Are we about to see a resurgence in 2DayFM?
As the year kicked off and the return of Hughesy, Ed & Erin to 2DayFM was announced, my initial reaction echoed a familiar sentiment – "Here we go again, another year of SCA in denial." It seemed that 2DayFM has long been running on autopilot. The latest survey numbers tell a lackluster tale – a 4.9% share at breakfast, an overall 5.2%, and a 7th place tie with its sibling, 104.9 Triple M. Yet, amidst all this uneasiness, there might be hope, which comes as the duo, Mike E and Emma. Formerly of The Edge 96.1, now the faces of RnB Fridays Radio, this duo has a following that precedes them. Their move to 2DayFM sparks curiosity, hinting at a possible shift in the station's trajectory. Let's take a closer look at how we got here, check out what's happening right now, and maybe predict where 2DayFM could be heading.
In the latest survey, 2DayFM had a 4.9% share at breakfast with an overall 5.2% (People 10+), meaning 7th place in the ratings tied with sister station 104.9 Triple M. While a slight improvement from a 3.9% share from 2014, it's a far cry from the powerhouse status the station held over a decade ago, when Kyle and Jackie O were hosting before they defecting to rival station KIIS 1065.
Hughesy, Ed and Erin created an anomaly for 2DayFM -the norm was a frequent shuffle in breakfast shows, or at least a team reconfiguration every 9-12 months.It was strange that what had been considered the worst brekky show out of the past nine managed to stay with 2DayFM, many factors of this might have included the fact that their sister station, Triple M needs as much help as 2DayFM does with their brekky show and general formatting. Either way, the show has proved to be unrelatable to Sydney listeners, with Hughesy being Melbourne personalities - not what you want for a Sydney audience.
Anyway, let's talk about today, and why I think a resurgence might be happening.
Former The Edge 96.1 (now CADA) personalities, and current hosts of the breakfast show of RnB Fridays Radio, Michael Etheridge and Emma Chow, or known by their show name Mike E and Emma now have a show on 2DayFM. This duo has a following from their Edge days. They joined SCA in 2022 to front line the then newly launched RnB Fridays Radio station on DAB+, which I perceived as an odd choice back then, as you would have been asking for their existing audience to download LiSTNR, or install a DAB head unit in their car to recieve them again, which was a slap in the face to their audience considering they were available on FM before. This decision also contributed to the continued presence of Hughesy, Ed & Erin on 2DayFM.
This was the setup for 2022 and 2023, however on the 15th on January it was announced that Mike E & Emma was joining 2DayFM for a 9 - 11 am shift, directly after Hughesy, Ed and Erin, while continuing their show on RnB Fridays Radio.
While they will initially not be taking a breakfast shift, there are telling signs that Hughesy Ed & Erin's days are outnumbered on 2DayFM and the Hit Network. The signs are that for one, their national networked show that's usually aired at 6pm is not happening. Instead, a local replay of the breakfast show on the local Hit station will be playing, which is good for the local listeners around the Hit Network.
I have a feeling that their breakfast show will be cancelled to accommodate Mike E & Emma in the near future, and this is a good thing. Being locals, Mike E & Emma know Sydney more than Dave Hughes ever will. And once again mentioning the fact that they already have a following from when they were doing the breakfast shift on The Edge.The advantage of the duo on 2DayFM will definitely be the wider signal reach considering 96.1 is technically a Katoomba/Outer Sydney station, but 2DayFM will give a wider reach than 96.1 ever will.
If Mike E and Emma were to take over the 2DayFM breakfast shift, then I feel the station should focus on dance music and urban beats if they were to move forward with Mike E & Emma, as that was the format on The Edge, and would make the transition from RnB Fridays Radio easier.
While the station won't be #1 anytime soon due to Kyle and Jackie O's dominance on KIIS, it's still going to be interesting to see the future of 2DayFM, especially if Mike E & Emma eventually take over breakfast. Ultimately, the next few surveys will hopefully reveal what's coming next for Hughesy, Ed, and Erin, and Mike E and Emma. We'll see if any changes are coming.
