triple j has started the year with strong momentum, delivering a standout result in GfK Survey 1 as audiences tuned in for the Hottest 100 and a summer of big moments for Australian music.
In survey 1 the network reached 2.123 million listeners each week, up 20% since the last survey and 9.1% year-on-year, with share increasing across every metro market.
triple j’s performance includes another powerful Hottest 100, which once again demonstrated its ability to be a huge cultural event. 2.1 million votes were submitted this year and there were 3.44 million total stream starts across the entire Hottest Weekend (Saturday & Sunday) and 45M+ views of our content across the Hottest Weekend.
triple j’s Hottest 100 continued to resonate most strongly with young Australians, with 18–29-year-olds the largest voting demographic, and around one-third of all Australians engaging with the countdown across the weekend.
Australian music was front and centre in this year’s countdown which saw an 86% increase in Australian entries compared to the Hottest 100 of 2024, with 54 Australian artists featured in the list and 113 Australian tracks across the full Hottest 200. The introduction of a dedicated Australian artist voting tab made it easier than ever for audiences to discover and back local acts.
Head of triple j & Double J Lachlan Macara said,“What’s most encouraging is the level of support we’re seeing for Australian music at the moment. From Unearthed artists making their Hottest 100 debut to a significant lift in Australian tracks across the countdown, our audiences are clearly backing local artists in a meaningful way. The Hottest 100 continues to be one of the biggest platforms for Australian music in the country, and it’s great to see that support reflected in both engagement and listening.”
triple j is again calling on audiences in regional Australia, with submissions now open for the next One Night Stand. Following its triumphant return, audiences are being invited to pitch why their town should host the iconic all-ages live music event.
From discovery to the country’s biggest music countdown, triple j continues to shape the national music conversation. The strength of this result underscores the Hottest 100’s enduring cultural relevance and triple j’s ability to bring audiences together around Australian music, year after year.
The ABC has today published the trailer for ABC Business Daily, a new weekday podcast making sense of the biggest stories in business, finance and economics.
Launching Monday 23 March, ABC Business Daily will be presented by Senior Business Correspondent Carrington Clarke, joined by other ABC Business journalists, breaking down the major business and economic stories of the day.
Monday to Thursday ABC Business Daily will go beyond the headlines to explain what’s happening and why it matters, giving smart, clear analysis of the forces shaping the economy and how they impact Australians. From interest rates and AI to how global instability is affecting Australian markets, the podcast will leave listeners informed about what’s driving the economy.
On Fridays, listeners can dive deeper with That’s Business with Alan Kohler. One of Australia’s most respected business journalists, each week Kohler will speak with a leading figure from the world of business, politics or economics to help audiences understand where Australia is headed – kicking off with Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
ABC Business Daily and That’s Business join the ABC’s suite of daily podcasts – ABC Top Stories, ABC News Daily, Politics Now, ABC Sport Daily and Global Roaming – which deliver audiences trusted news and information across news, sport, international affairs and now business.
Together these podcasts bring Australians the best of the ABC, delivering the context, insight and explanation needed to better understand the world around them, whenever and wherever they choose to listen.
Audiences continue to turn to ABC podcasts for the news and information that matters. In the February Triton podcast ranker, released today, ABC News Top Stories was again the No 1 news podcast in the country and second on the overall list. ABC News Daily was no 11 and Politics Now No 22. Global Roaming rose seven places to be No 44 and ABC Sport Daily climbed eight places to No 59.
ABC Business Daily will be available on ABC listen and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes every weekday at 3pm from Monday 23 March. Audiences can also find That’s Business with Alan Kohler on YouTube on Friday afternoons.
ARN Media Limited [ASX: A1N] advises that it has issued a notice of termination of contract to Mr Kyle Sandilands and Quasar Media Services Pty Ltd (Quasar Media).
As a result, the Kyle and Jackie O show will no longer be presented.
