Lists
BY Staff Writer June 18, 2020
Lists September 19, 2018
Radio Today’s Top 30 Most Powerful Shows on Australian Radio in 2018
Here are the Top 30 Most Powerful Shows in Australian Radio in 2018.
These are the presenters who you wake up to, who join you in the car on the way to work and who entertain you on the way drive home.
The market size and reach of stations and networks have been taken into account when putting the list together.
It was also created in consultation consulted many industry insiders and heavyweights, past and present.
The names listed are part of the soundtrack to our lives each day, they all have a role in shaping our hearts, minds and views.
Through their daily on-air banter, they reflect the society we live in and the people in it.
Here are the 30 most powerful of them all.
1. Kyle & Jackie O – Breakfast, KIIS 106.5
The most successful Breakfast duo in Australian FM radio history. Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson have spent years topping the Sydney FM Breakfast ratings at ARN’s KIIS, and are responsible for turning around KIIS Sydney.
2. Kate, Tim & Marty – Drive, Nova Network
Nova’s top rating show lead by Marty Sheargold with Tim Blackwell and Kate Ritchie. The top rating show has had its current lineup for almost five years, and is currently the highest rating Drive show nationally.
3. Fifi, Fev & Byron – Breakfast, Fox FM
The top rating Breakfast show for SCA in Melbourne, Fifi Box, Brendan ‘Fev’ Fevola and Byron Cooke are a model of consistency in one of the most competitive markets in the country. They recently reached double-digit share in the latest ratings survey.
4. Jonesy & Amanda – Breakfast, WSFM
WSFM Breakfast hosts Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones. They’ve been around the top of the ratings in breakfast in Sydney for over a decade now. Amanda was recently inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame.
5. Alan Jones – Breakfast, 2GB
One of Australia’s highest rating and highest profile breakfast announcers, Alan Jones is one of the most influential personalities in Australian radio, having hosted his Breakfast show on 2GB since 2002.
6. The Hot Breakfast – Breakfast, Triple M Melbourne
Eddie McGuire has hosted legacy Melbourne show The Hot Breakfast for nine years alongside Luke Darcy and recent addition comedian Wil Anderson who replaced Mick Molloy at the start of 2018.
7. Ross & John – Breakfast, 3AW
Top rating Breakfast announcers of Macquarie Radio’s 3AW. Ross Stevenson and John Burns have lead Melbourne’s breakfast ratings since 2001.
8. Fitzy & Wippa – Breakfast, Nova 96.9
Nova Sydney’s breakfast duo Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli (with Sarah McGilvray) have been spearheading Nova’s success for many years now. The most recent radio ratings saw their best ever result since the show began in 2011.
9. Ray Hadley – Mornings, 2GB
Top rating Mornings announcer Ray Hadley currently with the highest rating Morning show in Sydney. Was inducted into the ACRA Hall of Fame in 2017.
10. Hughesy & Kate – Drive, Hit Network
Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes and Kate Langbroek have now broadcast on all three major networks. Having started out at Nova, the duo moved over from KIIS to Hit Network national drive in 2018.
11. Neil Mitchell – Mornings, 3AW
Neil Mitchell leads Melbourne Mornings ratings and is another inductee into the Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame.
12. Chrissie, Sam & Browny – Breakfast, Nova 100
Nova 100’s high rating breakfast show has been running in its current form since 2016. Hosted by media personality Chrissie Swan, comedian and presenter Sam Pang, and AFL footballer Jonathan Brown.
13. Ash, Kip and Luttsy with Susie O’Neill – Breakfast, Nova 106.9
Having consistently been at or around #1 for years, Ashley ‘Ash’ Bradman, Kip Wrightman, David ‘Luttsy’ Lutteral, as well as Susie O’Neill remain strong in the ultra-competitive Brisbane Breakfast market. The trio began back in 2005, and after a short hiatus, the current format debuted in 2016.
14. Kennedy Molloy – Drive, Triple M
Triple M’s new Drive show for 2018 comprises experienced campaigners Jane Kennedy and Mick Molloy. Both started out on radio as part of the hugely successful D Generation radio show in the 90s, while Mick moved from The Hot Breakfast at the start of the year.
