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Radio Listeners Are Increasingly Tuning into Programs When it Suits Them

Nova radio co-host Kate Ritchie is part of the Fitzy and Wippa radio trio.

Radio listening habits have significantly changed as consumers opt to tune in to popular shows and podcasts at a time that is convenient to them, NOVA Entertainment’s chief growth officer Adam Johnson says.

Rejigging program schedules to cater to listeners’ different working schedules has resulted in the popular FM station this year introducing a new show hosted by Chrissie Swan in the new 2pm to 4pm timeslot.

“We put Chrissie into a whole new show we’d never had before and that 2pm to 4pm slot … is No.1 in its timeslot nationally,” Mr Johnson said.

“Some people now go home in that 2pm to 4pm timeslot because they start work earlier and want to get home in time for school pick-up, so the traditional drive slot is no longer traditional.

“The Chrissie Swan Show fills an interesting gap that would have historically been more wall-to-wall music without as much personality in it. It reflects the more modern ways of living and working.”

Mr Johnson said the station’s audio content must be available to listeners across many platforms, including traditional radio in a car, on smart speakers or phones, and whenever they want it, including via podcasts.

“Ultimately, as an audio business, you can’t be an all-audio business and only have radio output because people are consuming more and more audio content every day,” he said.

“Some of our biggest podcasts are catch-up shows from the radio because some people might love Fitzy (Ryan Fitzgerald), Wippa (Michael Wipfli) and Kate Ritchie but they might want to listen at a different time, so time shifting is an area of opportunity for us.”

Triton Digital’s Australian Podcast Ranker showed in February the ARN-owned KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show was the most popular podcast, with more than 4.8 million downloads for the month.

Mr Johnson said the reliance on audio soared during the pandemic as people were hungry for news and information, and many listening habits from 2020-21 had stuck around.

“You get so much reality forced in front of you through social media that sometimes the escapism of two or three people – who you really warm to – talking about their lives in between great music … that will grow,” Mr Johnson said.

First published by theaustralian.com.au