Sydney Drop For Triple J In Latest Radio Ratings

The third round of radio ratings for 2013 have made for some tough reading for triple j in Sydney, while the public broadcaster's strong start to the year levelled out nationally.

The latest figures from Nielsen cover Sunday 24 February – Saturday 30 March (an overlap with the second round of ratings) and Sunday 7 April to Saturday 11 May.

Read the analysis of 2013's first radio ratings survey here.
And the second radio ratings survey here.

SYDNEY

Triple j are the big movers here – but the numbers are going the wrong way. The station lost 1.6 percent of the weekday market share and now sit at 5 percent, while they lost 2 percent of the weekend share and are down to 5.1 percent there. The losses were pretty steady across the timezones (down 1.9 percent at breakfast, 1.8 percent morning and afternoons), but the biggest demographic loss came in their key 18-24 age group, where they lost 9.4 percent share and now hold 11.4 percent – behind 2DayFM (who gained 5.3 percent to 18.7 percent) and NOVA96.9 (12.0 percent). It was the biggest move in any Sydney demographic this period. They lost 2.7 percent in the 24-39 demographic as well, and are now at 11.3 percent.

Listeners continued to return to 2GB in Sydney, with their midweek share jumping another 1.6 percent to a dominating 15.9 percent share. A lot of this comes from their breakfast domination, where Alan Jones' Breakfast Show has a mammoth 17 percent share this week. WSFM may have been on the receiving end of some of that growth, they lost 1.3 percent weekday share down to 7 percent with a 1.3 percent breakfast drop to 7.6 percent.

MELBOURNE

The Monday-Friday share was largely static, with Triple M the greatest gainers up 0.8 percent to an 8.9 percent share.

The weekend share figures were more volatile, with triple j down 1.5 percent to 4.2 percent, SEN sport radio up 1.3 percent to 4.7 percent as the football seasons got into full swing, and both Nova and ABCFM down 1.1 percent to 7.2 and 3.5 percent respectively.

Unlike Sydney, triple j has a strong performance in the 18-25 demographic, up 2.7 percent to 15.7 percent, while they lost 2 percent in the 25-39 demographic and are now down to 10.9 percent.

BRISBANE                                                                                                                                                

Queensland metro weekday radio market share remains the closest in the country this survey period, with the top four frequencies again swapping the lead. Australian Radio Network's 97.3FM is ahead this period with a 1.3 percent jump to 13 percent overall, ahead of two stations both on 12.2 percent Triple M (up 1.3 percent) and Nova (up 0.3 percent). Last period's top frequency B105 lost 0.4 percent and is down to 11.8 percent and ABC612's strong run slowed as they lost 0.7 percent to 9.9 percent.

Triple j gained 0.4 percent to have a 7.3 percent weekday share (the stations second biggest share around the cities), but lost 2.4 percent on the weekends and now holds a 6 percent share. Nova were be biggest weekend gainers with a 1.7 jump putting them in pole position with a 13.6 percent share. 97.3FM are second at 12.9 percent with a 0.7 percent jump.

ADELAIDE

Triple j enjoyed a 1.5 percent jump in the weekdays last period, but they lost a lot of that ground this period with a 1.3 percent drop to a still-solid 6.9 percent share. Their blistering weekend form took a hit as well, as a 3.4 percent dorp puts them back into single figures at 7 percent. Part of that hit probably came from their surprisingly high 10.5 percent market share in the 40-54 age bracket, which is down to 5.4 percent after a 5.1 percent drop this period.

ABC891's weekday share gained 1.3 percent to 12.4 percent, and Nova gainer 1.5 percent to 10.6 percent. Mix102.3 remained the dominant frequency though, with a 14.7 percent share despite a 1.5 percent drop. Mix also leads the weekends, with a 0.5 percent growth granting them 13.9 percent.

PERTH

96FM are the strongest gainers in this market, with a 1.4 weekday share bump putting them at 13.0 percent, just behind MIX 94.5's 13.3 percent – down 0.6 percent this period. 96FM also had a good time on the weekends, gaining 1.2 percent to 12 percent, again only behind Mix's 13.2 percent (down 0.3 percent).

The west is still triple j's strongest market percentage wise with a 10.3 percent weekday show (down just 0.1 percent) and a 9.7 percent share (down 2.4 percent). They continue to dominate the 18-24 market, gaining 0.3 percent to a massive 32.8 percent share.