Australian Radio Ratings: KIIS FM Plunges After Kyle and Jackie O Departure; ABC Continues Struggles
KIIS FM's Sydney breakfast show suffered a sharp 34.4% year-on-year decline in market share following the departure of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson, dropping from 12.5% to 8.2% in the latest survey period. The pair were terminated from their 10-year, $100 million-per-person contracts with almost eight years remaining, and are now separately suing ARN for wrongful dismissal. The ratings decline highlights the commercial impact of the high-profile departure while ARN's syndication strategy shows mixed results elsewhere, with Christian O'Connell gaining traction on Gold in Sydney.
In the third radio ratings survey of 2026 (March 1 to May 23), KIIS1065's Sydney breakfast show experienced a dramatic collapse following the departure of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson. The show's market share dropped from 11.7% to 8.2%, representing a 34.4% decline year-on-year from the previous year's 12.5% share. Average audience numbers fell even more sharply by one-third, from 93,000 to 62,000 listeners. The pair, who had dominated the breakfast market for nearly two decades, were terminated from their contracts with approximately eight years remaining and are now pursuing separate wrongful dismissal lawsuits against ARN. However, ARN's broader syndication strategy showed some success, with Christian O'Connell's breakfast show on Gold gaining significant ground in Sydney, adding 11,000 average listeners (up to 55,000) and 1.7 percentage points in share. Meanwhile, the ABC continued its struggles in both Sydney and Melbourne markets, recording its worst-ever ratings in the modern era despite modest survey-to-survey improvements.
What different sources said
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Kyle and Jackie departure leaves a big hole for KIIS in latest radio ratings
- Daily Telegraph SydneyCenter
‘Walloping’: KIIS FM suffers record ratings plunge
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Radio ratings: ABC still struggling and does anyone miss Kyle and Jackie O?
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