15. Stav, Abby and Matt – Breakfast, Hit105
Brisbane’s Hit Breakfast show has gone from strength to strength in 2018, and Stav Davidson, Abby Coleman and Matt Acton found themselves at the top of the Breakfast ratings in the most recent ratings survey.
16. Nathan, Nat and Shaun – Breakfast, Nova 93.7
Nova Perth’s top-rating and very successful team Nathan Morris, Nat Locke and Shaun McManus have been together since 2009, making them the longest-serving breakfast show in Perth.
17. The Big Breakfast – Breakfast, Triple M Brisbane
Triple M Brisbane’s Greg ‘Marto’ Martin, Robin Bailey and Lawrence ‘The Moonman’ Mooney Breakfast show. Ed Kavalee was replaced by Lawrence Mooney at the start of 2018.
18. Ben and Liam – Breakfast, triple j
Liam Stapleton and Ben Harvey are former Adelaide community radio hosts, who’ve been hosting on triple j Breakfast for a year and a half now. The duo took some time to thaw on the national broadcaster, but have made good gains in the last few ratings surveys.
19. The Grill Team – Breakfast, Triple M Sydney
Established in 2009, Sydney’s The Grill Team has been headed up by former NRL star Matty Johns since 2011. It is currently rounded out by Gus Worland, Chris Page and Emma Freedman.
20. Smallzy’s Surgery – Nights, Nova Network
Having recently clocked up 40 consecutive survey wins, Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small’s Nights show is as strong as it has ever been, dominating its target demo and the Nights market in general for many years.
21. The Big Breakfast – Breakfast, mix94.5
Clairsy, Matt and Kymba have been fighting the good fight against Nova in Perth for some years now, and remain one of the strongest Breakfast offerings in the city.
22. Radio Chaser – Afternoons, Triple M Sydney
Having made their triumphant return to where it all began at Triple M Sydney this year, The Chaser boys have made the Afternoon slot their own with their unique take on sketch radio harking listeners back to the good old days. Charles, Dom, Andrew, Chris, Craig and Chaz are currently Triple M’s highest rating show.
23. Heidi, Xavier and Ryan – Breakfast, Hit92.9
Heidi Anderson, Xavier Ellis and Ryan Jon replaced Heidi, Will and Woody at the start of the year, and have made the show very much their own. They’ve made good gains this year in the ratings, and finish Survey #5 in double digits.
24. Jase and PJ – Breakfast, KIIS 101.1
New faces on KIIS Melbourne, Jase Hawkins and PJ Harding joined the network from ZM in New Zealand at the start of 2018 and are showing positive signs as they grow into the competitive Breakfast market of Melbourne.
25. Ben Fordham – Drive, 2GB Sydney
Top-rating Drive host on Macquarie Media’s 2GB, Ben Fordham is seen as the future of talk radio in Sydney and the “heir to the throne” of the talkback giants.
26. Fran Kelly – Breakfast, ABC
Host of Radio National’s breakfast show, Fran Kelly is a leading journalist and political correspondent.
27. Carrie & Tommy – Drive, Hit Network
One half of Hit Network’s National Drive offering, radio/television presenters Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little lead off the afternoon before Hughesy and Kate take over.
28. Roo & Ditts – Breakfast, Triple M Adelaide
Adelaide Breakfast show Roo and Ditts have been working together on Triple M since 2011 when the started on Drive. They moved to Breakfast in 2014 and recently signed on til 2021.
=29. Will & Woody – Drive, ARN
Having moved across from Hit Perth Breakfast at the start of the year, Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw are currently establishing themselves as a duo in the ARN Drive slot.
=29. Veronica & Lewis – Drive, triple j
Long-running triple j show Veronica Milsom and Lewis Hobba have been one of triple j’s most consistent teams since taking over the slot in 2015.
30. Christian O’Connell – Breakfast, Gold104.3
Replacing top rating Breakfast show Jo and Lehmo, Christian O’Connell arrived a few surveys into the year. His show has been finding its feet in Melbourne, helped by Hamish and Andy’s Cacklin’ Jack Post as his sidekick.
Who should be higher, and who have we missed? As always, let us know in the comments.
