RADIO RATINGS - Editorial

Last week's radio ratings survey was one to remember and certainly will continue to have repercussions through the industry for months and years to come. For the first time in 6 years 3AW, the talk juggernaut owned by Fairfax Media, has slumped to second position. Not only dropped its crown but in the middle of the footy season, one of it's safest ratings periods.

FM station FOX not only won the survey but outscored it's nearest FM rival by almost double the points.

The notable winners and losers on the survey were....

The rise and rise of the FOX drive duo 'Hamish and Andy', peaking at a totally dominant 22.1 percent of the available radio audience. In a market of 36 odd choices, that's a result that is very likely to ever be repeated again. Ironically, the next rival in the Drivetime slot, 3AW's human headline, Derryn Hinch was half the FOX figures. Derryn held the previous record for a survey win when he hit the twenties during his heyday as the morning talk host at AW. But that was back in the 80's when the radio market was a lot smaller.

Big losers include 3AW's Ernie Sigley and his afternoon giggle-fest and the eternally whinging Neil Mitchell who both dropped nearly 20% of their audience.... something the commercial talk station would be wringing their hands about.

The other big loser was any station covering the Olympics. The ABC and SEN carried the official coverage of the Beijing Olympics but proved that covering most sports on radio is about as interesting as listening to paint dry. Given the enormous fees paid for Olympic broadcasting rights it will be interesting if any radio network puts up their hands in another 4 years to bring us all the action from London.

But all these ups and downs are about to enter a period of seismic change when we usher in the revolution of digital radio and the 'new media'. And it WILL be a revolution when listeners suddenly have, not 36 listening options, but more like 36,000 radio choices. Radioland, as we once knew it, is about to enter an exciting new phase... watch this space.