Three of the five Australian major metropolitan markets reported a drop in commercial radio ad revenue in January according to figures released by industry body Commercial Radio and Audio.
While both Sydney and Brisbane stations reported year on year ad revenue gains for the month of January, there were declines in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth which resulted in an overall dip of 2.1% compared to the same time last year.
“Radio is holding up well and remains a good choice for advertisers in times of economic uncertainty,” said CRA CEO Ford Ennals. “January was a mixed bag for us, with two major markets up and three down, and we are encouraged by the level of demand that we are seeing now from media agencies and clients.”
Ad revenue across Australia’s five major metropolitan markets totalled AU$41.811 million in January, compared to $42.698 million a year ago.
Sydney stations reported a 1.3% year on year increase to $12.601 million, while Brisbane stations were up 3.8% to $6.489 million. Melbourne stations dipped 4.1% to $13.694 million, Adelaide stations were down 7.1% to $3.527 million and Perth stations dropped 7.4% to $5.5 million.
However, CRA reports that audiences remain strong for commercial radio stations in all five metro markets with the last GfK radio ratings of 2022 showing a record high.
Ad revenue figures include agency and direct ad revenue and were compiled by media data analytics company Milton Data.