This decision follows the Company’s ASX announcement on 3 March 2026 which outlined that ARN had provided written notice to Mr Sandilands and Quasar Media stating that it considered Mr Sandilands’ behaviour during the broadcast of 20 February 2026 to constitute serious misconduct and a breach of ARN’s services agreement with Quasar Media, under which Mr Sandilands presents the Kyle and Jackie O show. As noted in the 3 March 2026 announcement, Mr Sandilands was given 14 days to remedy the breach.
This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of ARN Media.
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has kicked off 2026 extending its lead in the ‘Audience That Matters’, the key 25-54 demographic, signalling strong momentum in the first GfK survey of the year.* Driven by live, local, and consistent lineups, the strength of the Triple M and Hit Networks continue to deliver dominant results nationally.
When combined with ACE Radio, SCA’s commercial share of the 25-54 demographic sits at 37.6%, a massive 9.3 points ahead of the next commercial competitor.
With a 5.1% increase in SCA’s total reach (P10+) – now informing and entertaining 9,095,700 listeners nationally** – SCA further flexes its strength as a network achieving ‘the trifecta’ in the ‘Audience That Matters’:
All People 25–54: SCA network wins – 37th consecutive survey.
Men 25–54: Triple M dominates – 25th consecutive survey.
Women 25–54: The Hit Network secures the key demo across metro markets.
The Hit Network have started the year strongly, with audience growth across all metro Breakfast shows and achieving key demographic wins. The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick achieved the biggest audience growth in the Melbourne radio market (up 82,000 to 611,000 listeners). The F25-54 demographic was won around the country by Fifi, Fev & Nick, B105’s Stav, Abby & Matt,and SAFM’s Bel, Bernie & EmmaG. The Hit Network’s lineup was further strengthened by the success of Carrie & Tommy in Drive, which secured the Number 1 spot in Brisbane (14.8%) and grew share in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
After a stellar 2025, Triple M continues to set the pace, claiming the Number 1 spot in Brisbane (13.1%) and Adelaide (12.5%). Brisbane’s Marto, Margaux & Dan (14.0%)maintained their leadership in a competitive market, while Triple M Adelaide’s Roo, Ditz & Loz (14.4%)continue to dominate, winning 26 of the last 27 surveys.^ Triple M Melbourne has kicked off the year with its second-highest Survey 1 audience ever (782,000 listeners).
In Sydney, SCA’s investment in a live and local strategy for Triple M and 2DayFM is paying off. Now Sydney’s longest-running Breakfast team, Triple M’s Beau, Cat & Woodsy are seeing rewards for their hard work, rising to a 5.0% share (up 1 point) with an additional 62,000 listeners (up to 356,000) choosing Triple M to start their day. 2DayFM grew by 54,000 listeners to achieve an audience of 742,000, while in Breakfast Nath & Emma’s natural chemistry is resonating across Sydney’s suburbs (growing audience by 14,000, rising 0.7 share points).
Matthew O’Reilly, SCA’s Head of Broadcast Content said: “New year, new momentum. This is a great start for SCA, with our live, local and consistent approach paying off. Both the Hit and Triple M networks are performing strongly across the country, with the Hit Network securing audience growth in all breakfast shows throughout Australia and pleasing results for Carrie & Tommy in Drive. Triple M’s leadership in Brisbane and Adelaide highlights the strength of our brands, which drive our dominance in the audience that matters.
“It’s also encouraging to see the hard work and investment from our Sydney teams starting to translate into results on 2DayFM and Triple M. Huge credit to Nath & Emma and Beau, Cat & Woodsy – we’re building strong foundations, and there’s plenty more to come. Congratulations to SCA’s content teams around the country.”
