One of the big success stories of GfK radio ratings Survey 6, 2024 has to be Nova Entertainment’s Smooth FM.
In a strange universe that surrounds “old media” broadcast ratings, TV and radio. The worse you perform the more you get written about.
That means many of the success stories tend to get overlooked. Not here. Not this week.
It’s now just over 12 years since Nova Entertainment’s programmer Paul Jackson and former marketing guru Tony Thomas launched the Smooth brand. At the time Thomas was considered ambitious for sharing with Mediaweek what it turns out were pretty conservative ratings goals.
This week Smooth FM continued its strong ratings run. Along the journey the brand has often been a market leader in Sydney and Melbourne. It’s done a pretty good job on a national rollout too via DAB+.
Smooth FM Survey 6, 2024 highlights
Smooth FM 91.5 is the #1 FM station in Melbourne with an 11.0% share
Smooth FM 95.3 is Sydney’s most popular station with 1,288,000 (cume) and the most listened to station in Australia
Smooth FM Adelaide is the most popular DAB+ radio station with 44,000 listeners (cume), an increase of 8,000 listeners
Smooth FM Perth is the most popular DAB+ station in Perth with 81,000 listeners (cume)
Smooth FM Brisbane is second the most popular DAB+ station in Brisbane with 65,000 listeners
Smooth FM’s Peter Clay
Head of Smooth FM network programming Peter Clay told Mediaweek they are all about consistency. This week’s success continues their long run.
“We’ve been here before, we’ve had number ones in Melbourne, we’ve had number ones in both Sydney and Melbourne at the same time.”
The station’s first #1 came three years after launch in Melbourne, then five years after launch Smooth swayed gently with #1s simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne. “That happened again 2018-19.”
With Gold 104.3 a victim of the unrest in the Melbourne market, Smooth has pushed back to top spot with share.
“We’ve always talked about consistency. We’re in a very good position leading into the latter part of this year, and it’s a credit to the team that work on and off the air.”
Clay noted one incorrect perception about the brand. “People think Smooth is a very easy radio station to put together.
“At Smooth, we run five independent logs, it is localised. There are local breakfasts for each market. Across the day the announcers might be based in Sydney or Melbourne, but each station gets an individually customised show.
Smooth FM’s Ty Frost
“It is not networked out of one station. Ty Frost, Simon Diaz, and Byron Webb across workday and drive do five individual breaks a lot of the time for the individual markets. It is an incredible job they do.”
There are success stories all over the Smooth dial. In evenings let’s not forget Cameron Daddo who is #1 FM in Sydney and Melbourne. When he’s not working for Smooth he’s working for Luxury Escapes. Daddo is hosting a golf tour in Vietnam shortly too. “He’s living his best life,” said Clay.
Smooth breakfast in Sydney and Melbourne
“Mike Perso (Melbourne) and Bogart Torelli (Sydney) are iconic people in the radio industry.
“They love the industry, they love the profession, and they really do put an effort into their broadcasts. Mike Perso is Melbourne. He knows every part about Melbourne. Bogart represents Sydney and creates an atmosphere that people love. The ratings for both show how much people love them.
“Their breakfast shows are clutter-free. They are consistent on air, people know what to expect, and they love that they can get into the car and not just have noise or shouting or a barrage of politicised messages and opinions.”
National brand via DAB+
“We treat our DAB+ licences like real radio stations. A lot of the success is due to the dedicated Smooth Player app too. People get into their cars and can easily stream via the app.
“People are recognising the Smooth brand and putting us on in shops, a continuation of how we first started, in taxis and Ubers.”
Clay laughed and said that if he and is colleagues get into a taxi or an Uber and they are not playing Smooth, they are by the end of the journey.
As to what’s ahead, Christmas is just around the corner! “We created a property last year called Christmas Wishlist,” said Clay.
“We’ve just started it on air now for this year. This is one of those times that I am actually extremely proud and lucky to be heading up a radio station that is doing a tactic like this where people can turn around and nominate the most simplest of things.
“Last year we helped a mum get a cubby house for their kids. With $100,000 Smooth Christmas Wishlist, break down cash we give to people into various amounts. Maybe even just $300 or $400, for an expense that just helps people out.”
See also:
Complete coverage of radio ratings for Survey 6, 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Every commercial station in every market.