Geelong listeners are choosing local

LOCAL radio is growing in Geelong, with K rock 95.5 and bay 93.9 surpassing 50 per cent audience reach while also claiming national honours at the inaugural Australian Audio Awards.

New Xtra Insights figures show local radio now reaches more than half of the Geelong population each week, up from 41.9 per cent previously.

K rock and bay 93.9 ranked first and second in the local market respectively, outperforming competitors across all key dayparts and target demographics.

K rock now reaches more than 90,000 listeners each week, while bay 93.9 attracts more than 89,000.

The strong audience results were followed by a clean sweep at the Australian Audio Awards in Sydney, with Geelong Broadcasters winning all three categories it entered.

The awards recognised the locally produced “Geelonging” campaign for Whitford Property, K rock’s Great Ocean Odes program hosted by Chris Holland, and producer Dan King.

Geelong Broadcasters general manager Rachel Patterson said the results reflected the strength of local content.

“We’re seeing audiences actively choosing local, for connection, relevance and trusted voices,” she said.

“These results highlight the strength of live and local radio in Geelong, and the role it continues to play in people’s daily lives.”

K rock’s Tom and Loggy remained the region’s leading breakfast program, while Tim and Davo continued to lead the drive timeslot.

Bay 93.9 recorded the strongest overall audience growth and became the most-listened-to station during the workday, ranking first in both mornings and afternoons.

The station also posted significant gains on weekends.

Patterson said the national awards were a testament to the creativity and local focus of the Geelong team.

“To not only be shortlisted for these national awards but to win every category we entered is an incredible achievement,” she said.

“The application and judging process for these awards was a gruelling job, with our Geelong team up against the best in the country, and it’s a great measure of the creativity, passion and local focus of our team.”