Gold Coast Ratings: Hot Tomato remains on top, while Hit’s Bianca, Dan & Ben make inroads in Breakfast
The Gold Coast market has broken its radio ratings drought, with new figures from GfK released today showing Hot Tomato remains the region’s most popular station. In the only survey conducted in the region in 2020 before COVID shut down the process, Hot Tomato surged from a 12.9% share to 20.6%.
Now, just over 12 months later, the station has dipped 2.1 points, but remains well ahead of the competition with its 18.5% share in people 10+.
Its nearest competitors are Southern Cross Austereo’s stable of stations. 92.5 Triple M remained steady, down just 0.1 points to a 10.2% share, while the Hit Network’s 90.9 fell back 0.4 points to 9.2%.
Hot Tomato’s Galey, Emily Jade & Christo Breakfast show continued its dominant run, despite a dip of 3.7 points. The show now commands a 16.6% share in the slot.
Brendon Dangar, Hot Tomato’s content director, said the station’s local strategy is to thank.
“I’m so proud of our Gold Coast team who have worked hard over the past 12 months, making each of our local shows maintain a dominant number one,” he said.
“We’re the only 100% Gold Coast made station, so our music, content, shows and news are targeted to the locals and again it’s paid off.”
The station’s general manager, Graham Miles, said they are “humbled” by today’s results.
“Today’s results show that Hot Tomato remains the Gold and Tweed Coast’s favourite radio station. We’re proud of the local content we have produced from our Southport studios, and continue to be committed to delivering the best music, news and entertainment for the Gold & Tweed Coast.
“Our local audience and our clients are our primary focus, and we are humbled by today’s achievement.”
The Gold Coast does have a new #2 Breakfast show, however, with Hit90.9’s Bianca, Dan & Ben climbing 2.5 points to 11.0%. The improved result saw Hit overtake SCA stablemate Triple M, which climbed just 0.1 points to a 10.4% share.
Bianca Dye joined the show mid last year after finishing up on Brisbane’s 97.3.
Hit90.9’s Breakfast team: Ben Hannant, Bianca Dye and Dan Anstey
Ali Longhurst, Hit90.9’s content director, said she was proud of what the station had achieved.
“There is not a single person at Hit90.9 that hasn’t put everything they have got into getting results. With the addition of Bianca Dye and our new, refreshed music strategy, these results are just a starting point – and it’s only above and beyond from here,” Longhust said.
Triple M’s content director, meanwhile, noted the numerous changes the brand has been through in the region recently.
“92.5 Triple M is the Gold Coast’s home of rock, sport and comedy. With the obvious challenge of the last 12 months, Triple M has also evolved as a station. Flan joined Bridge and Spida in Breakfast, we’re playing rock’s greatest hits and now feature radio legends Marty Sheargold and Mick Molloy for the drive home. The result shows there is great opportunity and further growth for Triple M to connect with sport and music lovers who live for a laugh. Every day our charter is to entertain, inform and talk with the Gold Coast and Tweed community. It’s a privilege, and we appreciate their support today,” Corey Kay said.
Hot Tomato was also dominant in Drive, boasting a 19.6% share, while Triple M had 11.1% and Hit fell back to 10.8%.
Moyra and Baggs. Outstanding.
Wow SCA two stations against one doing well. Ha.
If you look at Drive as an example, HT on 20% and Hit and Triple M on about 10%
This shows that SCA’s metro and regional strategy is wrong and local shows beat networked national shows from old has been comedians. SCA should be and would be embarrassed by this result. What a shame, sad, scam. But the LiStNr App will fix it ! Grant Broadcasters leading the way with strong local programming content.
Congratulations to Hot Tomato on a great result. Localism is the winner.
Hit and Triple M’s networked drive shows are getting hammered. Well done to Moyra and Baggs.
Is the super radio network included in these ratings? It will be interesting tomorrow how far lower the geriatric network will fare in Newcastle.
