Networks slug it out over breakfast victory claims

Mike Hosking. Photo / Janna Dixon

The breakfast radio battle is heating up - with a war of words over latest ratings.

NewstalkZB has maintained its dominance since Mike Hosking took over from longtime broadcaster Paul Holmes in January, although rival Marcus Lush at Radio Live is starting to slowly build his own market share.

NewstalkZB general manager Bill Francis said its competitor's results were nothing it should "have any great delight in".

MediaWorks - which produces Radio Live, More FM, The Rock and The Edge - drew in 42.1 per cent of national audience share, up 0.5 per cent since April.

The Radio Network - with stations such as NewstalkZB, Coast, Classic Hits and Radio Hauraki - dropped slightly from 46.5 per cent of the national audience to 46.3 per cent, but remains ahead of its competitors.

The most dramatic results in both networks were their Auckland audiences for the breakfast shows.

Radio Live increased its cumulative audience to 65,100 people, up from 57,100 in only six months. NewstalkZB and new host Hosking dropped slightly from 210,000 to 200,400 listeners in the same time.

Nevertheless, both breakfast shows increased their market shares - market leader ZB was up to 19.2 per cent (from 18 per cent) and Radio Live was up to 3.4 per cent (from 2.7 per cent).

Radio Live programme boss Mitch Harris said he was pleased with the results, and attributed the positive figures to Lush and staff.

"I think - and I know it sounds cliched - we are very pleased with Marcus, but it really has been a team effort," he said.

"I'm pleased about Auckland, but also really excited about Wellington and Waikato figures, which have also gone up. We put a lot of time into our engineering there, which did not used to be as good for our coverage and would bring our national average down."

Similarly, Francis said ZB's ratings could be attributed to Hosking.

"I've been confident since about halfway through this year with the way we are performing and for me to think, 'this is working'," he said.

"I always say that when you make a change of substance you need up to 18 months to see a difference, but he [Hosking] has done it quicker.

Francis said Radio Live's overall results were "marginal" in comparison.

"It's not great for them, but most stations have not increased [their audience] overall. I can't see any cause for Radio Live to have any great delight in their ratings."

Martin Gilman, chief executive of the media buying agency Total Media, said in recent years the radio ratings had not fluctuated much, and dramatic shifts in audience were rare.

"Most radio stations are so carefully managed these days that the changes are barely perceptible, which is a shame," he said. "In the last few surveys we have not tended to see big shifts. People - and advertisers - used to place a lot of importance on ratings, which doesn't appear to happen as much any more."

MediaWorks' The Rock was the most popular music station nationwide, with Mai FM, also of MediaWorks, the most popular in Auckland.

TRN's ZM came in third place in Auckland, followed by The Edge and The Breeze at fourth and fifth place.