The following article appeared in "The Daily Liberal" 18/04/2001

BIG SLICE: 2DU-ZOO General manager Reg Ferguson celebrates Radio 2DU's topping
of the radio ratings with 2DU Breakfast Announcer Peter Leslie.

KATHY STONE
Veteran radio station 2DU has topped the recent ratings battle attracting more listeners than its major competitors while the new kid on the block Star FM easily dominated the youth market and blitzed rival station Zoo FM.

Early results released yesterday from the AC Nielsen Radio Survey offered a mixed bag for the region’s commercial stations.
Radio 2DU snared 37.7 per cent of all listeners aged 10 years or older, Star 27.1 per cent, Zoo 12.4 and ABC Western Plains 7.5 in the region’s first competitive ratings tussle.

In the lucrative breakfast slot 2DU’s Peter Leslie captured 46.5 per cent of the listening audience. Colleague and morning host Leo de Kroo also grabbed an impressive 39.8 per cent.

"The local content on the station is one of our strongest points," 2DU-Zoo general manager Reg Ferguson said. "People listen to us because they want to know what’s going on in their community.

"The bulk of the advertising dollar comes in the breakfast and morning slots so this is fantastic news for us. I would say 80 per cent of our revenue comes between 5.30am and 2pm."

But rival Star FM - whose owner DMG commissioned the survey - was equally "ecstatic" with the results after just nine months on air. The station was number one with the under 40s, winning 45.7 per cent of the 18 to 39-year age bracket compared with Zoo FM (19.4) and 2DU (17.8), and won the afternoon, drive and night sessions. "We’ve worked hard and will continue to work hard to bring great radio to the people of Dubbo," general manager Cath Mabbott said. "We’re really happy the combination of Liam and Loretta in the morning and Today’s Best Music all day at work is what the people of Dubbo want."