Canberra Radio Ratings: Survey #1 for 2006
July 30th, 2006 at 06:24am
In mid-June the Canberra radio ratings were released…I then analysed the figures and promptly forgot to write anything about them. Regular readers may recall that in early May, when the ratings period started, I made some predictions. I am pleased to be able to announce that I got quite a few things right.
So without further ado, here are the results for Canberra Radio Ratings Survey #1, 2006, for Sunday May 19 to Saturday June 3 inclusive
Let’s start with the overall picture of the ratings:
| Position | (Last Survey) |
Station Name |
Score | (Last Survey) |
Change |
| 1 | 2 | Mix 106.3 (Music) | 21.5 | 20.7 | +0.8 |
| 2 | 1 | FM 104.7 (Music) | 17.6 | 21.0 | -3.4 |
| 3 | 3 | ABC Local Radio (Talk) | 15.9 | 17.6 | -1.7 |
| 4 | 6 | 2CC (Talk) | 8.5 | 6.8 | +1.7 |
| 5 | 4 | JJJ (Music) | 7.8 | 8.5 | -0.7 |
| 6 | 5 | ABC Classic FM (Music) | 7.4 | 7.0 | +0.4 |
| 7 | 7 | ABC Radio National (Talk) | 6.4 | 6.7 | -0.3 |
| 9 | 9 | 2CA (Music) | 5.0 | 4.4 | +0.6 |
| 10 | 10 | ABC NewsRadio (Talk) | 4.0 | 2.5 | +1.5 |
| 8 | 8 | Other | 5.9 | 4.8 | +1.1 |
As predicted, FM 104.7 lost top spot in favour of Mix 106.3, and as stated, FM 104.7 are going downhill rather quickly (largest audience loss in Canberra). It was quite interesting (and not in the least bit surprising given the quality of 2CC programming, their excellent coverage of the ACT Budget, and the ads they ran on buses) to see 2CC gain the exact percentage of the market that their direct competitor, 666 ABC Canberra, lost. 2CC also jumped into second place in their market (talk) and had the highest audience gain of any radio station in Canberra.
JJJ continued their topsy turvey results, this time they lost a few listeners, ABC Classic FM gained a few listeners (seems to be quite popular in doctors’ surgeries), Radio National lost audience as predicted…they just aren’t local enough to maintain an audience now that they podcast almost all of their useful programs.
2CA and NewsRadio were the real surprise packets of these ratings.
2CA, with no advertising, managed to gain a decent bit of the market, probably due to two factors. Firstly they have the best playlist in Canberra and the word is spreading, and secondly they are the only music station on the AM dial…the 2CC advertising helped, as some of the people who saw the ads and decided that they would check out 2CC probably didn’t like it, and then found the best music station in Canberra…it sounds similar to Mix 106.3 these days, but it is better…much better.
Daniel Gibson did very well for 2CA on breakfast, so I do find it curious that they launched a new breakfast duo right after the ratings were released, but Paul & Leighton do appear to have hung on to Daniel’s audience and then gained some more…I’m overhearing their names more and more around Canberra, 2CA are more than likely on a winner with them.
NewsRadio had a very surprising jump in the ratings…admittedly they were broadcasting the federal budget proceedings and other parliamentary excitement…but a jump of 1.5% of Canberrans? We’ll have to keep an eye on them for the next ratings.
“Other” also had a decent jump, other of course being the measurement for non-listed stations, and (I think) people who are not listening. Apparently there is a new station called Raw FM or something which is gaining popularity in the target demographic of JJJ and FM 104.7.
For the record, the top three single station gains went to 2CC (+1.7), NewsRadio (+1.5) and Mix 106.3 (+0.8). The top three single station losses went to FM 104.7 (-3.4), ABC Local Radio (-1.7) and JJJ (-0.7)
Now, the market vs market summary:
| Position | (Last Survey) | Category | Score | (Last Survey) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | Music | 59.3 | 61.6 | -2.3 |
| 2 | 2 | Talk | 34.8 | 33.6 | +1.2 |
| 3 | 3 | Other | 5.9 | 4.8 | +1.1 |
Quite interesting to see Talk closing in on Music, and “other” also making a gain.
Now the same comparison, but with station averages instead (other cannot be included in averages due to the ever-changing number of others):
| Position | (Last Survey) | Category | Score | (Last Survey) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | Music | 11.86 | 12.32 | -0.46 |
| 2 | 2 | Talk | 8.70 | 8.40 | +0.30 |
Now for the overall ABC vs Commercial figures:
| Position | (Last Survey) | Category | Score | (Last Survey) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | Commercial | 52.6 | 52.9 | -0.3 |
| 2 | 2 | ABC | 41.5 | 42.3 | -0.8 |
| 3 | 3 | Other | 5.9 | 4.8 | +1.1 |
Everybody is losing out to the “other” category.
On average per station:
| Position | (Last Survey) | Category | Score | (Last Survey) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | Commercial | 13.15 | 13.23 | -0.80 |
| 2 | 2 | ABC | 8.30 | 8.46 | -0.16 |
Despite the ABC category having a larger overall fall, the commercial stations had a larger average fall.
Somebody I know said the following very patronising statement in a group setting I was involved in a few weeks ago “…it’s like the “AM” button on the radio…you never use it, but it’s good to know it’s there!”
How accurate was this person I wonder?
| Position | (Last Survey) | Category | Score | (Last Survey) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | FM | 58.3 | 59.7 | -1.4 |
| 2 | 2 | AM | 35.8 | 35.5 | +0.3 |
| 3 | 3 | Other | 5.9 | 4.8 | +1.1 |
Not very accurate by the looks of it…35.8% (and climbing) of Canberrans prefer to use the AM button.
On station averages:
| Position | (Last Survey) | Category | Score | (Last Survey) | Change |
| 1 | 1 | FM | 11.66 | 11.94 | -0.28 |
| 2 | 2 | AM | 8.95 | 8.88 | +0.07 |
So there you have it, the Canberra Radio Ratings for Sunday May 19 to Saturday June 3 inclusive. The summary from Nielsen Media Research can be found here
At this stage the date for the next ratings has not been announced.
Samuel
Entry Filed under: Canberra Stories,TV/Radio/Media
2 Comments
1. eebl | July 30th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Gah! The J’s are worth more than that! COME ON CANBERRA, STOP BEING NOOBS AND LISTEN TO A GOOD (music) RADIO STATION!
2. Samuel | July 30th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
That’s why we have 2CA eebl…good music…”The old stuff you love, and the new stuff you like”…”the songs you can sing along to”…”On the new sound of Canberra’s 1053 2CA”
Of course you are free to define “good music” however you want, and your definition probably doesn’t match mine!