Another Report Shows Radio Listening Soaring

Michael Hedges August 4, 2011 Follow on Twitter

The verdict was announced 30 years ago when “Video Killed the Radio Star” was the first tune on MTV. If that wasn’t enough, the iPod arrived 10 years ago sending radio broadcasters into a tizzy. The radio medium has been pronounced dead over and over and over again.

Wait. Listening to radio is up... again. UK radio audience figures, reported by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research August 4), show more people tuning in, the most since the survey was introduced in 1992. In the Q2 period 47.6 million tuned in at least once a week, 91.7% of the population. RAJAR surveys persons 15 years and older listening to radio quarterly. The Q2 period ended June 30th. The old record listening level – 47.3 million - was set in the previous survey period Q1 2011.

The Q2 listening test was good to UK commercial broadcasters, particularly those of the national or quasi-national variety. National commercial channels and the relatively news strapped together national networks reached 12.2% market share, also a record, up from 11.0% one year on. On the up-tick in the national survey were TalkSport, 1.9% market share up from 1.7%, and Absolute Radio’s network of branded channels, 1.3% market share up from 1.1%.  Still feeling pain was Classic FM, 3.6% market share down from 3.8% year on year.

Global Radio’s Capital network, which launched last January with stations in several major cities, has clearly changed the national radio game. Altogether, the Capital network reached 4.3% market share, up from 4.2% in Q1 and now ranks 6th overall in the national survey. Other quasi-national networks were up – Magic, Smooth, KISS and Gold network – mostly by smidges. The Heart network, however, took a dive to 5.0% market share – 4th place over all - from 5.8% on year on.

BBC radio’s aggregate market share dropped to 54.0%, lowest since Q2 2004, down from 54.6% one year on. The BBC’s national channels bore the brunt of the losses, 45.4% market share down from 46.2%. Historically, BBC channels fare better against commercial competitors in Q1 and Q4 periods. This trend continues. The gap between BBC and commercial radio has fallen to 10.3%, lowest in more than five years. (See BBC v. commercial gap chart here)

BBC Radio 2 remains at the top of the ratings chart, followed by Radio 4 and Radio 1, respectively. Irrespective of overall increases in UK radio listening, the three lost market share while increasing weekly reach. Adult contemporary Radio 2 fell to 14.9% market share in the national survey, down from 15.9% year on year. High profile breakfast (morning) show host Chris Evans lost a boatload of listeners. News talk Radio 4 dipped just a tad to 12.4% market share from 12.5%.

Hit music channel Radio 1 continues its two-year slide, posting 8.5% market share down from 9.3% year on year. Radio 1’s market share hasn’t been lower since 2005 when current breakfast (morning) show host Chris Moyles arrived. Controller Andy Parfitt left Radio 1 at the end of July to “pursue new opportunities.”

The BBC sports and talk channel Five Live, ranked 5th nationally, dropped to 4.6% market share from 4.8% year on year. Other BBC channels further down the page – some digital-only – showed market share increases nationally; arts and culture channel Radio 3 to 1.2%, BBC World Service to 0.9%, 4 Extra (recently rebranded from BBC 7) to 0.8% and 1Xtra to 0.6%. Alternative music channel 6Music, which got attention and a bump in the ratings last year on fears it would be closed, dropped to 0.9% from 1.0% one year on.

Figures from the London survey area paint, as they would, a slightly different picture of the radio market. Two of the major commercial stations crashed; KISS 100 FM dropped to 8th place (4.3% market share) from 5th (5.6%) year on year and LBC 97.3 dropped to 10th (3.4%) from 7th (5.0%). The highest rated commercial station in London – Magic 105.4 – kept 4th place dropping to 6.1% market share from 6.4% year on year. Heart 106.2 maintained 5.1% market share. Still twisting and turning Capital London, renamed from Capital Radio and Capital FM and Capital otherwise, held 7th position with 4.8% market share down from 4.9% one year on. Quarter to quarter Capital London dropped from 6.1% market share. (See London survey chart here)

BBC channels in London were up and down. Radio 4 remains the market leader with 15.7% down from 15.8% one year on. Radio 2 stays number 2 with 10.7% up from 10.6% and Radio 1 keeps 4th place in London with 5.2% market share down from 5.8%. Five Live gained to 5.1% from 4.7%, Radio 3 doubled its market share to a record 2.4% and local (and long suffering) channel BBC London rose to 1.4% from 1.1% year on year.

Listening via the various available digital radio platforms might be the key to increased overall listening. Those platforms include mobile phones, the internet, DAB and set top boxes and growth rates have been touted for years. And the growth rates have slowed. The digital share of all listening has risen to 26.9% from 24.6% one year on “while remaining relatively stable quarter on quarter,” said the RAJAR statement.

About one in three young people reported listening to radio on their mobile phones, the fastest growing digital radio platform.

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