ABC slumps to worst ever result

The Drive program with Richard Glover rose 0.7 points to a 4.8 per cent share.

The ABC’s new audio boss, Ben Latimer, signalled changes to the local radio network in late 2023, a response to audience figures trending down post the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re serious about getting ABC local radio back to where it needs to be,” Latimer said in December. “Pre-COVID is where we believe we should be, and we can be.”

While the result is a record low, it is early stages for ABC Sydney, with audience trends usually taking some time to set in. One year ago, the station’s share was 5.5 per cent.

Elsewhere, Sydney’s dominant radio figure Ray Hadley won a 156th consecutive ratings survey in the influential morning slot, marginally beating Nova’s music station SmoothFM.

Hadley, who has hosted the morning show on 2GB for more than 20 years, recorded a 13.5 per cent share, down 0.6 per cent from the first survey of the year.

SmoothFM’s morning share rose to 13 per cent, up from 12.7 per cent, with the station’s overall share rising to 11 per cent (from 10.8 per cent) for equal second spot with KIISFM in the market.

2GB – which is owned by Nine, the publisher of this masthead – led the market with an overall share of 11.9 per cent.

For the breakfast slot, KIIS pairing Kyle & Jackie O topped the market with a 16.1 per cent share, up from 15.4 per cent, ahead of 2GB’s Ben Fordham, who dropped from a 16.6 per cent share to 14.9 per cent.