Nova Network Group Programming Director Brendan Taylor says the network’s latest ratings results reflect both the challenges and resilience of a competitive FM landscape – and he’s taking the long view.
In the latest radio ratings, Nova 96.9 Sydney lost ground, falling from 7.4% to 7.1%, while in Melbourne, Nova 100 also dipped slightly, down from 8.2% to 7.1%.
The network faced a tougher survey overall, as talk stations strengthened their hold in both cities and FM audiences shifted across several key markets.
Taylor said he’s taking the long view, describing the results as “a wave of highs and lows” across the network.
“Obviously there have a few speed bumps, but in the overall scheme of things, I actually couldn’t be happier with the results today,” he told Mediaweek. “I know it’s a bit cliché, but it’s really pleasing to see the effort the team’s putting in to get rewarded from a numbers position.”
Sydney’s momentum
Taylor credited the Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie team for a strong performance in a highly competitive Sydney market.
He added that while Kate Ritchie’s return to radio has generated plenty of buzz, the team’s success also reflects Nova’s loyal listener base.
“It’s fantastic that she’s back but it’s also a really nice showing that the listeners are so loyal,” Taylor said.
“Kate being back included in this wave – so to see 80,000 new people coming into it, and to be number two in the market from a cume perspective and only 90,000 away from Kyle & Jackie O is a great result”.
In Drive, Taylor said Chrissie Swan’s success has been another bright spot. “Chrissie, number one, rightly so – she’s a class act,” he said.
“Chrissie puts so much into it. It’s just really nice to be seeing those results in the afternoons.”
‘A few speed bumps’
In Melbourne, Jase & Lauren for Breakfast recorded a softer result, but Taylor said he remains confident in the team and the show’s long-term trajectory.
“Jase, Lauren and Clint – they’re world-class broadcasters,” he said.
“It’s such a competitive marketplace, so you’ve got to ride the highs and lows. We can see there are certain elements of the show we need to fine-tune, which we naturally do over time. But we are absolutely confident that things will reverse in the next survey.
“You’ve got to be able to take the knocks, learn from them, to make yourself better.”
Building reach and loyalty
Taylor said Nova’s focus remains on growing reach and engagement, rather than chasing short-term spikes.
“We do really try and hook the listeners in,” Tayloe said, adding that’s why “cume is so important.”
“It’s a starting point for people having a touchpoint with your station.”
He said the next step is to deepen those relationships through stronger content and longer listening.
“Now we just want as many people as we can coming in, interacting, engaging, and connecting with our shows. And through that we build loyalty,” he said.
“We want to build time spent listening for people to spend more time with us. That’s where the share will come into place.”
Taylor also praised Nova’s programming and music teams, led by Scott Baker-Smith, for striking the right balance between music and personality.
“We obsess over the music voices. Music plays such a big role in our shows,” he said. “The amount of music-based content, we really strategise on making sure we’ve got the right balance.”
The AI world
As the radio industry experiments with AI, Taylor said Nova’s strength lies in staying human.
“Right now, our strength is with the teams that we have, and the human connection from our music and our broadcasters,” he said.
“And, look, I’m not saying that AI won’t have touchpoints in the future, but right now our focus is on human contact.”