Results of the third 2008 radio ratings are in, and the big gainer in Brisbane is 97.3FM, which has added about 2 percentage points overall, apparently at the expense of B105 - and is now in third position after Nova 106.9 and Triple M. 97.3's breakfast show, hosted by Robin Bailey, Terry Hansen and Bob Gallagher (pictured), has also moved into third spot, just ahead of 612ABC's Spencer Howson, who has rebounded from losses last survey in what seems to be a straight swap with commercial talk station 4BC. Both stations had ordinary daytime numbers, but did very well in the evenings, with Katrina Davidson* on 612 equal first with Nova's 19s program. B105 must be disappointed with the results for its much-lauded breakfast show, which is now seventh in that all-important area. The breakfast team of Labrat, Camilla and Stav have almost half the audience of the networked drive show hosted by Hamish and Andy. Interestingly, a lot of B105's younger (aged 10-17) audience seems to have defected to 97.3 and B105's own stablemate Triple M, both of which are skewed much older. Maybe the kids have to listen to what Mum or Dad wants to hear in the drive to school (which could mean B105's edgier strategy is failing.) Triple M has good reason to celebrate, not just for the success of The Cage at breakfast but because the gap between it and market leader Nova has narrowed overall. In Sydney, breakfast market leader Alan Jones on 2GB had a 1.3 percentage point drop but is still way ahead of 2Day's Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O (who also dropped, by 1.2 points, despite all the TV crossover publicity the pair received in the lead-up to Big Brother). ABC702 is third in breakfast, two points clear of Nova 96.9's Merrick, Rosso and Kate Ritchie. The next ratings will show whether Ritchie's Gold Logie win has any impact. Mix 106.5's Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney improved by 1 point, although they lag behind the winners. The impact of McKenney's arrest should become clear in the next survey, too. Overall in Sydney, it's 2GB just one point of 2Day, with Nova 2.5 points behind. There was no significant movement at Vega 95.3, Nova's problem-child sibling, despite high-profile presenters.
PS: Yes, I know I'm a crtiic of the ratings methodology, but it's the only system there is right now. I'd love to know what a peoplemeter system would have made of it all.
* Katrina is the wife of B105's Stav Davidson, who must be envious of her audience share.
Disclosure: Brett Debritz is occasionally heard on 612ABC's Breakfast with Spencer Howson