John Kelly, Southern Cross Media Group’s Interim Chief Executive Officer – TV & Audio, added: “Today’s results highlight the power of our combined networks, with SCA and ACE delivering a massive 37.6% commercial share amongst the Audience That Matters, 9.3 share points above our nearest competitor. Our live and local approach, combined with consistency across all our shows around the country, is driving results for our audience and brands. SCA remains unmatched in its ability to reach the Audience That Matters, and when combined with the scale of Seven West Media, Southern Cross Media Group offers advertisers a truly unrivalled platform to connect with audiences at scale.”
Commercial radio has delivered consistent audience performance since mid-2022 in an increasingly fragmented landscape. Reaching more than 12.7 million Australians weekly, it connects audiences through trusted, live and local content, delivering the scale and relevance advertisers require.
Southern Cross Media Group (ASX:SXL) (Southern Cross) is one of Australia’s most prominent media companies, with a market-leading presence across broadcast television, audio, publishing and digital.
SCA audio assets include the LiSTNR digital audio app, offering free and compelling digital audio content including SCA’s FM, AM, and DAB+ radio stations, live AFL, NRL, and international cricket coverage, over 50 music playlists, local news and over 800 podcast titles from leading Australian and global creators. With more than 2.5 million signed-in users on the LiSTNR app and with a total LiSTNR Audience Network that reaches an estimated ten million* people each month.
SCA owns 104 radio stations across FM, AM, and DAB+ radio under the Triple M and Hit network brands and provides national sales representation for 56 regional radio stations, with more than 8.7 million listeners across the Hit and Triple M networks nationally.
Deeper data, sharper planning: Introducing the new Demos+ Top Indexing Programs by Audience Composition Ranker
This month CRA and Triton Digital are introducing two enhancements to the Demos+ dataset. The first is the launch of the Demos+ Top Indexing Programs by Audience Composition – a new planning tool that shows media buyers which podcasts perform best for the audiences that matter most to their campaigns, from high-income households and active property buyers to frequent travellers and fitness enthusiasts.
Alongside the new Ranker, the existing Demos+ Category Ranker has been significantly expanded, with four times the audience characteristics data previously available. Together, they give planners the tools to build campaigns around what audiences buy, how they live and how they engage with audio, in addition to existing gender, age and location data. Both are available now via the Triton Demos+ dashboard.
Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA said: “Podcasting has matured rapidly in Australia. The expansion of Demos+ data moves advertisers beyond age and gender-based audio strategies – into a greater view of the behaviours, intentions and spending patterns that drive campaign outcomes. Unlocking the right podcast environment to reach their desired audience.”
Who’s Listening, What’s Trending?
Your EOFY audience is already listening, is your brand in the conversation? More than 1 in 5 monthly podcast listeners plan to seek financial advice this year. Their number one genre is Health & Fitness reaching 29.9% of that audience, just ahead of Business at 29.4%. With 39.2% of them also planning a gym or fitness purchase this year, this audience is after a reset across money, health and lifestyle. Nearly 1 in 7 monthly podcast listeners plan to buy an investment property this year, and 40% of them identify as senior decision-makers. Kids & Family is their second biggest genre of choice, with 20.7% tuning in – ahead of Music, Education and Business.1
Australian Podcast Ranker top five genres February 2026
Genre
Monthly Listeners
1
News
5,223,090
2
Society & Culture
3,881,781
3
Comedy
2,592,183
4
Sports
2,531,527
5
True Crime
2,425,664
Australian Podcast Ranker top five podcasts February 2026
Podcast
Producer
MonthlyListeners
1
Mamamia Out Loud
Mamamia
982,235
2
ABC News Top Stories
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
518,826
3
Sky News Australia Update
News Corp Australia
474,219
4
MAFS Funny Podcast
NOVA Entertainment
469,212
5
The Update
NOVA Entertainment
398,838
Sources:
Triton Digital Demos+ Australian Survey Data (Q1’24 – Q4’25). All percentages represent composition of each genre’s monthly P18+ podcast audience.
Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) has welcomed the GfK Survey 1, 2026 results. Survey 1 captured listening behaviour between 18 January and 28 February 2026 and is the first read of what promises to be a defining year for Australian audio.
