Melbourne radio ratings

GfK Survey 2 2025

Survey Period: Sun Feb 9 to Sat March 1 and Sunday March 9 to Saturday April 12

Biggest movers
UP: KIIS +0.6
DOWN: 3AW -2.7

3AW 14.1% (16.8%)
Cume: 687,000 (-63,000)
Breakfast: 18.8% (20.6%)

Gold 104.3 12.5% (12%)
Cume: 1,244 (+14,000)
Breakfast: 10.8% (11.5%)

smoothfm 9.0% (9.3%)
Cume: 1,167 (-7,000)
Breakfast: 7.6% (7.5%)

Nova 100 8.9% (9.3%)
Cume 1,221 (-40,000)
Breakfast: 10.2% (10.1%)

101.9 Fox FM 8.4% (8.6%)
Cume: 1,200 (-79,000)
Breakfast: 8.3% (8.4%)

105.1 Triple M 6.9% (7.0%)
Cume: 778,00 (0)
Breakfast: 7.3% (7.9%)

KIIS 101.1 FM 5.7% (5.1%)
Cume: 969,000 (-43,000)
Breakfast: 5.8% (5.1%)

SEN 3.2% (3.2%)
Cume: 321,000 (-10,000)
Breakfast: 4.2% (3.8%)

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Sydney Radio Ratings
GfK Survey 2 2025
Survey Period: Sun Feb 9 to Sat Mar 1 & Sun Mar 9 to Sat Apr 12

Biggest Movers:
UP: 2GB +1.2
DOWN: KIIS -0.4

2GB  12.8% (11.6%)
Cume: 665,000 (-24,000)
Breakfast:  15.6% (14.4%)

Nine Radio has extended its flying start to 2025, with 2GB once again leading the market in Sydney.

2GB took out the #1 station crown, rising to a 12.8 share (up 1.2) and delivering strong growth across all dayparts.

Ben Fordham Live surged 3 points clear of its nearest rival to a 15.6% share, retaining its spot as the #1 Breakfast show, while Mark Levy has cemented his claim on the Mornings slot with a 15.5% (up 2.0).

Nine’s National Content Manager, Greg Byrnes, said: “These are great results for our talk stations, with more people listening longer right across the country.

“Sydney has embraced 2GB’s new line-up with big audience gains in all shifts”.

smoothfm 95.3 11.8% (11.5%)
Cume: 1,305,000 (- 2,000)
Breakfast: 8.3% (7.6%)

smoothfm 95.3 takes the title of the #1 FM station in Sydney. The station also recorded a solid performance during Mornings and Drive.

Ty Frost claiming the #1 FM spot for Mornings 13.5% share, while Afternoons with Simon Diaz is the #1 FM Afternoon show in Sydney with a 13.6% share.

Head of Programming for the Smooth Network, Peter Clay said: “We are once again incredibly proud of Smooth FM’s performance in Survey 2 2025, particularly as Smooth FM 95.3 remains the most listened to station in the country with 1.3 million listeners.

“Every one of our markets has returned stellar results today, which is a credit to the entire Smooth FM team and reflects the love we continue to get from our listeners.”

KIIS 1065 9.5% (9.9%)
Cume: 1,099,000 (-93,000)
Breakfast: 12.3% (13.3%)

The Kyle & Jackie O Show has maintained its position as the #1 FM breakfast program in Sydney for the 50th consecutive survey.

Duncan Campbell, Chief Content Officer, said: “Fifty consecutive surveys at number one in Sydney is an extraordinary achievement and a true reflection of Kyle and Jackie O’s enduring connection with their audience. While the show continues to dominate in its home market, we’re seeing positive signs in Melbourne, with two consecutive surveys showing strong increases in both awareness and audience.

“This consistent growth since January is clear evidence that our strategy is working. We remain confident in the strength of the brand and the content.”

Gold 101.7 8.3% (8.3%)
Cume: 758,000 (-72,000)
Breakfast: 9.2% (8.9%)

Nova 96.9 7.7% (7.8%) 
Cume: 1,145,000 (-89,000)
Breakfast: 8.6% (8.7%)

Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie retained their #3 FM spot for Sydney Breakfast with a share of 8.6%.

The station enjoyed a solid performance later in the day, with The Chrissie Swan Show claiming the #1 Afternoons show across Australia with a 11.1% share.

Group Programming Director for the Nova Network, Brendan Taylor, said: “Our results today reflect our consistent delivery of live radio that truly resonates. Two surveys in, and I couldn’t be happier with where we’re positioned”.

104.9 Triple M 6.4% (5.7%)
Cume: 773,000 (-18,000)
Breakfast 5.9% (5.8%)

104.1 2Day FM 4.3% (4.2%)
Cume: 727,000 (-84,000)
Breakfast: 3.4% (3.7%)

SCA’s Chief Content Officer, Dave Cameron, said this Survey’s results “affirm the strength of SCA’s national duopoly, with both the Hit and Triple M networks working together to command a dominant national Number 1 share for 30 surveys in a row in the 25-54 Audience That Matters”.

