3AW maintains Melbourne radio stronghold in latest ratings survey

It was steady as she goes in Melbourne radio in the latest ratings survey – with AM powerhouse 3AW holding its comfortable lead over all comers, and Fox increasing its dominance to cement a commanding lead over the FM field.

The city's defining, long-running radio rivalry – the Mornings battleground contested by 3AW's Neil Mitchell and ABC 774's Jon Faine - saw audience honours again go to Mitchell, who won every survey this year, with one survey to come. With his latest win – a 14.4 per cent audience share to Faine's 10.9, both down slightly on last time – Mitchell guarantees he has bragging rights for 2016.

The same is true for 3AW Breakfast stalwarts Ross Stevenson and John Burns, who again smothered the competition despite a drop of almost a point to 17.8 per cent. That still left them way ahead of Red Symons on ABC 774, who fell slightly to 12.3 per cent.

Overall, 3AW – owned by Fairfax, publisher of this masthead – scored a healthy win: a 13.6 per cent share to the ABC station's 9.5.

In the FM contest, it was Fox by a mile - an audience boost lifting the station by 1.5 per cent to a 10.1 per cent share. Gold FM was down 0.6 per cent but held second place on 8 per cent, while Triple M took third place on 7.7 per cent, pipping SmoothFM on 7.6.

Nova (6.4), KIIS FM (5.8) and Triple J (4.7) round out the FM ladder.

The big winner for FOX: Hamish Blake and Andy Lee in Drive, who dramatically increased their time-slot lead, up from 11 per cent in survey 6 to a stunning 13.3 per cent.

No one came close in the Drive race, with Nova, Triple M, SmoothFM, KIIS and Gold all bunched roughly six points behind.

In FM Breakfast, Triple M's trio of Eddie McGuire, Luke Darcy and Mick Malloy team held their long-standing spot at number one, up from 9.2 per cent to 9.9, ahead of Fox's Fifi, Dave and Fev on 8.5 and Nova's Chrissie Swan, Sam Pang and Jonathan Brown in third on 7 per cent.