Triple J Big Ratings Winner As ‘Retro’ Radio Bubble Bursts

The final radio ratings for 2021 were released this morning, with listeners flocking back to new music as the pandemic ‘safety bubble’ of retro hits doubled down on by commercial radio starts to wane. 

With all commercial networks moving away from their CHR/Top 40 formats into safer hot AC or AC ‘old hits’ formats across the past few years, triple j has seen a big surge in support.

Rising a huge 1.9 points, the station is now the most listened-to in the coveted 25-39 demographic in Sydney and second only to Nova in 18-24s, beating traditional market leaders Kiis and clocking in at more than double the share of Triple M and 2Day FM in the under-40 demographic. In Melbourne, the station is just one point away from the usually dominant Fox FM with 25-39 listeners.

With the station traditionally strong over summer in the lead up to Hottest 100, we may see an even stronger performance from the station in the next book. 

In Sydney, 2Day FM, which has recently skewed its music format older, has not seen any lift from their music changes, remaining flat across the daytime periods, while Nova, the more progressive of the three traditionally hot AC commercial networks, has seen solid lifts across the days, indicating a possible preference from listeners for new music as pandemic restrictions lift.

“It’s no secret that during the pandemic, listeners flocked to the safety of the hits they know, but it’s been widely understood within our industry that perhaps the pendulum has swung a little far and perhaps there’s a misreading of listeners’ taste for classics as being a long-term trend when in fact it’s simply a COVID anomaly,” said a radio insider who requested anonymity. 

“The big question is whether brands that have been built for decades on being the place for new music have suffered any brand damage. It’s tough if you’ve spent the past year playing Montell Jordan and Boyz II Men to drag those new music listeners back again, especially in the face of things like Spotify.”

There are rumblings that at least one radio group has acknowledged the swing back to new music, with ARN’s The Edge currently on a hiring spree for an expected re-launch in 2022. Broadcasting to Western Sydney on FM96.1, but with a strong, national DAB+ presence, it is widely expected to become the “younger sibling” to Kiis, broadening from its current R&B format to a youth-skewing brand to compete for triple j’s coveted audience. Hiring ex-FBI manager Emily Copeland as their new GM in August, the station has been slowly boosting its staff and farewelled their long-term breakfast team Mike E and Emma last week. 

No announcement has been made, but one thing is certain, the radio landscape in 2022 is in for a shakeup like we’ve not seen for a long time.