Ben Lee Thinks He Should Run Triple J

Ben Lee has taken to Twitter to reveal that he would like to run Triple J.

The musician meets comedian posted in response to new figures published by the Sydney radio survey that showed that more 18-24 year olds listen to Smooth FM than the national broadcaster.

Let me run Triple J I will ignore all data and demographics and only program good shit https://t.co/gQGgx6NGW8

— Ben Lee (@benleemusic) July 6, 2022

His Tweet, which is currently sitting on 279 likes and a plethora of supportive replies read, "Let me run Triple J I will ignore all data and demographics and only program good shit," a gentle ironic jab and reference to constant Triple J hecklers who claim that they'd know how to run the station better than some of Australia's best musical minds. 

"I listened to the Js exclusively for 25years but they lost me along the way. If @benleemusic takes over I’ll be back 100%," one user said in response to the Tweet.

The survey revealed that while triple j's overall audience slightly rose from 3.9% to 4.3%, their core audience (18-24 year olds)  took a hit dropping by 3.6% from 8% share of the market to 4.4%.

NOVA and KISS have traditionally dominated the 18-24 year old demographic and this survey also suggests that, with both organisations taking out 17.9% and 17.3% market share respectively in the 18-24 bracket.

Interestingly, the J's now sit behind WSFM (at 11% share), Smooth (9.7% share), 2DAY (6.5% share) and Triple M (4.5% share) in their core market. 

It's important to note that Triple J have diversified away from reaching their audience exclusively via radio. They have active socials which includes extremely popular Instagram and TikTok accounts, a lengthy series of podcasts as well as a digital web player.

While yes, the numbers must be concerning to a certain level, maybe it's a sign of the times for the future of radio for young people rather than triple j losing touch?