By the traditional metric, the ABC’s capital city network just hit rock bottom.
Despite a board-approved plan to arrest an historical downturn in listeners last year, things got even worse this week.
L-R: Sammy J, Richard Glover, Craig Reucassel, Sarah Macdonald.Credit: Monique Westermann
On Thursday, in the second radio survey for the year, ABC Sydney (5.1 per cent) and ABC Brisbane (4.2 per cent) both posted their lowest station market share since currently used data sets began in 2004. It was Melbourne’s second-worst performance (6 per cent). Adelaide and Perth weren’t far behind.
For more than a decade, ABC Melbourne consistently flirted with a market share above 12 per cent while its breakfast and mornings shows were helmed by Red Symons and Jon Faine. In Sydney, it was regularly around the 10 per cent mark.
Talkback – particularly from the national broadcaster – thrives in major news events. It can move quickly, informing and speaking directly with the audience, as well as relevant figures.
This was clear more than ever in the first and second surveys of 2009, when ABC Melbourne transformed into an emergency broadcaster during the five-week stretch of Black Saturday bushfires. Its share peaked at 16.3 per cent, a clear outlier in the graph accompanying this story.
Again, during the two years of extended COVID-19 lockdowns, ABC local radio was a beneficiary.
However, these were just blips. The numbers show a decline began again in 2016 and, despite the two-year bump, that continued from 2022 until now.
ABC local radio just hit rock bottom. What’s next?
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19.04.2024
By the traditional metric, the ABC’s capital city network just hit rock bottom.
Despite a board-approved plan to arrest an historical downturn in listeners last year, things got even worse this week.
L-R: Sammy J, Richard Glover, Craig Reucassel, Sarah Macdonald.Credit: Monique Westermann
On Thursday, in the second radio survey for the year, ABC Sydney (5.1 per cent) and........
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