The industry reaches 12.7 million Australians weekly1 – sustaining the consistent audience performance that has defined the medium since mid-2022 through a global pandemic, platform fragmentation and an increasingly competitive media landscape.
In a period marked by geopolitical turbulence, economic uncertainty and rapid technological disruption, audiences turn to trusted, live and local media. This remains commercial radio’s competitive advantage – whatever the market, whatever the moment, Australian commercial radio delivers the reach and relevance advertisers require.
CRA started the year demonstrating its impressive record of stability, scale and resilience, underpinned by its proven effectiveness with research presented by Professor Mark Ritson confirming that brands investing 11% or more of their media budget in audio unlock significantly greater campaign effectiveness.2
Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA said: “Radio’s place in Australian life is built on trusted influence around the cultural conversations that shape our country, from moments of tragedy to times of triumph. Survey numbers speak to these moments, not just the strength of the medium – and when read holistically, they tell the story of radio’s role as a platform that has not just endured change but grown through it.”
“The commercial radio industry is entering an exciting new chapter – one defined by a level of industry collaboration for the benefit of audiences and advertisers alike. Our members are reaching audiences across AM, FM, DAB+, streaming and podcasting, and the investment in platforms like CRA Audio ID and RadioApp means we are delivering the precision, transparency and scale that advertisers require,” concluded Young.
Melbourne’s 3AW and Sydney’s 2GB have started 2026 on top of the Breakfast radio ratings – winning the most important shift in the biggest cities.
Today’s GfK Survey 1 ratings for 2026 show Australians turn to Nine Radio for trusted news and entertainment, with Ben Fordham Live (2GB) and Breakfast with Ross and Russ (3AW) winning the crucial Breakfast battle and being the clear No.1 shows.
Results today cover the survey period from January 18 to February 28. 3AW is the outright No.1 radio station in Melbourne, while 2GB has grown its audience and is the No.1 talk radio station in Sydney.
2GB Highlights
2GB is the No.1 talk radio in Sydney with a 12.2 share
Ben Fordham Live is No.1 in Breakfast and has increased his audience to a 16.6 share
Mornings with Mark Levy is No.1 talk in Sydney with a 14.1 share (up from 13.0) and has seen his cume audience increase by 88,000 listeners
3AW Highlights
3AW is the clearNo.1 station for Melburnians, delivering a 13.8 share
Ross and Russ claimed the No.1 Breakfast position with a 19.4 share
Mornings with Tom Elliott was No.1 with a 15.7 share
Greg Byrnes, Nine Radio’s National Content Manager, said: “These results are fantastic and pave the way for another dominant year for our audio business. It’s great to see Ben Fordham increase his listeners in Sydney on his number one breakfast show, resulting in big gains right across the day on 2GB. 3AW has long been Melbourne’s most listened-to radio station, and starts 2026 as the clear number one overall, and in Breakfast and Mornings.
“While the changes we’ve made in Brisbane and Perth will take time to resonate, today’s big increases on 6PR are pleasing to see. Australia knows it can rely on us for trusted news, opinion, and entertainment, and we’re committed to delivering again throughout 2026.”
COMMERCIAL RADIO SHARE
TOTAL RADIO CUME
14.6% (4 markets)
1.719 million listeners each week
STREAMING
Nine Radio is dominant in digital streaming, reflecting its accessibility to listeners on the go, around the house, in the car, or anywhere they choose to tune in. The network has once again claimed the No.1 national share, as well as leading across key dayparts in Sydney and Melbourne.
3AW No.1 overall: share 33.8%
2GB No.1 overall: share 32%
Breakfast with Ross and Russ No.1:share 45.1%
Ben Fordham Live No.1: share 43.8%
Mornings with Tom Elliott No.1:share 43.4%
Mornings with Mark Levy No.1:share 32.3%
Greg Byrnes said: “We are the clear market leader in streaming, and our momentum is accelerating. Our 25% year-on-year increase in audience demonstrates that a growing number of Australians are connecting with our live and local content through a digital device. We are continually refining the app experience, and features like the audio sync during the footy have been an outstanding success.”