Cameron also praised Triple M’s Breakfast duo of Beau & Woodsy for “delivering the best audience cume result since Survey 5 2006.”

SEN 1170 2.0% (1.5%) 
Cume: 164,000 (-1,000)
Breakfast: 1.7% (1.4%)

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Foxtel is undergoing a significant restructure this week, with widespread redundancies taking place across the business.

The changes come less than a month after global sports streaming giant DAZN completed its acquisition of Foxtel.

This restructure marks one of the first major operational shifts under DAZN ownership. While numbers have not been confirmed, the Sydney Morning Herald reported around 100 jobs have gone mainly from marketing and engineering.

Mediaweek understands the redundancies are understood to have included staff from the streaming aggregation business Hubbl.

Confirmation statement

A Foxtel Group spokesperson confirmed the redundancies to Mediaweek saying:

“Our transformation is not new. We have been focussed on efficiency for almost a decade which has seen us successfully transform our business from being a single product pay TV operator to a modern Australian leader in streaming.

“As part of the DAZN Group, we now have the opportunity to continue our transformation and take advantage of their global engineering and services.  We are also working with DAZN to share our world-class product and technology expertise.

“This week our teams have had the difficult task of speaking with a number of highly skilled and highly valued people that will leave the Foxtel Group.  We are grateful to every team member that has helped us grow the business and put us in the position of strength we are in today.”

DAZN announced it was buying Foxtel from News Corp and Telstra in December and the sale was completed in early April with Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany saying, “DAZN’s ownership allows the Foxtel Group to remain an Australian-based business, with an Australian team and the sport, drama and entertainment that Australians love.

“As part of DAZN, we now benefit from their global scale, their leading technology platform and their track-record in innovation that will allow us to more effectively compete with the global streaming giants.”

Last week, The Australian Financial Review reported Foxtel had begun reviewing the future of Hubbl, which launched at the start of 2024 after spending more than $150 million.

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Meta has launched a new Meta AI app, available on iOS and Android, for people to access the tech giant’s most advanced AI assistant

The app, built with Llama 4, aims to combine the best of Meta’s AI capabilities into one dedicated assistant, to help people solve problems and spark creativity across platforms.

The Meta AI app integrates with other Meta AI features like image generation and editing, which can now all be done through a voice or text conversation with your AI assistant.

Now, people can choose to experience a personal AI designed around voice conversations with Meta AI inside a standalone app, so its answers are more helpful, easy to talk to and more seamless and natural to interact with.

Meta AI’s voice also features while multitasking and doing other things on your device, with a visible icon to let you know when the microphone is in use.

It also includes voice demo built with full-duplex speech technology, that you can toggle on and off to test. The technology will deliver a more natural voice experience trained on conversational dialogue, so the AI generates a voice directly instead of reading written responses.

The tech giant says it doesn’t have access to the web or real-time information, but that they wanted to provide a glimpse into the future by letting people experiment with this. They also noted that some may encounter technical issues or inconsistencies which they will gather feedback on to help improve the experience over time.

In Australia, to start, available functions are voice conversations, including the full duplex demo. The app will also include a Discover feed, a place to share and explore how others are using AI.

Meta AI can be found across all its products and all the devices it runs on, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, or while wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

To integrate all Meta’s AI experiences, the tech giant has merged the new Meta AI app with the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and in some countries, users can switch from interacting with Meta AI on glasses to the app.

This will allow users the ability to have a conversation on glasses and access the history tab from the app or web to continue. Meta View users can continue to manage AI glasses from the Meta AI app – once the app updates, all paired devices, settings and media will automatically transfer over to the new Devices tab.

The web interface has been optimised for larger screens and desktop workflows and includes an improved image generation experience, with more presets and new options for modifying style, mood, lighting and colours. The tech giant is also testing a rich document editor in Australia that can generate documents full of text and images and then export those documents as PDFs and testing the ability to import documents for Meta AI to analyse and understand.

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The Australian Radio Network (ARN) has begun another round of sweeping redundancies as part of a business overhaul aimed at streamlining operations and refocusing investment.

The cuts are part of a transformation strategy that also includes the offshoring of entire departments, including finance, media services, and technology.

Mediaweek understands the full number of redundancies will depend on discussions held over the coming months.

In a statement, Chief Executive Ciaran Davis called the decision difficult but necessary.

“ARN’s transformation program continues as we reshape our business to invest more deeply in the areas driving our future growth – content creation, cross-platform distribution, and advanced commercial solutions,” Davis said.

“As part of this, we are changing the composition of our team to become leaner and more efficient, which will involve the relocation of some roles and unfortunately, a reduction in headcount.