Neil Mitchell and Chrissie Sam and Browny should be higher.
These things are always a little Sydney biased. Good list apart from that.
Roo and Ditts should be higher than the shows at 23 and 24. They’ve had amazing results in drive and breakfast, underpinning triple m Adelaide’s results. Very underrated show.
Alan you must be from Melbourne you guys are so parochial.
Sydney is the biggest market in the country and has the biggest and best radio shows so makes sense the top shows are Sydney based. Melbourne radio is full of left wing so called comedians who aren’t funny.
Why not just do a top 31?
Classic Radiotoday list, let’s do a top 10 list with 6 people in =9th
I love these lists. Good to see Will and Woody included at least they are having a go.
Ben Fordham will NOT be happy he is better than Number 25.
How can he possibly be BEHIND Heidi and co and Jase’s show is beyond me.
Yeah they all should have been higher!
Mick Molloy has had his day. He hasn’t done anything good since working with Tony. New show’s not working except in Brissie and perth where they have very good quality high rating brekky shows. Not working in his hometown of Melbourne. Says it all.
Dont see how this show could even be in the top 20. Much and a couple of others here are past their use by date.
How did Fitzy and Wippa make top ten.
KTM should be number 1
Few people here at work saying some national drive shows could be higher. Breakfast is the biggest contributor to a stations overall rating so you would expect breakfast shows to rate higher in your poll. Drive barely contributes to overall share. And breakfast is far more competitive everyone knows that. So all in all weighing things up not a bad effort.
Only three Melbourne shows in the top 10 and seven Sydney shows bit biased or what ?
There are now more national show ( 9 ) on your list than local shows.
Sign of the times ?
Where’s 2GB’s George and Paul? What about Tom Elliott from 3AW?
Jones #1 and Hadley #2 beyond reasonable doubt.
No Joe Groth national regional music shift?
Ross and John should be No 1
I might be stupid but I don’t understand what RadioToday means by “powerful”? Is it about political influence? Advertising spend? Effecting change in their communities? Ratings? It’s a great list of programs but probably best described as “a great list of programs”
One show from Adelaide; Roo
and Ditts. Are you having a laugh? Consistently rating anywhere between 4th and 7th in Breakfast. Never beats 5AA, Mix, ABC. 5AA and ABC, usually 1 and 2 in Breakfast, on a daily basis making an impact on the national news cycle. Mix this year brought the City to a halt with an activation. MMM have done…not much.
You’ve obviously just gone “we need an Adelaide show on the list!” which is fine although no idea why you went for such an underperforming one.
HOw can a non rating Breakfast j&pj be on the list?? Poor form Radio Today?? How can it be in front of Ben?
Rigged ! I can see Kyle and Jackie are number 1 but can’t see how a drive show like KTM could be Number 2 ahead of some very good breakfast shows like Alan Jones and Jonesy and Amanda doesn’t make any sense.
LOL@ Jase and PJ! On the air for 8 months, bottom of the Melbourne ratings. Same for Christian O’Connell. #someonelovesarn
I like WS host Amanda Keller as a person and on TV but am surprised her show rates well; the show is not in the league of Kyle and Jackie, Grill Team, Kennedy Molloy or Fitzy and Wippa. Maybe it’s very old 60+ aged people who listen ?
Fitzy & Wippa and Kennedy Molloy need to be higher. Get rid of 28-30’s
Do a list of the Top Ten Worst radio shows. I’d read that.
Mix1023 Adelaide highest rating station/share in the country. Have been for years. All sessions including breakfast and drive dominate
MMM currently 4th or 5th ranking breakfast and station in Adelaide? Around 5 share points behind
Who is doing the research here?
Top list. Some of these shows lack strong content and are only there for their brand and/or heritage. Shows like Jonesy and Amanda, Carrie and Tommy. Chrissie Sam and Browny. Good brands driven mostly by TV profile but weak content.
It seems everybodys on that list except me…..lol
As soon as you have Kyle in at number one I am out. Of. Here. The only #1 he holds is on the douche list.
Roo and Ditts are silly
What about Luke Bonna mmm night shift….Very interesting show run rings around all mentioned….
I agree with you