HIT 104.7's ratings plummet in latest Canberra radio ratings - but don't blame Bryce

The results of the first Canberra radio ratings in a year were released on Wednesday, showing sister station MIX 106.3 has taken top spot from Hit 104.7, which saw its ratings share fall almost 10 percentage points in a year, from 20.6 per cent to 11.2 per cent.

MIX 106.3 had 18 per cent of the market followed by ABC Radio Canberra (15.1 per cent), HIT 104.7 (11.2 per cent), Radio National (10.3 per cent), JJJ (9.6 per cent), and 2CA (8.4 per cent).

Hit 104.7's breakfast presenters Ned Breward and Josh Torney saw their audience virtually half, falling from a top spot of 18.9 last survey to 9.5 per cent.

HIT 104.7's target market of people aged 25 to 39 also fell from 32.9 per cent to 19.6 per cent.

ABC Radio Canberra''s Lish Fejer (with Adam Shirley in the last half hour) was top in breakfast this survey, with 18.7 per cent (up 3.9 per cent) while Fran Kelly's breakfast show on Radio National continued to grow, finishing in second spot with 17 per cent. Kristen and Nige on MIX 106.3 were top in breakfast for the commercial stations (increasing slightly to a 15 per cent share), as listeners welcomed back Kristen Davidson from maternity leave, picking up the banter with Nigel Johnson.

2CA's breakfast program with Paul Holmes also increased 2.5 percentage points to 7 per cent of the market.

MIX 106.3's drive show Wilko and Courts with Neil Wilcock and Courtenay Kneen were far-and-away the most listened-to show for Canberra's commute home, finishing with a 19.3 per cent market share, with the next closest ABC Radio Canberra's Anna Vidot with 12.5 per cent.

This survey was taken between January 31 and March 27, with surveys two and three cancelled last year due to COVID-19.

Rod Cuddihy , content director for HIT 104.7 and MIX 106.3, maintained there was "no concern" about the fall in ratings for 104.7 and there was "no need for any knee-jerk reactions".

He said the fact that only one rather than three surveys had been held in the last year meant it was difficult to ascertain if the ratings fall at 104.7 was a trend or not.

In defending the ratings outcome, Mr Cuddihy talked up 104.7's female listeners.

He said the HIT 104.7 ratings drop would have been a worry if the female audience aged 25-29 "had disappeared but that area has grown, which is great".

Mr Cuddihy said it was difficult to tell if listeners had turned to news-based stations rather than music-based ones during the coronavirus pandemic.

He said "time will tell" if the growth experienced by the AM stations this survey would be maintained.

And, no, the fall in HIT 104.7's ratings could not be blamed on former announcer Bryce Ruthven, now the resident villain on Married at First Sight.

Mr Cuddihy said Ruthven was on extended leave during the survey period filming MAFS even though he officially left the station only earlier this year.

"We certainly can't pin it on him," he said.

Ruthven did some week-day shifts and co-hosted the Saturday breakfast show for HIT 104.7, but not any time this year, moving to Melbourne in February.

Mr Cuddihy also praised the Wilko and Courts drive show, saying there were very few local drive shows left in Australia and MIX106.3's boasted some of the best content creators in the nation.

He said Wilko and Courts helped deliver MIX 106.3 its target audience of over 40s, especially in the 40 to 44 age group where 36 per cent of the audience was tuning in.

He said he "couldn't be prouder" of his team.