“This is a difficult decision and has not been taken lightly. We are deeply grateful for the contributions of those impacted and are committed to supporting them through this transition with care, respect, and practical assistance.”

The latest wave of cuts follows several months of downsizing.

Long-time Content Chief Duncan Campbell was shifted to a consultancy role late last year. Since then, Peter Whitehead, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, and several staff across sales, content and marketing have also departed.

Additional redundancies in the sales division were made earlier this month.

Financial pressure, strategic shifts

As Calum Jaspan writes in The Sydney Morning Herald, the job losses come at a time of growing financial strain for the company, which has been hit by a soft advertising market and the fallout from its failed attempt to acquire rival broadcaster Southern Cross Media.

Adding to the pressure is the broadcaster’s high-stakes $200 million 10-year contract with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.

One year in, the investment has yet to deliver in audience growth after being networked into Melbourne.

The company claims it hopes the transformation strategy will help balance the books and position the business for long-term growth, particularly under incoming leadership.

Stephenson tipped to take the helm

In late 2024, ARN brought in former Nine chief sales officer Michael Stephenson as Chief Operating Officer.

Widely regarded as one of Australia’s most commercially savvy media executives, Stephenson is seen as the likely successor to Davis and is tasked with generating new revenue streams and reinvigorating the commercial side of the business.

“Michael is the right person at the right time,” Davis said at the time of his appointment, noting Stephenson’s deep experience in sales and operations.

“He brings a commercial and strategic mindset that will be invaluable as ARN evolves.”

Sandilands threatens to exit Melbourne

Meanwhile, Sandilands added fuel to the fire with an on-air threat to pull his show out of Melbourne if ratings don’t improve on the same day these redundancies were announced. The Kyle and Jackie O Show, which launched in the Victorian capital in 2024, has struggled to gain traction despite modest recent growth in the first radio ratings survey of 2025.

“If we don’t rate better by the end of this year, I’m pulling the carpet out. I’ll just take the show off Melbourne,” Sandilands said during today’s broadcast.

Henderson responded cautiously, saying, “Settle down. Geez, you go from zero to a hundred quick.”

Their Sydney audience remains strong, with the show holding a 13.5% share, but Melbourne continues to be a work in progress, with Sandilands blaming audience taste and cultural differences for the slower uptake.

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Ten has completed its acquisition of WIN Network’s (WIN) Northern New South Wales television licence and has commenced operating the licence.

The licence ensures Network 10’s premium content and channels (10, 10 Bold DRAMA and 10 Peach COMEDY) will continue to be broadcast into Newcastle, Taree, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Lismore, Coffs Harbour and the Gold Coast.

The production and broadcast of local news updates in the Northern Rivers, Tamworth, Taree, Newcastle and Gold Coast will remain, continuing the long-standing commitment to providing local content, news, events, sport and a local voice for the region.

Network 10 announced in December 2024 that it had signed an agreement for the acquisition of Southern Cross Media Group Limited’s (SCA) television licences in Queensland, southern New South Wales and Victoria.

The addition of WIN’s Northern New South Wales television licence now completes the distribution of Network 10 into critical and highly populated regional markets.

Earlier this year, Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10, Head of Streaming, and Regional Lead at Paramount Australia, said: “The acquisition of WIN’s Northern New South Wales television licence ensures that our premium line-up of entertainment, news, and sport content continues to be available to all Australians, while also offering our commercial and advertising partners a national footprint.”

She also noted that this move reinforces the broader commitment of Paramount Global, the parent company of Network 10 and Paramount+, to the Australian market.

Andrew Lancaster, CEO of WIN Corporation, explained that the sale was part of WIN’s strategic focus shifting towards its relationship with Nine.

“WIN’s strategic focus is on Nine and it no longer makes sense for us to own the 10 Northern NSW business. As an industry, we should be looking to make the buying of advertising easier for our clients, and this transaction should help do that,” he added.

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AANA CEO Josh Faulks welcomed media agencies, marketers and advertisers to 2025 RESET with an acknowledgement of the current tough economic climate.

“For so many businesses and so many people in our industry, all we’re trying to do is find a little bit of growth and that’s what we’re here for today.

“We’re here to hear from some of the best world leaders when it comes to this about how we can reset for growth but before I go into our incredible lineup,” he added.

Despite challenges of a national and international uncertainty and unpredictability, regulatory threats from proposals of gambling, alcohol and food, and AI reshaping the advertiser agency relationship.

He noted that the WW2 acronym SNAFU (Situation Normal: All F***** Up) was applicable to the current challenges and trends. Faulks said: “This is the new normal and there is no going back to the days of prosperity of the pre-COVID era.

“We must adapt and in this operating environment, marketing leaders and business leaders have two choices. Put your head in the sand and wait till it all blows over and we all know that’s not going to happen, Or the second is lead in with strategic intent and invest in marketing for growth and I think that choice is obvious.

