine Radio talk network, Byrnes points to the “live and local content” that the brand is built on.
“It’s opinion, it’s entertainment, it’s what’s going on in my town or my city at any one time. It’s instant feedback, instant analysis and breaking news. We are the original social media, that talkback line and the text line is a powerful voice that puts people directly in touch with policymakers and peers.
“People are engaged, whether it be debate around The Voice or footy finals. We have a broad cross-section of audience and discuss a broad cross-section of issues each and every day, and that’s the key. That’s what we proudly focus on, live and local.”
With two surveys left in the 2023 ratings year, Byrnes said that he and the team will be focussing on delivering “more of the same” for listeners, keeping them informed no matter what.
“The football has wound up, we’ve got a contentious referendum, we’ve seen the weather turn in the last few weeks. Already we’ve lost houses to the bushfires, and that’s very early on in the season.
“We just keep doing more of the same right throughout the year, but we’re governed by the news cycle. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next week. We can plan to ensure that we react to whatever that might be, from a news, opinion, and entertainment space, but we’re really determined by the news of the day. We just need to be agile and flexible to be able to react.”
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Top Image: Greg Byrnes