Smithson: radio ratings reveal stars with best sporting odds
Mike Smithson says the radio ratings breakfast war was always going to be an on-field brawl between the most self-confessed ‘footy-centric’ stations. So who came out on top?
AFL footy is over for another year but the premiership battle continues across the Adelaide airwaves for a dominant finish to the 2025 season.
GFK’s sixth survey for the year tossed up some notable results in a mainly steady-as-she-goes set of figures.
The breakfast war was always going to be an on-field brawl between the two most self-confessed ‘footy-centric’ stations Triple M and FIVEaa.
Roo, Ditts and Loz have led the team onto the ground for most radio surveys this year but dropped slightly by 0.2 per cent to still lead rival AA, which also dropped more substantially in breakfast by 0.8 per cent.
The biggest brekky loser was MIX102.3 dropping a full percentage point to land on 10.4 per cent of the market share.
It’s been tough match conditions for duo Hayley Pearson and Max Burford who now sit fourth in the all-important breakfast slot.
There’s nothing wrong with their zany and often titillating approach, but station management would be disappointed with this result considering the heavy promotion poured into the program.
Former SAFM personality Bec Morse has recently filled in at MIX with much fanfare, given her short stint.
Does she now have a career rebirth at MIX? I’m certain she’ll grab it with both hands if it presents.
In a sea of breakfast rating dips, SAFM can hold its head high.
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Bernie Vince and maternity leave fill-in host Bel Sloane saw a clear 2.0 per cent jump to bring much needed respectability to its standing in the breakfast market but still sits in sixth spot.
Jodie and Haysey also enjoyed a 0.5 per cent rise at NOVA and jumped past MIX to land in third spot on the table, which would have seen muted celebrations in Hindmarsh Square with an eye now to regaining top spot.
ABC breakfast slipped back into single figures with a 0.3 per cent drop and still sits uncomfortably in fifth spot.
Mornings was a different story at Aunty with Rory McClaren jumping a percentage point to move well clear of AA rival Graeme Goodings.
The ABC works hard in breakfast and mornings to break issues of the day, rather than just regurgitate what’s appeared on front pages of the morning papers.
McClaren and his team dig out new topics and don’t simply rely on rehashed stories which have often been explored by other media.
It’s like the days of Leon Byner at AA, where he would set the agenda on big or small issues and develop them over time.
Byner would still be working the phones well into the afternoon for the next day’s program with infectious enthusiasm and considered editorial opinion which came through to his dedicated listeners.
AA saw a rise in the previous survey in mornings, but that’s now been largely lost with McClaren proving he’s the real deal with a vast knowledge across a variety of subject areas.
AA dropped in afternoons as did the ABC and are so far off the pace of their FM music rivals that it’s hard to see a way back.
That didn’t help AA’s sport show in Drive either, with another drop of 0.4 per cent in this crucial survey period which covered all footy finals, including the games where the Crows were half a chance.
I seriously question the wisdom and logic of Stephen Rowe and Tim Ginever taking annual leave during Grand Final week at AA.
As one keen observer told me, it’s akin to a government minister going on holiday during election week.
It comes into sharper focus with MMM’s sport show climbing to 14.2 per cent, almost doubling AA in Drive.
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But listening to the fresh and knowledgeable voices of Ned McHenry and Scott Camporeale filling in when it counted most on AA, made me think that they’re genuine, new talent who have a bright radio future somewhere.
In Evenings, a massive shout out to my old mate Matthew Pantelis at AA.
He bounces around that station like a yoyo, often filling in for others.
In a small cumulative audience market, he rose by 5.2 per cent to open an almost 15 point lead over his nearest rival, Spence Denny, at the ABC.
MMM remains the top ratings station across the day as it now fine-tunes its airwaves for the Ashes summer of cricket.
Parent company Southern Cross Austereo must be quietly satisfied with this survey in retaining top spot, having its flagship breakfast show doing likewise and it’s struggling sibling, SAFM, also jumping past AA in overall audience percentage.
It bodes well if SCA successfully merges with and effectively controls the Seven television network, as touted.
And no, I’m not looking to curry favour with either party.
In terms of winning or losing raw audience numbers, many programs had slight rises or falls, but others had substantial gains.
It’s all relative to your competitor’s performance and percentages.
That sounds like another footy analogy.
For instance, SAFM gained 22 thousand listeners in breakfast and MMM lost six thousand, but the buffer zone remains.
ABC breakfast gained nine thousand listeners and AA lost one thousand.
Graeme Goodings may have gained a thousand but went backwards, because Rory McClaren gained 11 thousand in cumulative audience.
It’s a tough game right until the end.
Some presenter contracts are now likely to be under review which makes for a potentially nervous time in the weeks ahead.
Welcome to media show business.
Mike Smithson is weekend presenter for 7News and is an unpaid contributor to various Adelaide radio programs.
