Talk radio has triumphed again in GfK’s Survey 3 radio ratings, with Nine’s 2GB in Sydney and 3AW in Melbourne continuing their reign as Australia’s dominant AM stations. But over in FM land, Melbourne’s Fifi, Fev & Nick and Sydney’s Smooth 95.3 are turning up the volume, pushing Kyle & Jackie O further down in the ratings and proving that authenticity, consistency and heartwarming local storytelling still resonate with listeners.
Sydney: Talk Tops, but Smooth Holds FM Crown
2GB has extended its lead as Sydney’s No.1 station, rising to a 13.6 per cent share (up 0.8 points), thanks to powerhouse shifts from Ben Fordham Live, now sitting at a dominant 16.7 per cent share in breakfast, and Mark Levy’s 15.5% in mornings. The station swept every weekday session.
Greg Byrnes, Nine’s national content manager, said: “These figures show Sydney has embraced 2GB’s new sound with big increases right across the day. What Ben Fordham and Mark Levy have achieved is remarkable.”
“If you’re not listening to talk you’re missing out, and we thank the loyalty shown by our listeners each day”.
But it’s not all talk (see what we did there), Smooth 95.3 remains Sydney’s #1 FM station with a 12.4 per cent share. Ty Frost leads mornings with 14.2 per cent, Simon Diaz dominates afternoons with 14.9 per cent, and Byron Webb is #1 in Drive with 13.3 per cent. Smooth also claimed the top spot on weekends (12.8 per cent share).
“We’re thrilled with another outstanding result for the Smooth network in Survey 3, with Smooth 95.3 in Sydney continuing its run as the most listened-to station in the country for every survey this year,” said head of programming for the Smooth Network, Peter Clay.
“To our listeners, thank you for your continued support. And to our incredible team, this achievement is a testament to your passion, dedication, and hard work”.
Not far behind, Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie held firm as Sydney’s third most popular breakfast show, and 2Day FM’s Jimmy & Nath with Emma posted gains across every daypart – now up to a 3.9% breakfast share.
“In a constantly shifting market, we never take for granted what an achievement it is to be performing consistently every survey, with audience numbers our partners can count on. But it’s not just about how big the numbers are, it’s what they make possible for our customers: more creativity, more value and more meaningful ways to connect their brands with the conversations Australians care about,” said NOVA Entertainment’s chief commercial officer, Nicole Bence.
Melbourne: The Fox dominates Kyle & Jackie O
3AW held onto the AM throne in Melbourne, posting a 12.5 per cent overall share. Ross and Russel’s breakfast show delivered a staggering 18.7% share, while Tom Elliott’s mornings followed closely with 15.0%.
The true FM battleground was all about The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick, who climbed to a 8.9% share and added 24,000 new listeners. The trio’s on-air campaign with the Dandenong Masalas, a grassroots footy team, has struck a deep emotional chord with listeners and will culminate in a feel-good live event at the MCG this weekend. It’s hyperlocal, high-impact content – the kind that builds real audience connection.
But while The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick continue their underdog rise their fiercest FM Kyle and Jackie O’s expensive Melbourne gamble has veered further into disaster territory. Survey 3 shows another slide, a 0.7-point drop to just 5.1% share, and a 30,000 listener loss in cumulative audience. That places the pair dead last among commercial FM breakfast shows in Melbourne. The numbers are bad enough on their own, but when paired with ARN’s decision to fork out $200 million over 10 years for the duo’s syndicated show, they’re catastrophic.
Duncan Campbell, ARN chief content officer remained diplomatic about the shows success – or perhaps lack thereof, calling Melbourne a “competitive market”.
“The continued dominance of The Kyle & Jackie O Show speaks to the power of our network – no other breakfast show in the country reaches over a million listeners. In Sydney, the show has now held the #1FM position for an incredible 51 consecutive surveys, with Jonesy & Amanda maintaining their strong #2FM position to complete ARN’s breakfast duopoly. While Melbourne remains a competitive market, we’re confident in our long-term strategy, and it’s great to see GOLD 104.3 remain as the city’s #1FM station,” he said.
In the drive category, Drive, Carrie & Tommy continued their winning streak with 564,000 listeners, remaining the most listened-to Drive show in Melbourne. Triple M’s JB & Billy, meanwhile, hit a record-equalling 10.6% Drive share, their best since 2006, and claimed 15 consecutive wins in the M25–54 demo.
Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren held onto their #1 FM breakfast spot with a 10.2% share and 741,000 listeners.
Elsewhere Around the Country
Brisbane
Triple M retained its #1 position (12.8% share), while Nova 106.9’s Ash, Luttsy & Nikki Osborne topped breakfast with 13.1%. B105’s Stav, Abby & Matt was just 0.1 points off the top spot, while Rush Hour with Dobbo & Elliott took out Drive (13.9%).
Adelaide
Nova 919’s Jodie & Haysey took the #1 FM breakfast crown with a 13.8% share. Triple M’s Roo, Ditts & Loz stayed close behind on 13.6%. FIVEaa led AM with 8.9%.
Perth
Nova 93.7 was the most popular station (14.9% share) and Nathan, Nat & Shaun led breakfast with 19.5%. 92.9 Triple M also had a strong showing, especially in mornings and Drive.
The commercial radio sector added 116,000 weekly listeners aged 25–54 year-on-year, confirming the demographic’s importance to advertisers. Streaming also reached 3.3 million weekly listeners, and in-car listening remains the king, up 266,000 year-over-year (YOY) to reach 10.3 million.
As CRA CEO Lizzie Young summed up: “The 25-54 demo growth tells you everything about radio’s commercial appeal… Streaming gives us new ways to reach them, but the fundamental advertiser value remains the same: engaged audiences during high-attention moments.”
With consistency in talk and growth in feel-good FM formats, Survey 3 proves there’s still plenty of fight left in Australian radio.
