The change has come due to good performances across the schedule for FIVEaa, with its breakfast team of David Penberthy and Will Goodings in a powerful position at the top of the ratings.

It’s an extraordinary change for FIVEaa and ABC Radio Adelaide.

Just three surveys ago – released in August – the ABC was the top-rating local station, anchored by a leading performance in breakfast by Stacey Lee and Nikolai Beilharz, while FIVEaa was placed last out of the local stations.

In survey eight, released today, FIVEaa is the second highest-rating station overall behind regular leader Mix, and has extended its lead in the commercially important breakfast shift.

The ABC remains in second place in breakfast, after losing its early dominance.

Penberthy and Goodings extended their lead, putting on 1.3 percentage points to hit 16.5 per cent of listener share. Lee and Beilharz also increased their share, by 0.8 percentage points, to hit 13.6.

Elsewhere in breakfast, Triple M solidified its position in third place while Mix’s team – led by former ABC announcer Ali Clarke – improved to leapfrog SAFM and close in on a falling Nova.

Both of those latter FM stations have shaken up their breakfast shifts, with SAFM dumping long-term announcer Andrew “Cosi” Costello in October and Nova’s high-profile team of Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton set to move to the network’s Melbourne station next year. Clarke’s crew will welcome 10 news sports presenter Max Burford next year.

After a series of harsh headlines in the Murdoch press this year, Clarke’s show ends 2022 with exactly the same listener share Mix’s breakfast show achieved in the same survey last year – 9 per cent. That December 2021 release was Clarke’s final survey at the ABC, where she was the voice of the highest-rating show in Adelaide.

Latest overall ratings data. Source: GfK radio ratings, survey eight, 2022. Taken Sun Sept 25 to Sat Dec 3.

Overall, Mix remained on top, ahead of a surging FIVEaa, with Nova in third place. Triple M ends a solid year in fourth, followed by SAFM and ABC Radio Adelaide on level pegging, and then Cruise.

In mornings, Mix held top spot, followed by FIVEaa’s outgoing veteran Leon Byner who had a good final survey.

In afternoons, Mix held on to its lead while in Drive, Mix and SAFM shared the honours.

In the evenings, FIVEaa extended its dominance, with announcer Matthew Pantelis enjoying a huge 23 per cent of listener share in his final survey before replacing Byner in the morning shift.

The ABC’s days of powerful evening performances appear to be over, finishing the year with 8.5 per cent of share. At the end of 2021, veteran announcer Peter Goers had 12.3 per cent of listeners.

As is usually the case in the battle between FIVEaa and the ABC, shifts in the older demographics tell the tale.

In this survey, FIVEaa had a huge bounce in the over-65 audience – increasing by 6.3 percentage points to hit 24.5 per cent – overtaking the ABC which lost 1.5 percentage points to finish on 22.1 per cent. In the 55-64 age bracket, the ABC improved, but still remained well behind FIVEaa.

Share movement by shift. Source: GfK radio ratings, survey eight, 2022. Taken from Sun Sept 25 to Sat Dec 3.