In a shocking turn of events, the dynamic radio pair Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson have experienced a significant decline in their audience ratings in Melbourne, marking one of the lowest points since they debuted their show there two years ago. Their program concluded 2025 with a mere 5 percent audience share, as revealed in the latest survey results released on Tuesday morning. This disappointing outcome is reminiscent of the show's performance in the final ratings survey of 2024, though it reflects an even steeper drop with 1,000 fewer cumulative listeners.
This year has been particularly challenging for the duo, who are bound by a staggering $200 million contract spanning a decade with their network, KIIS, and its parent company, ARN Media. To maintain compliance with broadcasting regulations, ARN has had to employ several censors, due to the fact that Sandilands and Henderson breached broadcasting codes concerning decency a dozen times throughout 2025.
The negative ratings, coupled with a vigorous campaign from the activist group Mad F---ing Witches, have contributed to a notable decline in ARN’s advertising share since the show expanded into Melbourne in April 2024. This poor performance has sparked reconsideration of The Kyle and Jackie O Show's intended national expansion, which was initially part of the justification for the hefty salaries of its hosts.
In response to these challenges, the network has reintroduced the breakfast trio Robin, Kip & Corey in Brisbane for 2026, who had previously been let go, while also bringing in former Nova and Triple J figures Ben Harvey and Liam Stapleton for Adelaide. Notably, Sandilands and Henderson’s show will not air in those markets.
Despite KIIS’s disappointing 5.4 percent audience share in Melbourne, ARN's other station, Gold, achieved impressive success with a 13.3 percent share, firmly establishing itself as the leading FM station in the area, only slightly trailing the longstanding market leader, AM talkback station 3AW, which sits at 13.9 percent.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, SmoothFM concluded the year as the top station with a 13 percent market share, reflecting a growth of 1.6 percentage points, surpassing 2GB, which is owned by Nine and saw its share drop from 13.8 to 11.2 percent.
As for ABC Radio Melbourne, it wrapped up the year with a 6.5 percent share, showing a slight increase of 0.2 percentage points from the previous survey, while breakfast hosts Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy celebrated a strong finish with a 7.8 percent share.
The final ratings survey for 2025 took place between October 5 and December 13.
But here's where it gets controversial: Can we really say that ratings reflect the true value of a show, or do they merely capture fleeting listener preferences? As changes unfold in the radio landscape, what do you think about the future of traditional radio hosts like Sandilands and Henderson? Join the conversation below!
