More than 90,000 3AW listeners have tuned out of the station’s Drive program since high-profile recruit Jacqui Felgate took up the mic, while ABC Melbourne’s rating slump continues.
Felgate lost 33,000 listeners in the latest radio ratings survey period, adding to the 66,000 she lost in the prior period.
Felgate’s audience share dipped 0.6 percentage points from 8.2 per cent to 7.6 per cent — the lowest for 3AW Drive since the existing radio ratings measure by GfK was introduced in 2014.
Audience share is the percentage of Melbourne radio listeners claimed by each program in the latest survey period. This survey covered February 4 to March 30.
Melbourne’s ABC shows also took ratings hits, with breakfast host Sammy J taking the biggest tumble down from 8.1 per cent of audience share to 7.3.
Morning presenter Raf Epstein — who replaced Virginia Trioli in September — lost further ground, falling 0.3 percentage points to 6.7.
The station’s drive program with Ali Moore retained its 5.8 per cent share.
Jacqui Felgate at the 3AW studio. Picture: Wayne Taylor
3AW’s afternoon show helmed by Tony Moclair — which comes before Felgate’s Drive program — rose 0.1 percentage point to 10.4 per cent.
3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott, who started in January as the replacement for veteran broadcaster Neil Mitchell, added 0.1 percentage points to 16.9 per cent.
Mitchell’s final rating score was 16.3 per cent.
The 3AW breakfast ratings juggernaut of Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft again lost breakfast audience share, falling by 1.5 percentage points to 18.1 per cent, but that was still well ahead of ABC’s Sammy J.
ABC Melbourne Morning host Raf Epstein has lost more listeners: Picture: Supplied
Tom Elliott has built his audience. Picture: Jay Town
On the FM dial FOX FM’s Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody were clear leaders on 11.2 per cent, ahead of previous breakfast king, GOLD FM host Christian O’Connell who dropped to 9.9 per cent.
Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips on Nova are making inroads with a move from 6.7 per cent to 8.3 per cent in their first survey since crossing from KIIS FM.
KIIS FM went up by 0.5 percentage point, with Byron Cooke leaving the station now ahead of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O’s start in Melbourne on April 29.
Smoothfm’s Mike Perso recorded the biggest improvement in breakfast from 6.6 per cent to 7.7 per cent.
Triple M’s Marty Sheargold slid again to 5.7 per cent.
In Drive, the gap closed between leader GOLD FM and FOX FM — 10.8 and 10.4 — while Nova moved ahead to be equal with Smoothfm on 8.2. KIIS FM was next at 7.9.
Craig Hutchison’s sport station SEN recorded a spike in all markets, the most in mornings with Gerard Whateley going from 3.1 to 4.4.
Source: Herald Sun
