Survey 5 2025 delivered a mixed but largely positive book for Nova Entertainment, with standout gains in Perth and Brisbane and steady momentum in Melbourne.
While Sydney remains a crowded market, Nova Network Group Programming Director Brendan Taylor told Mediaweek the business is focused on “running its own race” – and keeping live voices central, despite industry chatter about AI.
Sydney success for Smooth and Nova
Smooth FM once again led the Sydney market on 11.8%, with Nova holding firm. Taylor said the Smooth team deserves credit for building such a passionate audience and pointed to Nova’s own steady gains.
“Sydney’s a great credit to the team. For Smooth to be sitting at 11.8 from a share perspective, market number one, it’s just incredible. And I think if you look at the cume of 1.383 million, it’s just outstanding,” he said.
Taylor also said Nova has been doubling down to sharpen its Sydney breakfast content, with Fitzy & Wippa + Kate Ritchie lifting from last survey’s 7.1% to 7.5% in this book.
“We’ve worked really hard this year to focus in on the show and reinvigorate some of the benchmarks and we’ve had some great support from our Nova talent,” he said.
Taylor stressed that much of Nova’s momentum comes down to investing in culture and people.
“We’ve spent a lot of time, particularly over the last two years, building the culture and forming that connection amongst the teams. We’re really lucky in that we’ve got a great stable of incredibly talented broadcasters,” he said.
Fitzy & Wippa + Kate Ritchie
Time spent listening and brand strength
Taylor said Nova is paying close attention to time spent listening (TSL) and how programming choices affect engagement.
“These are all things we look at and, in some way, we obsess over these numbers. But it’s also pleasing when you see days like today, with the work that goes into TSL around content and tactic placements within a show, pay off and put us in a good position.
“And if you put the combination of Smooth and Nova together, it’s market-leading and really beneficial to our commercial partners,” he explained.
Jase and Lauren in Melbourne
Melbourne continues to be a bright spot for Nova, with Jase & Lauren in breakfast building on their strong brand.
“There’s no doubt that they’re doing all they can to have a connection with the audience. This survey they recorded a cume of 722,000 – that’s all those people connecting with the breakfast show in a competitive market,” Taylor said.
Although the result was good, it was down on last survey, which had the team pulling a cume of 764,000.
Jase and Lauren
Rumours and lineup speculation
Taylor was also quick to brush off chatter about possible lineup changes across the network, including suggestions that Fitzy & Wippa + Kate Ritchie would be moving to Drive, while the network’s current Drive show featuring Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel ,will head into the Breakfast slot.
“Look, it’s that time of year. I obsess over our shows, and there’s no doubt I’m constantly thinking about what our long-term success is. There’s constant interest and talk about what will be next, but the numbers we’re delivering today show that all our teams are in a really strong position.
“When it comes to the rumours, I don’t buy into them. When there’s something to say, we’ll say it. But right now, I’ll just leave it at that – rumours,” he said.
On AI
Taylor was clear about Nova’s position when it comes to employing artificial intelligence, or at least merging it into radio.
“We work in medium with live voices and human interaction. That’s what I believe in. Over time, things could absolutely change as technology and audiences evolve. But from Nova’s perspective right now, we’re obsessed about our shows being live, and having that human connection,” he said.
Main image: Brendan Taylor