Avon celebrates poll

Press, 29 August 1984, Page 8

Avon celebrates poll

Radio Avon staff celebrated with champagne last evening the results of a poll taken in Christchurch which indicates the station has taken young adult listeners from 3ZM.

The survey, made by the Broadcasting Corporation between June 23 and August 17, covers listenership between 6 a.m. and midnight among people aged 10 and over. The results, compared with a previous poll taken in March and April, showed that although Avon retained an over-all audience share of 17 per cent, its listenership in the young adult audience, aged 15 to 29 — the target audience of both Avon and 3ZM — rose from 17 to 19 per cent. Avon’s share of the 20 to 39 age-group increased from 21 to 22 per cent, while 3ZM’s share dropped from 40 to 35 per cent. Radio New Zealand’s other commercial station, 3ZB, continues to increase its over-all market share lead, however, from 35 to 40 per cent. 3ZM retained second place among Christchurch listeners with 25 per cent of the audience, a drop of 30 per cent. Avon is third with 17 per

cent, and 3YA fourth with 13 per cent, up from 11 per cent last survey. Radio Rhema remains at 3 per cent, and 3YC has dropped from 2 to 1 per cent, with “others” at 2 per cent. The programme director at Radio Avon, Mr Rob McKay, said the axing of the station’s nine-to-noon talkback show had lost its morning listeners to 3ZB, but it had gained listeners in every other time zone.

The district manager of Radio New Zealand, Mr lan Vemazoni, said that 3ZM’s drop in listenership reflected the interest in the snap election and the Olympic Games, which had drawn listeners to 3ZB. Avon’s switching to a music format meant it had gained some young listeners. “We are not planning any changes in strategy to counter that. 3ZM still has 55 per cent of the audience aged 15 to 29,” he said.