SCA will see this happen more in markets where they have pushed the metro strategy. Blind Freddy could of told them this would happen. Grants will see growth in markets that have been neglected by others. Those numbers for SCA are pretty bad considering the marketing/money that has been thrown around. But – again, no one is held to account.
HT firing on all cylinders right now. Shows are good, music has improved, you can hear the team are happy. Local, local and local. Well deserved win.
live and local wins again. congratulations.
Why does SCA get the credit for being the “king and queen” of radio? They are falling behind everywhere. Confusing
Great to see a local station lead over a big network. Well done to everyone involved. Often CEO’s and boards don’t care about the local, and this is a perfect example of how effective it can be. No doubt coin is being collected as well. Hopefully a Nova or the like don’t swoop in and take this away.
Localism everytime.. but also, why when a station works so hard, wins because they work hard, and have been the market leader for a long time you feel the headline is as it was and the only photo you use is of the team that comes second and second with 6 points to catch up on. It makes me sad that an Olympian can win Gold and be celebrated everywhere and a station wins by a mile and you use a headline like this and a photo of the second place getter.. seriously get better at this.
Maybe what SCA has lost in listeners on the GC, it has picked up with the massively successful Listnr app.
SCA continues to get smashed by multiple companies in different markets. The Gold Coast market would have to be the worst for SCA as a company.
Duncan, PJ and Spotify take a look at this market.
Amazing work to the Hot Tomato team. Moyra and Baggs those figures are very impressive.
I REMEMBER WHEN SIMON BAGGS WAS RUDE TO ME WHEN HE WAS ON KIIS 101.1 IN ME;LBOURNE I ASKED HIM TO GIVE ME A SHOUTOUT & SAID ” WHO CARES ABOUT JASON TOPPIN”
Great news & well deserved by a great team. HT wins again.
Hot Tomato is owned by Grant Broadcasters, the second largest network in Australia, only behind SCA.
This is a big network doing localism. SCA just choose not to do it.
HT is almost like the golden days of Austereo. Remember those?
HT drive is 8.5% ahead of both SCA stations.
SCA would have to now concede that Wippy has that station pumping and survey 1 from last year wasn’t a blip or inflated result! The shows (mostly of ex SCAers) are sounding great and local, the imaging and production is local, fun and fresh. Breakfast still dominated, the workday miles in front, drive smashing the network shows and even the Big K on night having a massive up result.
Maybe it’s time to pull your heads out of your own arse and the podcast space and focus on radio. You know.. Your business.
Why are so many people here pinning it on Listnr? Why shouldn’t SCA be in the broadcasting *and* podcasting space since that’s the future?
Inconvenient fact: Sea FM/Hit90.9 have always been networked from 3/4pm weekdays since the late 90s.
Localism is fine but it’s mainly down to the talent for most listeners, otherwise community radio would rate through the roof.
Solid market to grow emerging talent. Great to see the Gold Coast going strong.
I know I’m late to the party, I just found this out but I’m not sure how GoldFM became MMM? GoldFM and its sound and flavour was what the Gold Coast overwhelmingly chose for as long as I can remember. MMM’s Rock, Comedy and Sport is as far from GoldFM as I can imagine. I’m happy to see live and local is clearly what the people want.
^ How many emerging talents from The Gold Coast have moved onto major cap cities?
Question for the group? Are HT talent all locked in to contracts?
Hot Tomato killing it! whos doing the production? Ive been streaming it for a while and its been awesome n stands out. I also love their breaky and drive.
HT has a great logo! It stands out.
MMM home of Rock on the GC lol they wouldn’t know what rock is. How about some figures from the real rock station Rebel FM. Not to mention the easy listening Breeze. A fraction of the budgets SCA GC is running on and I bet the number are not far behind after a massive amount of local content. Well done to HT for keeping it real and about the locals. We don’t care about the amount of parties you go to on the weekend or who is banging who. We GCers want live and local and real.