Peter Clay on Survey 6 and the ‘one stop shop’ that is Smooth FM

We’ve all experienced them at one time or another. The office colleague who’s a bit on the chatty side. Always up for a gasbag, often distracting us from the task at hand. So it’s hardly a surprise that Smooth FM is the radio station you’ll often hear in the background at many workplaces.

If Smooth’s announcers were actual workmates, it’s not hard to imagine they’d be the kind who make the office a cruisy and more cohesive place.

“They string the music and the actual feel of the station together really well, alongside our talented journalists who put together a really good news bulletin,” says Smooth’s Head of Programming Peter Clay.

And it’s for this reason that Clay likens Smooth to a one stop shop. The philosophy? Don’t make listeners go anywhere else to find out information.

Speaking to Radioinfo’s Steve Ahern post GfK Survey 6, Clay says “You’ll know what’s on in your local area. You’ll know what is happening in the news and you’ll sit there and you’ll enjoy some great music.”

Clay says Survey 6 delivered a great set of numbers, both for the Smooth Network and NOVA Entertainment as a whole.

Not only is Smooth a favourite listening destination for many, Clay points out it’s also a popular second choice radio station.

“So we know we get a lot of people from various radio stations. We also know that we pick up a lot during the Workday.”

Whilst shedding some listeners this survey, Smooth 95.3 is Sydney’s #1 FM station with a 10.7 share and still the most listened to station in Australia with a cume of 1.379 million listeners.

Clay says it’s a case of swings and roundabouts.

“Smooth’s had a fantastic year. We’ve always been up at that top spot. Yes, we’ve taken out the outright #1 position a few times.”

But he tips his hat to Sydney talk station 2GB.

“There’s a lot going on in the world right now. People might have just needed that little bit more in-depth information, which they sought out on GB.”

“But I’m very happy to share that top spot with them. They’re a great broadcasting team.”