“The good thing is that all of us in here are doing a good job of proving that marketing is an investment centre, not a cost centre. But we must speak the language of financial teams, we must speak the language of leadership teams and we must speak the language of boards and we also must have those really clear measurement systems to prove the marketing return on investment.

“We did it for TV, we did it for mobile phone, we did it for the internet and we’re going to do it for AI. We’ve proved our resilience and our innovation and our perseverance and we’ve proved that we can reset and grow,” Faulks concluded.

Top image: Josh Faulks

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Cathy O’Connor will exit oOh!media after four years at the helm of the outdoor media company in the second half of 2025.

The ASX announcement, released on Tuesday, explained that O’Connor exit follows a period of improvement for oOh!media following a nearly flat 2024, where total revenue reached $636 million, just 0.3% above the previous year’s $636.9 million.

In the second half of 2024, performance strengthened, and momentum continued into early 2025. In the first quarter of 2025, oOh!media reported a 13% rise in total revenue and a 16% increase in Australian media revenue, matching the growth rates of the broader outdoor advertising industry, as tracked by the Outdoor Media Association (OMA).

O’Connor said of her departure: “Leading oOh! for the past four years has been one of the most rewarding periods of my career, and I am incredibly proud of the team’s achievements, including the unrivalled success in attracting new asset contracts which underpin our future growth and the industry-leading margins we delivered in an inflationary environment.

“The Company now has real momentum, and a depth and breadth of new talent, to chart the course for continued growth. Having discussed with the Board the next multi-year phase of execution ahead of oOh!, we have agreed that the Company is now ready for new leadership.”

Under O’Connor’s leadership, oOh also secured a series of partnerships including the expansion of its regional Victorian network, 9News to provide content across its large format digital OOH network, Australia Post and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

oOh also achieved target gender pay gap Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) from 2023-24. When compared to the national average total pay gap of 21.8%, oOh!’s average total pay gap is 2%, while the average base salary pay gap is 0.4%, significantly below the national average of 16.7%.

Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO OMA, also celebrated O’Connor’s leadership in the sector and described her impact on the industry as “profound”.

She told Mediaweek: “As a board member of the OMA, MOVE and the World Out of Home Organisation (WOOH), Cathy has elevated Out of Home’s presence both locally and on the global stage, even winning the WOOH Sustainability Award, last year.

“Cathy’s decision to stay on and guide oOh! through its leadership transition speaks to her deep commitment to the sector, and her influence will be invaluable as we transition into the next chapter with MOVE, helping to build on the momentum and 16% growth of the sector.

“While she will be greatly missed when the time comes, I have no doubt she will continue to have a profound impact on the sector throughout the remainder of the year.”

Darren Woolley, CEO, TrinityP3 Marketing Management Consultancy, said: “O’Connor has had a stellar track record, particularly during her time leading Nova.

“Outdoor media has had more challenges, particularly during and post the pandemic, but she was always one of the most high profile Australian media CEOs. A champion for equality and a role model that other women in our industry look up to. I think all eyes will be on what she does next.”

Meanwhile Sam Buchanan, CEO of Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), described O’Connor as a trailblazer in Australian media.

He told Mediaweek: “Leadership has not only driven commercial success at oOh!media but also contributed to broader industry progress. Cathy has been a strong supporter of the independent media sector, and her involvement in initiatives like the IMAA’s Female Leaders of Tomorrow program has left a lasting legacy, inspiring the next generation of talent.

“We thank Cathy for her incredible contribution and wish her every success in the next chapter.”

On Tuesday, oOh!Media announced O’Connor’s departure from the outdoor media company. In the ASX statement, oOh! Chair, Tony Faure celebrated O’Connor’s leadership which delivered major contract wins and ongoing digital evolution.

“The Board remains highly confident in the Company’s strategy, focused on energising oOh!’s sales and go-to-market approach, unlocking the full potential of our market leading network of 35,000 assets, and positioning the business to lead in the retail media segment.

“The Board thanks Cathy for her leadership of oOh! through a transformative period. We are delighted that she will remain with the Company until the second half of CY25 to facilitate an orderly transition.”

Top image: Cathy O’Connor, Darren Woolley, Elizabeth McIntyre, Sam Buchanan

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ABC

TV

ABC TV and ABC iview will kick things off at 7am, led by Fauziah Ibrahim and Dan Bourchier on Weekend Breakfast. From 11am to 4pm, Kathryn Robinson delivers extended news bulletins.

At 5pm, Gemma Veness presents a national bulletin, with live crosses to reporters stationed at major polling locations and party HQs.

The network’s Election Night Special will begin at 5:30pm.

David Speers and Sarah Ferguson will anchor the main TV broadcast live from the ABC Election Centre. They’ll be joined by Annabel Crabb, Laura Tingle, and Bridget Brennan, who’ll speak with candidates around the country.

Special guests Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Coalition Senator James McGrath will add perspective throughout the evening.

