More People Tuning In: A Rising Tide Or Something More?

Michael Hedges August 6, 2010 Follow on Twitter

Economists remind us fondly that a rising tide lifts all boats. Surfers like riding the crest of any wave. Sailors know the difference between high tide and a storm swell. Broadcasters could be happy if they weren’t afraid of drowning.

Radio listening has risen to historic levels in the UK, according to the April-June quarter RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) survey (August 5). More people by percentage of the population tuned in to radio channels and stations in a least a decade. About a half million more folks, 90.6% of the UK population, than the same quarter last year. So much for the radio-is-just-another-dead-old-media argument, yes?

In general, the April-June audience figures showed more gains for UK commercial broadcasters than the BBC. But the spring quarter is historically better for commercial broadcasters. BBC channels share of market was unchanged, year on year, at 54.6%. Commercial radio increased its share to 43.2% from 42.7% one year on. The difference, it seems, was the 0.5% drop in the ‘other’ category. BBC national channels gained about as much as BBC local stations lost. National commercial channels gained but local commercial stations gained more. More listeners means market share is harder to hold for status quo broadcasters.

Year on year there was no change in the ranking of the top dozen national channels. BBC Radio Two is still on top with 15.9% market share, up year on year from 15.5%. But, but, but quarter to quarter Radio Two is down from 17.2%. Morning host Chris Evans dropped a million listeners from the previous quarters results, the hype waning from replacing former host Terry Wogan. Evans April-June 2010 numbers are still ahead of Wogan’s last national ratings.

BBC Radio 4, still number 2 nationally, was rewarded with a solid increase in market share, to 12.5% from 12.1% year on year. The BBC’s man about radio Tim Davie was “delighted” at the increases “fueled by interest in the general election.” The morning Today news block added a half million listeners over the previous quarter. Sixty-year old soap opera The Archers posted its biggest audience since the RAJAR survey was established in 1999.

In the London survey area BBC Radio 4 jumped to 15.8% market share from 14.2% one year on, quite likely benefiting from the news cycle. Radio 4 always leads Radio 2 in the London survey area. Radio 2 also gained – still in 2nd place – to 10.6% market share from 10.4%.

Not so swell were the results for BBC Radio 1, which plunged to 9.3% market share nationally from 10.3% year on year. The channels market share has dropped in each of the last four quarterly surveys. Results for the Radio 1 breakfast show with Chris Moyles were essentially unchanged year on year.

Commercial network Heart held 4th position nationally, 5.8% market share, down from 5.9% one year on.

The BBC’s news and sports talk channel Five Live, like Radio 4, benefited from interest in the UK general elections as well as the FIFA football World Cup from South Africa. The channel jumped to 4.8% market share (5th place) from 4.5% one year on.

The all-sports (mostly) national commercial channel TalkSport held its number 12 ranking, 1.7% market share down from 1.8% one year on. The channel actually gained listeners but not enough to show a gain in market share. TalkSport had live rights to the FIFA World Cup.

The biggest market share increase and thus the biggest news of the day spotlighted BBC digital channel 6Music. Still quite far down in the rankings, 6Music jumped to 1.0% market share nationally from 0.4% year on year. A few months ago BBC General Director Mark Thompson doomed 6Music to the budget cutting board along with another digital radio channel BBC Asia. Fans of the terminally hip alternative music channel took to Twitter, Facebook, the BBC Trust and a few politicians. It was a storm of publicity – some suggest intended – the BBC couldn’t have paid for.

The ratings bump for 6Music – and a few other digital channels, both commercial and BBC – only raises more questions about what, exactly, digital radio in the UK is to become. According to RAJAR, the uptake on digital radio listening on the DAB platform has grown to 15.8% but the growth rate has slowed considerably. People claiming DAB receiver ownership has grown to 35.3%, a small gain over 33.0% year on year.

The big winner in the London market was KISS 100 FM, moving to 5th place from 7th one year on. The hip-hop dance station posted 5.6% market share from 5.0%. The KISS 100 FM breakfast show gained almost 15% in weekly reach year on year. Capital Radio, on the other hand, took it in the dumper, dropping to 8th place with 4.9% market share, down from 6.2%.

Seeing overall listening rise is a welcome message to UK broadcasters as it’s been in other European markets. The spring RAJAR’s were good news, generally, for both commercial broadcasters and the BBC. Radio attracts people. All it takes is something special on the air and a bit of well-orchestrated promotion. Not too tall of an order, is it?

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