When advertising and legal heads clash it’s often not good news, but on Melbourne breakfast radio waves – the combination is electric.
Adland legend Russel Howcroft and former lawyer Ross Stevenson, who host 3AW’s breakfast slot, have surged ahead in Melbourne, growing their share by 2.5 percentage points to 21.3 per cent of the total radio audience between 5.30am and 9am. They continue to win AM radio, according to the latest radio audience survey by GfK.
The pair came together about four years ago after Howcroft replaced John Burns as co-host – and have dominated airwaves ever since; continuing the legacy set by Stevenson and Burns.
Nova’s Lauren Phillips and Jase Hawkins are second overall and first in FM breakfast, with a 9.9 per cent share (up 0.3 percentage points). The pair, somewhat controversial, left the Kiis network in December to make way for Kyle and Jackie O’s foray into the Melbourne market as part of a national push for the popular Sydneysiders.
It hasn’t quite gone to plan for Kyle & Jackie O in Melbourne, enduring a ratings period much akin to Collingwood’s AFL season. They have a share of 6.1 per cent – outside of the top 5 overall in Victoria’s capital, and fifth in the FM band.
But in the harbour city, it’s a different story altogether, they are more like the NRL’s Roosters, pecking on the premiership door.
The popular duo have grown their breakfast share by 0.2 percentage points to a 14.3 per cent share, dominating FM, while frontrunner – 2GB’s Ben Fordham (AM) – has lost 1.4 points to 15.6 per cent.
This is an impressive result for Kyle & Jackie O during a survey period when Nine’s radio stations have been hosting the Paris Olympic Games.
So while the Paris Olympics have provided the Midas touch to Russ & Ross, the same can’t be said for Fordham, but it’s difficult to read too much into the Paris effect.
In total listening, Nine’s 3AW and 2GB are the two frontrunners in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively.
In Brisbane, Southern Cross Austereo’s B105 leads Nova; in Perth Nova has edged out a surging 96FM (ARN); and Southern Cross’s Triple M leads Adelaide and Newcastle.
It seems that TripleM’s breakfast show in Perth has still not recovered from the loss of former sports commentator, Lord Mayor and ‘Perthonality’ Basil Zempilas, who left the show in 2022 to focus more on mayor stuff. Triple M shed 0.2 points to a 9.3 per cent share in breakfast, fifth in that metro market.
ARN’s wonderfully named Hot Tomato is the go-to station in the Gold Coast, while Mix 106.3 keeps our politicians sane in Canberra.
Remarkably, 4.59 million Melbournites – 88 per cent of the population – listed to radio in the most recent survey period. In Sydney 82 per cent of people tuned in.
Here are the full results
