Austria Radio Audience Drifts

Michael Hedges July 30, 2006

Radiotest audience results for the first half of 2006 didn’t exactly raise alarms but there were no fireworks either. Public broadcaster ORF edged lower, raising questions about the trends.

Österreichischen Rundfunks (ORF) Hitradio Ö3 is the unmistakable market leader with a country-wide 50.1% daily reach among 14 to 49 year olds, down from 51.4% one year on. Among ORF’s national and regional radio channels only Ö1 (culture and news) increased country-wide listeners 10 years and older, only regional channels Radio Wein and Radio Oberösterreich gained with the ad-essential 14 to 49 year olds.

Privately owned radio broadcasters have little to cheer. Total daily reach increased to 22.5% from 22.4% among listeners 10 years and older and 29.1% from 28.8% year on year among 14 to 49 year olds country-wide. Kronehit, the only private national radio channel, increased to 5.1% daily reach, listeners 10 years and older from 4.7%. Life Radio increased to 3.3% daily reach from 3.0% country-wide, almost entirely from a big gain in its home state Oberösterreich to 15.1% from 12.7% daily reach, listeners 10 years and older. 88.6 Supermix increased to 1.8% daily reach, listeners 10 years and older from 1.5%. Country-wide, all other private radio stations either held last years’ reach or lost audience.

The Vienna market always differs from Austria as a whole, most notably with lower overall radio listening, 77.4% of the region listening daily compared with 83.4% in entire country. Indeed, radio listening in Vienna dropped significantly from 82.3% one year on. Daily reach for ORF channels in Vienna combined is only 64.1%, down from 67.7%. Of the public radio channels, only FM4 increased daily reach, to 6.0% from 5.1% among listeners 10 years and older and to 9.5% among 14 to 49 year olds from 8.3%.

Privately owned stations didn’t fare much better. The overall daily reach for the private stations dropped to 26.2% from 29.9%. Radio Arabella (Oldies), Radio Energy 104.2 (R&B Hits), Antenna Sender, and Antenna Wien 102.5 lost daily audience compared with the same period last year. Kronehit and 88.6 Supermix increased reach in Vienna.

For 88.6 Supermix the latest audience survey shows a positive result for its American-imported Jack FM format, described by station manager Ricky McKenna as like a completely filled iPod programmed to Shuffle.

In Niederösterreich, the state surrounding Vienna, the public broadcaster, predictably, fares significantly better, as does radio listening in general. OFR channels increased daily reach to 76.6% from 75.2% one year on. All ORF national channels increased daily reach, save FM4 with its distinctive Vienna orientation. Private stations increased daily reach to 24.2% from 20.5% one year on among listeners 10 years and older. Kronehit, 88.6 Supermix and 106.7 Party FM increased reach.

Radiotest interviewed 12,000 persons. The results are released semi-annually.