Smooth’s Peter Clay: Why radio listening Australia-wide is in good health

Smooth's Peter Clay. Image: NOVA Entertainment

When the GfK Survey 2 results landed yesterday – showing Smooth FM in Sydney had achieved a total cume audience just shy of 1.45 million listeners – the network’s Head of Programming Peter Clay found himself excitedly running around, chasing up the record books.

“This is a huge number,” Clay marvels.

“I did find a station that actually beat us slightly – I think by 8K. However, to get that cume on Smooth Sydney – and thinking back to where we started with 275,000 listeners – it just shows the growth of Smooth and where we’ve gone with this product.”

With an overall share of 13.3%, Smooth FM 95.3 shares the mantle as Sydney’s #1 station with 2GB.

In his post-survey interview with Radioinfo’s Steve Ahern, Clay says the latest radio ratings show the health of radio listening across the country.

“And Smooth is retaining a large portion of that cume.”

Clay says he couldn’t be happier.

“Credit to the team that produce the product that our loyal listeners enjoy.”

Smooth’s Bogart Torelli has the most listened-to Breakfast show in Sydney, with a cume of 731,000 listeners.

It delivered the strongest growth of any Breakfast show in that market, picking up 68,000 listeners.

Asked about the current instability in the Sydney Breakfast market and whether he thinks people are floating across the dial, looking for something else, Clay replies “No, I don’t really … I just see the health of radio. Because for us to actually have such a great cume is a credit to Bogart and the product that Smooth is.”

And it’s a product which continues to be a radio oasis for world-weary travellers.

“The listeners are actually wanting an escape and to feel good in uncertain times in the world.”