Boring is beautiful: Inside SCA's survey 5 glow-up

Radio ratings are a blood sport dressed up in decimal points, and Survey 5 delivered the usual mix of bragging rights, bruised egos and a few results worth a second look.

Triple M Perth posted the biggest jump of any station in the country, climbing 1.2 points to 9.8%. In Adelaide, Triple M recorded its highest-ever cume since the current survey methodology began in 2004. And in Sydney, 2Day FM breakfast jumped 1.1 points, giving SCA something to smile about in a market that rarely hands out easy wins.

Then there’s Melbourne, where an AFL Legends match injury reportedly cost Fox FM a ratings point.

Sitting across all of it is SCA head of broadcast content Matthew O’Reilly. Mediaweek spoke to him about what moved, what didn’t and what happened behind the numbers in Survey 5.

READ MORE: Radio Ratings Survey 5: Sydney

READ MORE: Radio Ratings Survey 5: Melbourne

Mediaweek: Let's start with Sydney. Triple M breakfast slipped from 6.6% to 5.9% after five straight surveys of growth. Panic stations?

Matthew O'Reilly: Actually, up until today, Triple M had five surveys in a row where they went up. So just knowing the game, that doesn't last forever. And it was due for a correction; I'm happy the correction was as minor as what it was. But we would have killed 12 months ago to have Triple M in the sixes, and that's where it is today. The 25-54 audience numbers are really strong there as well, so there are no concerns about Triple M's success.

Mediaweek: Meanwhile, 2Day FM jumped 0.7 points overall and 1.1 points in breakfast. How are you reading the Sydney market right now?

Matthew O'Reilly: We're not on top yet, but we're on the way, and the Sydney duopoly has been a main focus for both broadcast and revenue. I think it's very rewarding for the team to be able to turn around and see that it's heading in the right direction. And, you know, hopefully that's the start of something we can build on now.

Mediaweek: Onto Melbourne, which wasn't as kind. Fox FM fell a full point overall to 8.2%, and Triple M dropped 1.1 points to 6.1%. What happened?

Matthew O'Reilly: It's a very competitive market, Melbourne.

Mediaweek: Fox FM's Breakfast show took a hit too, down 1.1 points to 8.9%. Any explanation?

Matthew O'Reilly: I think Fox really surprised me. They've come off as the underdogs. I'm sure it didn't fall in the survey, but Fev getting injured in the Legends match the other night dominated Melbourne's news cycle for 24 to 48 hours. I'd be very surprised if that doesn't correct itself for Fox.

Mediaweek: And Triple M Melbourne?

Matthew O'Reilly: And then there's Triple M, which was a disappointing result. But we've got to be positive. We've got footy finals coming up. Would we rather have better results? Yes. Were we surprised at where they were today? Yes.

Mediaweek: Is there a seasonal factor at play there?

Matthew O'Reilly: We normally have a spike during footy season. From memory, I think that lasts from survey three to survey six. We do normally see the station average higher because people come in on weekends and that bumps your share up.

Mediaweek: Let's talk Brisbane, where B105 held its number one spot at 12%, and Triple M breakfast jumped 0.9 points to leapfrog Nova. What's driving that?

Matthew O'Reilly: My answer is really boring, and that's just consistency, which is, you know, I think I reckon Stav would be over 20 years or close to it, while Abbey's approaching 15. Marto on the Triple M side, I think, is close to 25. They turn up each day, they know the city, and they turn out good content. We love Brisbane.

Mediaweek: Triple M Adelaide stayed number one on 14.3% and posted that record cume. What's the story there?

Matthew O'Reilly: Another lesson in longevity. The team have been there a long time. I think they just had their 3000th show. That consistency, heritage, and real market knowledge really helps. Interestingly, though, Triple M Adelaide today boasts its highest-ever cume, as far as this survey methodology goes back to 2004.

Mediaweek: And SAFM?

Matthew O'Reilly: I think SAFM also posted strong numbers, especially in the 25-54 demographic. Workday is solid, and the station has beaten KIIS for the first time in 16 years. So, I think Adelaide is shaping up to be a really good market for us.

Mediaweek: Zooming out - SCA is now part of Seven West Media following the merger. Has that changed how the sales team talks about these numbers?

Matthew O'Reilly: I think everyone gets it. I mean, you only have to spend a little time with our sales team to understand that 70% of our briefs that come in directly ask to target the 25-54 audience.

Mediaweek: Last one - why does that demographic matter so much?

Matthew O'Reilly: It's called the audience that matters because, in terms of advertisers, it's the audience that matters.