Making his final election appearance, Antony Green returns to crunch the numbers one last time.

Jeremy Fernandez will guide viewers through the national vote with the help of the ABC’s famous ‘Big Board’, alongside data analyst Casey Briggs.

On a separate panel, Patricia Karvelas will lead discussion with campaign veterans Kosmos Samaras and Tony Barry of RedBridge Group.

ABC reporters will be stationed in critical battlegrounds, with Jane Norman and Olivia Caisley tracking party reactions and broadcasting victory or concession speeches live.

The morning after, Weekend Breakfast begins at 6am, broadcasting from key electorates to capture voter sentiment and community hopes for the next government.

At 9am, tune in for a 90-minute post-election Insiders special hosted by David Speers, with analysis from Samantha Maiden, Jacob Greber, and David Crowe.

Radio

ABC NewsRadio and Local Radio kick off live national coverage at 6pm, hosted by Thomas Oriti, Sabra Lane, Melissa Clarke and Dr Jill Sheppard, offering a seat-by-seat breakdown as results roll in.

Later, Patricia Karvelas and Jacob Greber will unpack the outcomes on a special election edition of the Politics Now podcast.

The morning after, Rachel Mealey hosts a special edition of AM on your local ABC radio station, followed by Steve Austin’s extended live program from 10am. In WA, coverage begins at 9am local time with Gary Adshead and Nadia Mitsopoulos.

Finally, ABC News Daily will spotlight the biggest story of the election and what it means for Australians moving forward.

Nine

As Australians head to the polling booths, Nine will go live with Election 2025: Australia Decides from 5.00pm, broadcasting across Channel 9, 9Now, and Stan.

The coverage will be hosted by Ally Langdon and Peter Overton, providing viewers with a front-row seat to the election’s key developments, as they unfold.

From campaign promises to polling booth reactions, the show aims to deliver fast, smart reporting and expert insight on the issues most affecting voters, including the cost of living, housing pressures, climate policy, healthcare access, and the ripple effects of the US Government’s new tariff regime.

Sarah Abo will report from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s camp, while Karl Stefanovic will follow the evening’s action from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s headquarters.

Inside Nine’s election HQ, Charles Croucher, Andrew Probyn, and Liz Daniels will lead political analysis throughout the night. Croucher, Nine’s Political Editor, will be joined by Probyn, the network’s National Affairs Editor, and Daniels, a senior politics reporter, as they break down the numbers and the narratives shaping the vote.

Adding perspective from inside the political arena, the panel will feature Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Energy Minister Chris Bowen, National’s Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie, and former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne.

Online, users can follow the results live at 9news.com.au and all social platforms will be updating as news comes in.

Seven

Michael Usher and Natalie Barr will anchor 7NEWS: Australia Decides – The Results Live, with the support of  political editor Mark Riley.

Joining the broadcast live from 7NEWS Election Central are political figures from across the spectrum,  Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Jane Hume, Michaelia Cash, Clare O’Neil, Warren Mundine, and Clive Palmer, offering contrasting views and sharp analysis as the results roll in.

Coverage begins ahead of the pack at 4:00pm with a national 7NEWS bulletin on Seven and 7plus.

From 5:00pm, Monique Wright and David Woiwod step in with 7NEWS: Australia Decides – Election 2025, taking a more relaxed view of the day’s events and cutting live to battleground electorates.

The main event starts at 7:00pm, with Usher and Barr returning to guide Australians through the night’s big calls, deep dives and live crosses to key seats across the country.

In a first for Australian election broadcasting, Seven will use the 7NEWS Power Board, powered by CNN’s US election tech partner InterKnowlogy, to deliver live booth-level vote breakdowns.

Hugh Whitfeld, together with political scientists Simon Jackman and Luke Mansillo, will crunch the numbers in real time. Meanwhile, the 7NEWS Election Needle will adjust throughout the night, indicating the likelihood of either major party forming government.

Inside Seven’s new election situation room, Tim McMillan leads a team of analysts, researchers, and political insiders, decoding how each campaign is feeling as the race unfolds.

Seven will have journalists stationed in every state, delivering live reports from inside party HQs and across the most competitive electorates.

Online, users can follow the results at 7NEWS.com.au, The West, and The Nightly, with live electorate maps, seat counts, and expert commentary.

Social platforms,  including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube,  will provide breaking clips, reactions, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content from inside the election command centre.

Network 10

Coverage kicks off at 5pm in all markets, led by Sandra Sully, Hugh Riminton, and Ashleigh Raper, who will steer the network’s national broadcast across 10, 10 Play and the 10 News First YouTube Channel.

Viewers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane can tune in live at 6pm AEST, while Adelaide goes to air at 6pm ACST, and Perth begins at 4pm AWST.

Throughout the night, the panel will feature live contributions from political players across the spectrum: Senator Jenny McAllister, Kylea Tink MP, Senator Dave Sharma, with Senator Jacqui Lambie and David Littleproud MP dialling in remotely.