“Streaming is the best way to engage our live and local content, it sounds great, is always on and ensures you’re always informed and up to date.”
Sydney’s 2GBhas begun 2026 by securing its position as having the undisputed No.1 breakfast show in the city, with the station also seeing big audience increases across the day.
Today’s GfK Survey 1 ratings for 2026 show the station increased its overall audience, delivering a 12.2 share – with gains across Breakfast, Mornings, Afternoons, Drive, Evenings and Weekends.
The commanding performance was led byBen Fordham Live, which posted a decisive victory, reaching a 16.6 share (up 1.7) to claim its place as Sydney’s most listened-to Breakfast program. The winning momentum carried through most dayparts, which was evidenced by Mornings with Mark Levy, which increased its share to 14.1 (up 1.1 on last survey) and saw cumulative audience increase by 88,000 listeners.
2GB has also cemented its status as the outright No.1 in live audio streaming, with its unmatched ability to connect with audiences across all platforms. The station recorded a 32.0 commercial streaming share – a dominance that spanned all dayparts, including the competitive Breakfast and Mornings slots, which recorded massive shares of 43.8 and 32.3 respectively.
2GB Station Manager, Greg Byrnes said: “This is a magnificent start to the year for 2GB, with significant audience growth across every key shift. Ben Fordham’s stunning result in Breakfast proves he’s essential listening for every Sydneysider.
“The result is well-deserved recognition for all of our on-air and production teams. We look forward to building on this momentum as we celebrate two major milestones this year: the 40th anniversary of the legendary Continuous Call Team and 2GB’s momentous 100th anniversary.”
Highlights from GfK Survey 1 include:
Afternoons with Michael McLaren posted a 9.7 share (up 0.6)
Sydney Now with Clinton Maynard recorded a 6.5 share (up 0.7)
Wide World of Sportswith Adam Hawse recorded a 8.0 share (up 0.8)
Money News with James Willis posted a 9.2 share (up 1.9)
Nights with John Stanley recorded a 17.6 share (up 1.8)
Weekends with Luke Grant is No.1 posting a 13.2 share (up 2.0)
Overnights with Phil O’Neil is also No.1 recording 18.3 share (up 0.8)
3AW has decisively cemented its status as Melbourne’s premier radio destination, yet again proving it is the undisputed leader in the market.
The GfK Survey 1 results, released today, confirm the station’s dominance as the city’s essential source for live, local and engaging talk content,securing a substantial overall audience share of 13.8, alongside a commercial streaming share of 33.8%.
Every week, 705,000 Melburnians tune into 3AW, with the station’s stronghold on the market evident across the schedule, successfully retaining the coveted No. 1 position in breakfast, mornings and evenings.
In the highly competitive breakfast slot, Ross and Russ once again proved unbeatable, claiming a massive 19.4 share. Their must-listen show reaches 446,000 listeners weekly and leads the digital charge with a staggering 45.1% commercial streaming share.
3AW Highlights from GfK Survey 1 include:
Afternoons with Tony Moclair posted a 10.3 share
Drive with Jacqui Felgaterecorded a 9.8 share (up 0.9)
Nights with Denis Walterrecorded a 22.3 share (up 0.5)
Overnights with Tony McManus recorded a 26.7 share
3AW Station Manager Stephen Beers said: “We are delighted that 2026 is continuing with us as Melbourne’s number one radio station, delivering trusted news and opinions across all our programs. The dominance of Breakfast with Ross and Russ along with Tom Elliott in Mornings sets up our day and our whole week. Thanks to our hard working staff on and off air and our ever loyal audience for their ongoing support and engagement.”
