After a challenging year, Australian Radio Network (ARN) is prioritizing stability and audience engagement as it looks towards 2026. Chief Audience and Content Officer Lauren Joyce emphasized the need for rebuilding momentum following the announcement of CEO Ciaran Davis‘s departure. This shift comes on the heels of a mixed performance in Survey 6, where ARN’s flagship station, KIIS 1065, maintained its breakfast lead in Sydney, yet faced challenges in other markets.
In Sydney, KIIS 1065 recorded an overall share of 9.8%, a drop from 11.1%, with a weekly cumulative audience of 1.119 million listeners, down by 46,000. Despite this decline, the popular breakfast duo, Kyle and Jackie O, remained the top FM performers, even as their share decreased from 15.3% to 13.6%. Joyce noted the consistency of ARN’s Sydney brands as a positive takeaway: “I think that Jonesy and Amanda in particular have done a really good job of holding things really steady this book,” she stated during an interview with Mediaweek.
Meanwhile, KIIS 101.1 in Melbourne saw a slight decline from 5.6% to 4.9%, although the station gained 21,000 listeners, reaching 967,000 in total weekly audience. The breakfast program for Kyle and Jackie O also softened to 6%, down from 6.1%. Joyce acknowledged the importance of considering broader trends rather than focusing solely on one survey’s results. “If you actually look at today’s result, it’s not outside of our historical performance range,” she affirmed.
Joyce reflected on the performance of KIIS, noting that the station has now achieved 54 survey wins under the leadership of Kyle and Jackie O, who lead their nearest competitor by more than 10 share points among the 25–54 demographic. In Melbourne, ARN’s sister station, Gold 104.3, maintained a solid position, remaining steady at 11.2% overall, with an increase of 71,000 listeners, reaching 1.224 million.
Looking ahead, Joyce described 2025 as a year of “rebase” for ARN, emphasizing the need to streamline costs and refine content strategies. She highlighted the upcoming Upfronts event, scheduled for later this month, as a pivotal moment for the network. “It’s no secret that we’ve had a really tough year and we’ve worked incredibly hard to kind of rebase the business,” she remarked.
The leadership transition at ARN adds another layer of complexity. With Davis set to step down in early 2026, Michael Stephenson, the current COO and former commercial chief at Nine, is poised to take over. Joyce believes this change, combined with ARN’s strategic plans for the future, marks a significant turning point. “We couldn’t be more excited. In a couple of weeks’ time, we’ll be revealing a lot of our plans, then it’ll be the catalyst for momentum going into 2026,” she stated, emphasizing that this moment represents a clear “line in the sand” for ARN.
As ARN navigates these changes, the emphasis remains on delivering engaging content and capturing audience interest across its platforms. The forthcoming announcements are anticipated to set the stage for a renewed focus on growth and stability in the Australian radio landscape.