Meanwhile, on-the-ground reports will stream in from battleground electorates across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

Injecting a dose of humour into the night, Errol Parker and Clancy Overell from The Betoota Advocate will join the broadcast live from “Betoota HQ.” Known for their satirical lens on politics and media, the pair will offer offbeat commentary as only they can, skewering spin and dissecting the drama in real time.

Sky News Australia

The broadcast marathon begins early with First Edition: Australia Decides at 6:00am, hosted by Peter Stefanovic in Brisbane, offering live updates from key electorates.

From 9:00am, Laura Jayes takes over with AM Agenda: Australia Decides in Sydney, capturing early turnout and momentum shifts.

At 11:00am, Ashleigh Gillon hosts NewsDay: Australia Decides from Perth, continuing the rolling national coverage, followed by Holly Stearnes at 2:00pm in Melbourne with Afternoon Agenda: Australia Decides as polls edge toward closing.

At 5:00pm AEST, Kieran Gilbert leads Australia Decides: Election Night with live results, projections, and expert commentary. He’s joined by a panel including Andrew Clennell, Peta Credlin, Chris Uhlmann, Murray Watt, Sarah Henderson, Barnaby Joyce, and Joel Fitzgibbon for insight into vote swings, party strategy, and potential outcomes.

Tom Connell, as Chief Election Analyst, will crunch the numbers and explain real-time results from all 151 seats.

Expect regular crosses to Sharri Markson and Paul Murray at Liberal HQ, and to Chris Kenny and Laura Jayes at Labor HQ, providing on-the-ground reaction as results come in.

Additional coverage will come from a national team of commentators and reporters, including Andrew Bolt, Matt Cunningham, Ross Greenwood, and Graham Richardson.

Coverage continues Sunday 4 May, with analysis and fallout beginning at 6:00am on Weekend Edition: Australia’’ Verdict, hosted by Tim Gilbert.

Andrew Clennell leads Sunday Agenda from 7:00am, followed by Outsiders at 9:00am with Rowan Dean, Rita Panahi, and James Morrow. At 11:00am, Ross Greenwood returns for Business Weekend, unpacking the economic implications of the vote.

From midday, Kieran Gilbert, Ashleigh Gillon, and Holly Stearnes resume their coverage through the afternoon and evening. Tom Connell will continue breaking down final results and battleground outcomes across the day.

Viewers can catch the full coverage on Sky News, the dedicated Sky News Election Channel, free-to-air Sky News Regional, and FAST channel Sky News Now. Digital streaming is available on SkyNews.com.au, the Sky News Australia app (for mobile, tablet, and smart TVs), and on DAB+ digital radio in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

SBS

Television coverage kicks off during a special one-hour edition of SBS World News, airing from 6:30pm to 7:30pm local time. The bulletin will be presented by Janice Petersen and feature in-depth reporting and analysis from Anna Henderson, SBS’s Chief Political Correspondent. They’ll be joined by special guests and correspondents stationed across Australia and abroad.

SBS will run a comprehensive live blog throughout election night, providing up-to-the-minute results and reactions from across the country. Expect analysis from political experts, reports from field journalists, and updates accessible across all SBS digital platforms.

NITV will offer dedicated coverage from the Northern Territory, home to Australia’s largest Indigenous voting population, while also capturing First Nations voices and experiences at polling booths nationwide.

The channel’s reporting will prioritise Indigenous perspectives as the results unfold.

All times unless stated are in AEST

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In a bold move that would typically take a year of traditional marketing to achieve, NRMA Insurance’s Help Our Highway campaign, delivered in partnership with News Corp Australia (NCA) and media agency Initiative, cut through Queensland’s media landscape, elevating road safety into the public and political spotlight.

Launched in April 2024 with a statewide editorial blitz across The Courier-Mail and regional mastheads, the campaign raised critical awareness about the dangers of the Bruce Highway, one of Queensland’s most notorious roads.

Data-driven empathy in action

At the heart of the campaign was NRMA Insurance claims data revealing a 48% surge in highway-related incidents.

This insight was brought to life through creative executions such as an ‘Open Letter to Queenslanders’’, supported by platinum cover wraps, digital takeovers, premium editorial content, and social amplification.

The goal? Transform NRMA Insurance from a perceived outsider into a trusted, community-focused voice on road safety. In just three months, the campaign achieved significant political, commercial, and public traction.

Setting the agenda on road safety

NRMA’s research found that 58% of Queensland drivers had been negatively impacted by the Bruce Highway, with one in 10 personally affected by a fatality, highlighting the dire need for reform.

Phase one of the campaign coincided with the federal government’s announcement of a National Road Safety Data Hub and a $21 million funding boost, an initiative more than a decade in the making.

