Smoothfm 95.3 has claimed the title of Sydney’s top radio station in the latest GfK radio ratings survey, edging ahead of long-time leader 2GB.
The station posted a 12.3% share, holding steady from the previous book, while growing its cumulative audience by 31,000 to reach 1.32 million listeners.
Meanwhile, 2GB slipped two full points to 11.6%, with its cume dipping slightly to 655,000. The shift was also reflected in the breakfast slot, where Smooth lifted to 9.2%, while 2GB’s Ben Fordham remained #1 but dropped two points to 14.7%.
“I’m very excited, more so for the team, because they all put in a lot of hard work,” Smooth’s Head of Programming Peter Clay told Mediaweek.
“You turn around and see them doing either multiple shifts. We’ve got a branded promotions team, well, called Audience Engagement now, headed up by Kat Tonkin, Maddy Golding, and Macey Gibbs. And they literally do the entire network, the three of them. It’s an incredible amount of output for such a small team. And that’s where I turn around and love results like this, because all the hard work has some sort of validation.”
The Smooth FM announcement team
Music and mood: the Smooth strategy
Smooth’s playlist is the foundation of its format, and Clay credits Music Director Kate Mason and Universal Radio Consultant (and Nova’s former Group Programme Director) Paul Jackson for steering its distinctive sound. “Kate does an incredible job of curating the playlist along with the assistance of Vicky Poupounaki, and Paul, who consults to the business oversees playlists and really drives the music agenda. So firstly, we get that right. Secondly, I think it’s the environment that’s created.”
He describes Smooth as an antidote to the noise of modern life. “We don’t want to clutter people’s lives. We don’t offer up opinions. We’re just there to, exactly what the station says, we’re just there to make you feel good.”
What sets Smooth apart
“We’re making you feel good on your way into work. We’re making you feel better on your way home. And we’re there throughout the day to play a great curated playlist for you,” Clay said.
“Stitch it together with some incredibly good announcers that do all the local touchpoints, tell you what’s going on around your city, and then throw to a solid news team that delivers a full-service news. So I guess we don’t want listeners to have to go anywhere else to find anything out.”
Clay said the growth has been consistent over time, not overnight.
“From day one, this station and network has just kept growing. I guess we had a clear strategy. We had a clear description on what the station was to be. And from starting back in 2012 in Sydney with 275,000 listeners to fast-forwarding today where we’ve got 1.3 million. They’ve consistently grown with us.”
Audience involvement and humility
Clay also points to initiatives like the $50,000 Winter Wishlist as an example of how Smooth keeps its audience engaged. “They ask us for what they want to win. Like they nominate what they want to win. So it’s not us telling them what they should win, they actually nominate things, and we award those prizes.”
Even with a number one ranking, Clay is clear the station culture avoids arrogance. “All the announcers, we know not to gloat. We don’t gloat. If something sounds great or we have a good winner and everything, we don’t turn around and talk about ourselves or talk about it on the air.”
“We sometimes label the station as number one, but that’s just to let the listeners know that it’s their station. Their station is number one. But other than that, we just, we really don’t gloat and we just enjoy what we do.”
Smooth FM announcer Cameron Daddo
Radio camaraderie and respect
Clay also paid tribute to industry colleagues at 2GB and Nine Radio, noting the close professional respect within the sector. “This is one book. This is one survey. And these stations, 3AW, 2GB, have been powerhouses for many, many years. Greg Byrnes and Tom Malone were some of the first to congratulate me, and they’re great people.”
“I would never want to turn around and think on one survey that people are drifting away from Talkback at all. I just think that we’ve come out with a consistent number. We’ve taken out the top spot in Sydney. We’re number two in Melbourne. We’ve had a great book. However, things could change in the next book, and GB might be back up on the top spot again. And if they are, I’ll be first on the phone to them to say congratulations.”
Clay says the Smooth team’s consistency, cohesion, and respect for both audience and craft are core to its success. “We respect the music, we respect the commercials, we respect the clients, we respect the listeners, and we respect each other. I think that’s a big key word. We don’t work in silos, we work as a team.”