Melbourne’s second radio ratings survey of the year has delivered a steady-as-she-goes result, with 3AW recording a slight uptick in its overall lead and holding its frontrunner status in the breakfast and mornings slots dominated by Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft and Neil Mitchell.
Overall, 3AW (owned by Nine, the owner of this masthead) was up from a 16.3 per cent share to 16.9, while the ABC barely moved, from 8.7 to 8.6 – leaving it overall fourth behind 3AW, Gold FM and Smooth.
3AW mornings presenter Neil Mitchell.Credit:Justin McManus
Similarly, changes in the key time slots were either minimal or non-existent. Mitchell in mornings, as recorded by ratings provider Gfk between 9am and 12pm, was up slightly from 19 per cent to 19.5 – ahead of his news rival at the ABC, Virginia Trioli, who was also up slightly from 9.1 per cent to 9.5.
On Twitter on Thursday, Mitchell wrote: “Proud day for my staff and me. Extraordinary ratings success. Unprecedented in some ways. I know this will provoke the usual vitriol but to all who have supported and helped us: thank you. This program belongs to the listeners.”
ABC’s Virginia Trioli was also up slightly from 9.1 per cent to 9.5.Credit:Kristoffer Paulsen
In breakfast, the long-standing 3AW titans retained their crown: Stevenson and Howcroft, while down on 2020’s phenomenal numbers, were still way in front on 21.5 per cent (down from 22.2), while the ABC’s Sammy J was unchanged on 10.7 per cent.
In the AM Drive contest, Tom Elliott was up a healthy margin – lifting from 13.1 per cent to 14.7, with the ABC’s Raf Epstein dropping from 7.9 to 7.2.
Nine’s radio head of content Greg Byrnes said the results showed listeners were staying loyal to the news station even after the COVID lockdown. “It’s now been five surveys since ratings resumed after the COVID-pause and the trend is clear – the audience is sticking with talk radio and our live and local strategy.”
In the FM race, Gold retained its lead, up to 11.3 per cent from 11, ahead of Smooth (8.4, down from 8.9); Fox (7.2, down from 7.5); Nova (7.1, up from 6.3); KIIS (5.5, down from 5.8) and Triple M (5.3, up from 5.2.)
Gold’s Breakfast host Christian O’Connell held on to the top spot in his slot for the seventh consecutive survey, dropping slightly from 8.9 per cent to 8.3 but retaining a comfortable lead over his rivals at NOVA, up from 6.8 to 7.9 per cent; Fox (steady on 7.2). Smooth and Triple M were a virtual tie for third in the FM Breakfast race on 6.3 and 6.2 per cent respectively, with KIIS dropping back from 6.2 per cent to lag the leaders on 5.6.
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