• 2GB, smoothfm and ABC Sydney leading the market
• Breakfast battle: AJ and K+J rule, bumps for Fitzy & Wippa, Jonesy & Amanda, Bogart & Glenn and even Mark & Mark at Macquarie Sport
• Kate, Tim & Marty end year #1 drive: Best content = best ratings
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.