Momentum continued into the 2024 Federal Budget, which pledged $467 million for safety upgrades, followed by a five-year $1 billion commitment. By January 2025, the campaign had helped trigger a historic $7.2 billion bipartisan election promise, Australia’s largest-ever road safety investment, ensuring every kilometre of the Bruce Highway would meet national safety standards.

Deep local knowledge and authenticity drove success

NCA’s General Manager of Client Growth and Experience, Renee Sycamore, credited the company’s Frontiers program for creating the conditions for genuine, insight-led collaboration.

“Our Frontiers program is about bringing together core agency personnel, stakeholders, and partners for meaningful, two-way conversations,” Sycamore said.

“In this case, we worked closely with NRMA Insurance and Initiative to understand their challenges and create a campaign that resonated with Queenslanders on a personal level.”

With input from The Courier-Mail Editor Chris Jones and other stakeholders, the team recognised Queensland’s unique cultural context, and tapped into it.

“To drive significant mindset or behavioural change in Queensland, we couldn’t just out-shout competitors,” Sycamore added. “The people of Queensland are incredibly proud of their state, and they wanted to hear from someone who truly understood their needs. That’s where NRMA Insurance connected authentically with the Help Our Highway campaign.”

Results that matter

The campaign produced 68.2 million media impressions in its first week alone. In total, phase one delivered 33 editorial articles and 27 social posts across News Corp Australia’s network, amplifying the message statewide.

Effectiveness was validated with clear brand uplift:

• Ad awareness: +13 points

• Brand preference: +7 points

• Purchase intent: +3 points

• “Understands QLD drivers”: +8 points

• “A brand for Queenslanders”: +6 points

According to a Kantar Content Uplift study, 79% of Queenslanders deemed the campaign relevant and 78% felt positively about NRMA Insurance.

“The campaign success highlights the importance of authenticity, community impact, and the need for brands to demonstrate trust and advocacy,” Sycamore said.

A new benchmark for brand and media partnerships

The Help Our Highway initiative has become a benchmark campaign within NCA.

“Now, we’re competing with ourselves,” Sycamore laughed. “We’ve set the bar high, and we continue to push for greater outcomes for our clients. Our results speak for themselves.”

She said the Frontiers program remains a cornerstone of NCA’s innovation framework.

“At Frontiers, we create an environment where agencies can openly share challenges and brainstorm solutions. The program has been key to uncovering opportunities for partnerships and creating campaigns that have a real, lasting impact.”

The campaign also exemplifies a broader shift: brands are expected to serve communities, not just customers.

“We’re not just telling stories for ourselves; we’re telling stories that matter to people,” Sycamore concluded.

Through strategic storytelling, community engagement, and authentic advocacy, NRMA Insurance and News Corp Australia demonstrated how media partnerships can do more than market a message, they can move the needle on public policy and create meaningful, measurable change.

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Brisbane Radio Ratings
GfK Survey 2 2025
Survey Period: Sun 9 February to Sat 1 March & Sun March 9 to Sat April 12th 2025.

Biggest Movers:
UP: KIIS 973 +1.3
DOWN: 4BH 1116 -1.3

104.5 Triple M 12.9% (11.9%)
Cume: 552,000 (+37,000)
Breakfast: 13.2% (12.2%)

Nova 106.9 11.7% (10.6%)
Cume: 702,000 (-2,000)
Breakfast: 13.6% (12.1%)

B105 11.3% (12.4%)
Cume: 631,000 (+9,000)
Breakfast: 13.2% (14.1%)

KIIS 973 11.1% (9.8%)
Cume: 520,000 (+12,000)
Breakfast: 12% (11.3%)

4BH 1116 8.1% (9.4%)
Cume: 220,000 (-24,000)
Breakfast: 8.5% (10.1%)

ABC Brisbane 6.6% (6.6%)
Cume: 234,000 (-6,000)
Breakfast: 7.9% (8.3%)

Triple J 5% (6.2%)
Cume: 330,000 (-34,000)
Breakfast: 4.8% (5.9%)

4BC 882 4.9% (4.4%)
Cume: 134,000 (+19,000)
Breakfast: 5.2% (4.5%)

ABC Classic 1.9% (2.4%)
Cume: 91,000 (-5,000)
Breakfast: 1.7% (1.5%)

4RN 1.9% (1.8%)
Cume: 77,000 (-3,000)
Breakfast: 2.1% (1.8%)

ABC NewsRadio 1.8% (1.7%)
Cume: 110,000 (+20,000)
Breakfast: 2.3% (2%)

Senq 693 0.9% (0.9%)
Cume: 73,000 (+8,000)
Breakfast: 1.2% (1.1%)

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Perth Radio Ratings
GfK Survey 2 2025
Survey Period: Sun 9 February to Sat 1 March & Sun March 9 to Sat April 12th 2025.

