smoothfm has signed off 2025 with a decisive win in Sydney, topping the final radio survey of the year and reinforcing its position as one of the country’s most powerful audio brands.
smoothfm 95.3 jumped 1.6 points in Survey 8 to finish on a 13.0 share – the highest result in the station’s history -making it Sydney’s outright number one station and the strongest mover of the book.
The result capped off a year in which smooth also finished as Australia’s most listened-to radio station nationally, reaching 1.363 million weekly listeners.
A refined brand, built by the team
Group Programming Director for the Nova Network, Brendan Taylor, said the Sydney result reflected both brand clarity and sustained execution, led by smooth Network Head of Programming Peter Clay.
“A 13% share record result, with cume over 1.3 million. It just shows the exceptional strength of that brand. It’s just incredible,” Taylor told Mediaweek.
“Considering that back-end-of-year survey leading into Christmas, all the talkability in the market, and to be a 13 share outright, the biggest station in the country, it’s huge.”
Taylor credited the station’s sound and emotional connection, describing smooth as a brand that has been carefully honed rather than chased.
“So much work goes into it. The team really refined it. There’s a lot of emotion and love that goes into it,” he said. “It’s a very loyal community, the smooth community, with the music as a connection point – it’s an emotional connection.”
That emotional consistency, he added, has become a point of difference in an increasingly fragmented media environment.
“There’s so much going on in the world. There’s so much going on in media,” Taylor said. “smooth’s playlist is the perfect soundtrack. It’s very emotive. It’s a feeling. It is companion listening – you can have it on, and it can be what radio is: a soundtrack to the time.”
Nova finishes 2025 as the leading metro FM network
The smooth result helped underpin a strong national finish for Nova Entertainment, with the Nova Network closing out 2025 as Australia’s leading metro FM network.
Across metropolitan markets, Nova delivered a 9.5 per cent share and a cumulative audience of 3.9 million listeners. The network also retained its national breakfast leadership, posting a 10.3 per cent share and reaching 2.18 million listeners across metro breakfast.
In Sydney, Nova continued its gradual rebuild, lifting from 7.5 to 7.8 overall, while in Melbourne, Nova 100 nudged higher to 7.9. Breakfast in Melbourne was a particular bright spot, with Nova 100 rising from 8.3 to 8.8, one of the survey’s stronger gains.
Taylor said the network’s performance reflected a deliberate strategy to avoid complacency.
“I think it’s our constant plan and strategy to keep evolving, to never be predictable,” he said. “The way people consume audio and consume radio – you really need to keep that in mind. There are so many choices out there.”
Chrissy Swan and Jack Charles.
Chrissy Swan and the long game
Taylor pointed to Nova’s experienced talent bench as a key driver of consistency, particularly in breakfast and drive.
“We have quality broadcasters like Tim Blackwell and Chrissy Swan – very experienced broadcasters with a great connection to the audience,” he said. “They’re always wanting to evolve themselves.”
He singled out Nova 969’s Sydney Breakfast team of Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie for delivering their strongest year yet.
“They had the best year in the show’s history last year, and credit to them because they continually evolve,” Taylor said. “It’s a very solid show, and it’s continued to be very solid.”
Chrissy Swan’s role at Nova was also highlighted as a crucial part of the network’s afternoon-to-drive momentum, both on-air and culturally.
“She’s a great lead-in to Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel,” Taylor said. “Chrissy loves radio. She constantly reminds me how much she loves radio. The chemistry between her and Jack [Charles] is incredible. As a broadcasting team, they keep getting better. She’s comfortable. She loves her show. She loves her audience.”
Swan said the final survey of the year capped off a deeply satisfying year on air.
“What a way to round out 2025,” she told Mediaweek. “I feel so grateful to spend my afternoons with Jack and our team, and having a laugh with Australia. I can’t wait to get into 2026 and keep the lady madness coming!”
Sydney focus, momentum intact
Looking ahead, Taylor said Nova’s Sydney strategy remains steady rather than reactive, with an emphasis on serving its core audience and building momentum off strong team-wide results.
“We’ve got a locked-on P1 audience, and it’s our job to serve, entertain and provide that level of entertainment to the community in the morning,” he said. “No changes. We’re just happy to see a day like today – strong team results, strong share results. We just want to continue that momentum.”