Southern Cross Austereo Responds To Latest Ratings

Having maintained the position as the number one commercial radio group for metro audience reach in GfK’s Survey 5, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) responds to some interesting market share swings for the Hit Network and Triple M.

SCA chief creative officer Guy Dobson said the overall result was a good one for the group, with one of the highlights being 2Day FM’s Rove & Sam breakfast show growing its audience size for the sixth consecutive survey.

“Triple M remains ever dependable with its stranglehold on the most important money demographics and the Hit Network continues to own its target of women under 40,” he said.

“Overall a good result today for SCA.”

The survey revealed that Triple M continues to have the majority share with men overall, along with the 25 to 54 age bracket, and holds down top FM breakfast spot in Melbourne – Hot Breakfast with Eddie McGuire, Luke Darcy and Mick Molloy – with 8.4 per cent market share.

Triple M also saw a 3.1 per cent increase in market share to rank third for the drive slot in Adelaide with 11.6 per cent. But why such the massive growth?

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Triple M’s head of content, Mike Fitzpatrick, told B&T.

“The show I think was a little bit underdone earlier in the year. We had strong figures towards the end of last year, and the truth is probably somewhere in between, but we’ll take those figures. The guys made some adjustments to the content on the show and how it’s presented, and it seems to have come through.

“It’s also the business end of the football season, which helps. It’s a sports entertainment program, and when the [Adelaide] Crows are doing well, the program does well.”

Meanwhile, the Hit Network has the majority share for women under 40, overall and in the drive-time slot.

Brisbane’s Hit 105 saw the second-largest growth in market share for the evening slot, up 1.8 per cent, with the network’s head of content, Gemma Fordham, attributing it to the solid audience lead-in from its drive offering.

“I would suspect that the TSL (time spent listening) is quite strong there too” she added.

However, Fordham admitted the 1.4 per cent decline in market share for 2Day FM’s drive slot in Sydney – occupied by the Hamish & Andy show – was unusual.

“It’s quite a substantial cume drop-off, which is something we’ve not seen before and we’re not seeing it in any of the other markets,” she said.

“Given the performance of the station in other day parts, it does some a little odd, but look, you’re dealt the number you’re given – it is what it is. I’m not concerned about it – I think it will bounce back.

“The product that the boys put out every day is exceptional, so I expect the next survey we’ll likely see the [decline in market share] correct itself.”

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