Biggest Movers:
UP: Nova 93.7 +0.7
DOWN: 6iX -1.6

Nova 93.7 17% (16.3%)
Cume: 669,000 (+16,000)
Breakfast: 21.7% (19.8%)

96Fm 15.2% (14.6%)
Cume: 484,000 (+32,000)
Breakfast: 13.3% (12.6%)

Mix 94.5 11.8% (11.7%)
Cume: 554,000 (+5,000)
Breakfast: 10.8% (10.9%)

92.9 Triple M 7.8% (8.1%)
Cume: 421,000 (+13,000)
Breakfast: 8.6% (10.3%)

6PR 7.3% (7.1%)
Cume: 185,000 (+1,000)
Breakfast: 9.6% (9.3%)

ABC Per 5.6% (5%)
Cume: 196,000 (+11,000)
Breakfast: 6% (5.3%)

6Jjj 5.2% (6.4%)
Cume: 300,000 (-9,000)
Breakfast: 5% (5.5%)

6iX 3.8% (5.4%)
Cume: 132,000 (-11,000)
Breakfast: 2.7% (4.1%)

ABC Classic 2.5% (2.4%)
Cume: 100,000 (+17,000)
Breakfast: 2.4% (2.3%)

ABC NewsRadio 1.8% (1.3%)
Cume: 92,000 (+17,000)
Breakfast: 2.2% (1.5%)

6Rn 0.7% (0.8%)
Cume: 50,000 (-3,000)
Breakfast: 1.1% (1.5%)

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LIONS has revealed creative confidence, belief in bold and original creative ideas to drive business success are being knocked by the inability to develop high-quality insights and a lack of cultural agility in The State of Creativity 2025.

The annual study, authored by LIONS Advisory and includes quantitative and qualitative data analysis, expert commentary and advice from industry leaders, creatives, and brand marketers, serves as a practical tool helping marketers understand the key challenges, trends and opportunities for creativity in 2025.

Now in its fifth year, is based on a global survey with over 1,000 marketers and creatives, fielded between November 2024 and January 2025, and one-to-one conversations with industry leaders.

The research shows that risk aversion is holding businesses back. ‘Creative risk-taking’ is defined in the survey as bold, unconventional ideas that challenge norms and engage audiences in unexpected ways. Only 13% of respondents to LIONS’ State of Creativity 2025 survey view their companies as risk-friendly, whilst 29% of brands admit to being highly risk-averse.

However, risk-taking brands generate four times higher profit margins, according to research by WARC and Kantar. And brands with a high appetite for creative risk are 33% more likely to see long-term revenue growth, reports Deloitte.

“The State of Creativity report is a unique window into the global creative landscape,” Patrick Jeffrey, VP LIONS Advisory, said.

“The findings from this latest research show that largely due to a lack of solid insights and cultural relevance, we are seeing less ‘creative risk-taking’, which involves stepping outside traditional boundaries and surpassing category conventions. Addressing these two key barriers will unlock creative confidence and drive better long-term business results.

The two key barriers to creative confidence and how to overcome them, outlined in the report are: The insight famine: Half of brands (51%) claim their insights are too weak to develop bold creativity, and only 13% rate them as strong

The State of Creativity survey shows that companies with stronger insight development capabilities are far more open to taking creative risks. However, half (51%) of the companies surveyed rate their ability to develop high-quality insights as poor or very poor.

Only 13% rate their ability to develop high-quality insights as very good or excellent. The challenges to developing high-quality insights include a lack of understanding and clarity of what makes a good quality insight, not enough priority placed on insight development and insufficient time allocated for deep insight exploration.

The survey highlights that the stronger the brand-agency relationship, the better the brand sees its ability to develop strong insights. Both teams and methods should be diverse to avoid personal preference rather than consumer understanding. And the use of AI and synthetic data can enhance efficiency and reduce biases and limitations.

The culture lag: Over half (57%) of brands struggle to react quickly to cultural moments. A lack of insights is slowing brands down when it comes to reacting to cultural moments, costing them creative confidence. The report survey showed a positive correlation between brands’ perceived ability to react to cultural shifts and their appetite for risk.

Yet 57% of brands struggle to react quickly to cultural moments, with only 12% rating their ability to do so as ‘excellent’. The challenges to cultural agility were too many layers in the approval process, limited resources and investment, and difficulty aligning brand insights with cultural trends.

Companies are advised to build structures that allow for swift, strategic action; respond with resonated creativity; and shape culture rather than chase it. Brands that embrace risk and push creative boundaries are the ones best equipped to move with culture.

This year’s survey also showed that brands are increasingly shifting toward short-term activities, rising from 53% in 2023 to 63% in 2025. But while short-term gains might be tempting, agility comes from brand-building which allows for spontaneous moments.

Jeffrey concluded: “To boost creative confidence, we advise to invest in additional training to enhance teams’ skills and capability. As teams upskill and confidence grows, so will the appetite for bigger, bolder work.”

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