Newest Branding Segment: Not Interested

Michael Hedges August 6, 2018 Follow on Twitter

There are many way to fall flat - or worse - in the ratings. The biggest spoiler, in conventional branding wisdom, is a disconnect between promise and performance, both easily measured. Folks making the choices sometimes find more interesting alternatives. Every media sector is learning about that other option: not interested.

In more ways than one the second quarter 2018 UK radio audience estimates, released by measurement institute RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) (August 2), were a real downer. At the top of the page total national radio listening (gross reach) ticked lower by 0.8% to 48.826 million year on year. Quarterly national gross reach estimates have been increasing for three years reaching a record high in Q2 2017 before the current plummet.

Total reach share for BBC Radio channels, on aggregate, fell to 51.7%, lowest in forever, from 52.3% one year on. National channels reach share was unchanged at 45.0% while BBC local stations, on aggregate, dropped to 6.7% from 7.3%. Among 15 to 44 year olds reach share for all BBC channels dipped marginally, on aggregate, to 37.8% from 38.0% but slightly more significantly among listeners 45 years and older, 59.4% from 60.6%.

Commercial radio broadcasters, correspondingly, received a bonus, aggregate reach share rising to 45.7% from 45.0% year on year. National channels reached 18.1%, highest ever, from 16.7%. Reach share for local commercial stations dropped, on aggregate, to 27.6% from 28.3%. In broad age groups, 15 to 44 year olds and 45 years and older, the reach share for commercial broadcasters grew to 59.1% from 58.3% and 38.3% from 37.2%, respectively.

Platform share - analogue vs digital - is always a major reflection point for UK radio watchers. Year on year the national analogue (AM and FM) platform share fell to 49.8% of all listening from 51.3% while digital listening share (all platforms) rose to 50.2% from 48.7%. However, perhaps coinciding with the Q2 drop in gross reach, quarter to quarter comparison shows analogue platform reach share rising from 49.1% and digital platform reach share down from 50.9%. This little nudge for analogue platforms held true for both BBC and commercial radio broadcasters, reported separately in RAJAR data. Only the online/mobile app digital segment was stable at 9.3% in both of the last two quarters, up from 8.8% year on year.

BBC Radio 2 made something of a splash among national channels, holding the top ranking while jumping to 17.9% reach share from 16.8% one year on. Making local headlines, though, was BBC Radio 4, still at number 2, dropping to 11.7% reach share, lowest in three years, from 12.3%. While rankings for the top ten barely changed, all but Radio 2, KISS and BBC 6Music posted lower year on year reach share. Capital Network and Smooth had the deepest dives, 3.6% reach share from 4.3% and 3.3% from 4.1%, respectively. Digital-only alternative music 6Music posted 2.4% reach share up from 1.9%. Beneath the top ten movement was limited to tenths of a point among channels that didn’t breach a 2.0% reach share. The notable exception was all-sports TalkSport, in 12th place, up to 2.0% reach share from 1.5%. Think football.(See RAJAR national radio audience trend chart here)

The London results were a bit more dramatic, smaller sample size an obvious factor. For the first time in forever, BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 flipped places in the ranking. The more entertainment oriented Radio 2 hit its highest reach share in five years, 13.4%, up from 11.6% year on year. News and talk channel Radio 4 dropped precipitously to second place with 12.6% from 14.8%. (See RAJAR London radio audience trend chart here)

Commercial talk station LBC 97.3 held 3rd place, dropping to 6.4% reach share from 7.6% year on year. KISS London was up slightly, 4.3% reach share from 4.1%, enough to take third place amidst the shifting fortunes. Magic London jumped to 5th place, 4.2% reach share from 3.2%. Other commercial stations were either up a lot or down a lot. On the up-side were Absolute London, TalkSport and digital station Capital XTRA. Capital London fell to 9th from 5th with 3.5% reach share from 5.1%. National commercial channel dropped to 3.3% reach share from 4.4%. Heart London was also lower.

“If the number of people listening to radio fell, then one of us could win the share battle while we all lost the war,” observed, presciently, BBC director of education and radio James Purnell after the release of the Q1 2018 RAJAR audience estimates, quoted by the Guardian (June 19).

See also in ftmKnowledge

Digital Transitions

Media's transition from analogue to digital has opened opportunities and unleashed challenges beyond the imagination. Media is connected and mobile yet fettered by old rules and new economics. Broadcasters and publishers borrow from the past while inventing whole new services. This ftm Knowledge file explores the changes. 88 pages PDF (March 2012)

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