Talkback radio tumbles in latest ratings

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 9, 2026

Smoothfm has surpassed traditional talkback stations like 2GB in Sydney, reflecting a broader trend of audiences favoring easy-listening formats over opinion-driven programming across major Australian cities. This shift signals increasing challenges for talkback radio's dominance and may prompt broadcasters to rethink their content strategies to retain listeners.

The dominance of shock-jock-led talkback radio appears to be diminishing, as recent ratings data reveal significant audience shifts toward easy-listening formats across major Australian cities.

In Sydney, Smoothfm has overtaken the historically leading talkback station 2GB, capturing 13.2 percent of the market compared to 2GB’s 10.8 percent share. This marks a notable change in listener preferences in a city once considered a stronghold for hard-news, opinion-driven programming. Despite breakfast host Ben Fordham maintaining his position as the top-rated presenter on 2GB with 13.9 percent audience share, his listenership dropped by nearly one percentage point. Meanwhile, Smoothfm’s Bogart Torelli narrowed the gap to 11.8 percent, moving closer to 2GB’s lead. KIIS FM’s Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson held steady in fifth place with 6.9 percent. Interestingly, Clinton Maynard was the only 2GB host to increase audience share, rising 0.4 points to 6.2 percent, shortly before being replaced by James Willis.

Melbourne demonstrated a similar trend, with Tapt’s 3AW retaining top spot with a 13.4 percent share despite a 0.7 point decline. Smoothfm remained strong in second place with a 10.3 percent share amid ongoing gains for easy-listening formats. The city’s top-rated breakfast show, Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft on 3AW, led with an 18.3 percent share despite a 1.2 point fall. GoldFM’s Christian O’Connell trailed in second with 10.5 percent. Other 3AW time slots experienced notable drops, including mornings host Tom Elliott, who fell 1.7 points to 15.7 percent, followed by afternoons host Tony Moclair’s 0.4 point decrease. Drive-time host Jacqui Peetmale improved slightly by 0.8 points to 8.8 percent but remained behind leaders on Gold FM and Smoothfm.

Brisbane presented a more pronounced decline for talkback formats. 4BH, owned by Tapt but operated independently, surged by 1.4 points to claim first place with a 12.3 percent share, overtaking market leader B105. Conversely, 4BC—Tapt’s own talkback station—continued to lose ground, falling 0.2 points to just 4.1 percent, its lowest share in the survey. This represents a stark contrast given that 4BH was leased to Ace Radio five years ago as an underperforming asset, now commanding triple the audience of 4BC under rival management.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) metropolitan networks saw little movement. Sydney’s ABC station declined marginally by 0.2 points to 5.3 percent, Melbourne dropped 0.3 points to 5.7 percent, and Brisbane remained steady at 5.5 percent. Perth’s ABC audience fell by 1.3 points to 3.7 percent, while Adelaide experienced a slight increase of 0.4 points to 7.4 percent.

Overall, the latest survey underscores the challenges facing traditional talkback radio as listener preferences continue shifting toward more relaxed, music-oriented formats in Australia’s key markets.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.