Proud of the whole team: Peter Clay on the formidable radio combo that is Smooth and Nova

They might be very different, very separate brands, but at the end of the day, Smooth FM and Nova are a combo. And a formidable one at that, going by the latest survey results.

In Sydney, Smooth is the #1 FM station, with Ty Frost, Simon Diaz and Byron Webb all #1 in their respective timeslots. In Melbourne, Smooth is the city’s #2 FM station.

While so great is Nova’s national cume, it has the most Breakfast listeners of any network.

Smooth’s Head of Programming Peter Clay says the Survey 2 numbers are fantastic, not just for his network, but for NOVA Entertainment as a whole.

In a post-Survey 2 interview with our sister publication RadioInfo, Clay cannot hide his pride.

“I look at myself, just looking after Smooth, and I look at Brendan Taylor looking after Nova … but the combo, and the excitement in the business when we were announcing (the survey results) to staff … it’s the combo which actually does it for all the commercial teams.”

Clay says Smooth’s survey numbers reflect a group of hardworking people who are finally reaping the rewards.

“It makes me very proud of the team, their effort. I see their effort every day, so I know what they do. But to see them actually get the results that they deserve, I can’t tell you how pleasing that is.”

Same goes for Nova’s achievements.

“It’s incredible,” says Clay. “Credit to Brendan and the team. To see Brisbane get the #1 Breakfast show after they’ve just relaunched a new Breakfast show up there is just incredible.”

Clay says Nova Perth is in a stratosphere all of its own.

“To get those share results is just unbelievable. And they’re consistently delivering that. It’s unheard of, and people don’t realise how big these numbers are.”

“Same with Smooth across the workday. Ty Frost, Simon Diaz, and Byron Webb. They’re big double-digit figures.”

Clay reiterates a famous line from Smooth’s Melbourne brekky host Mike Perso: Smooth doesn’t depend on the ‘sugar hit’ – be it flashy tactics, cash splurges or high-profile guests.

Consistency is key. There might be a spike in one survey, then a dip in the next. Clay says what you don’t want is a knee jerk reaction to any one book.

“You want that consistency over time, and (to) get that trend. And only act on the trends that you’re seeing, because otherwise, you’d be putting your foot in, taking your foot out, and it would be like one of those eighties dances each survey book.”

Clay has worked on every format at every radio network, and out of all of them, he finds Smooth the most challenging in terms of getting the balance right.

“I actually find Smooth is the hardest, because when you do have a win, then a lot of people go ‘Oh, they love what I do. I’ll talk more.’”

“It’s actually the discipline, and reminding people of the discipline, and making sure we don’t get carried away with ourselves when you do have a good book.”

Then there’s the challenge of opposition networks trying to chip away at Smooth’s almighty cume or Time Spent Listening.

“I used to always love being a #2 station, chasing that #1, because you seem to just have, I guess, a more hungry approach,” says Clay. “Whereas you’re in a defensive mode when you’re at number one, because you’re trying to keep at the top of your game.”

Clay notes that over the years, the Smooth brand has broadened its appeal and its audience.

“Sometimes you can get a #1, and whilst you’re trying to put that glass of champagne to your lips, someone’s saying ‘Yeah, but it’s not the right demo that we actually need.’”

“And so, we did have to shuffle and pivot with regards to the output (of) the station … and the music that it was playing.”

“Even though you get #1, you do sometimes have to adapt so it gets the best commercial outcomes for the business.”

And that means looking at more than just the music. Commercial breaks, traffic reports and news content all impact the on-air output at any station over the space of an hour.

Citing the Federal Election as an example, Clay says lately, there have been a lot of political ads go to air – some more jarring than others – which generate complaints.

“What I had to look at was where the commercial breaks were placed,” he says.

Subsequently, ads were moved around and a clear separation was made so that listeners weren’t being bombarded with political messages.

“It’s a lot more than putting on some records and doing quick back announces and throws,” says Clay.