Top 7 questions answered on the latest radio listening figures – Q1 2014
May 2014 Radio News RadioWorks Blog
1. What will RAJAR Q1 2014 be remembered for?
9.1 Million Listeners – the reach figure of the new Heart network, making it the largest radio brand in the UK. This quarter’s RAJAR release combines the recently rebranded (6th May) Real Radio stations with the existing Heart Network to deliver the record breaking figure.
We will need to wait for the Q2 14 data release to see the full impact of the rebrand but for now Global will be very happy taking this figure out to advertisers.
2. Which radio station is your RAJAR hero?
Palm FM! The English Rivera’s radio station broadcasting out of Torquay has had a fantastic set of results this quarter. Reach is up 11.6% Quarter on Quarter and a whopping 40% Year on Year, to now deliver a reach of 48,000 people (22% of the station’s target area).
Communicorp UK, the group that purchased eight Global radio stations earlier this year, have also posted their first set of RAJAR results. A reach of 3 million weekly listeners makes them the fourth largest commercial radio group in the UK.
3. Which station has surprised you this quarter?
Magic 105.4 have the most weekly listeners in London, taking the top spot away from Capital. It is the first time since Q3 2012 that Magic has beaten Capital to the top spot and I’m sure they will be doing all they can to retain it next quarter.
4. How would you describe digital radio’s results?
Digital radio slowly but surely continues to grow in popularity with 51% of people tuning in digitally every week. According to the RAJAR data, DAB radio sets are the most popular way of listening digitally (23.7% share of all hours) and 47.9% of the population claim to own a DAB set at home.
The RAJAR study also asks respondents if they listen via a mobile phone or tablet. These latest results show a near 50% increase in mobile and tablet listening over the past three years, with 18.4% of all adults now claiming to listen via mobile or tablet at least once a month.
Good figures for the stations that are investing in the Digital Audio world.
5. What about the notorious London Breakfast Show battle?
To add to their success at the Radio Academy Awards, Capital London breakfast duo Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon keep their place as London Breakfast number one.
However, they’ll be watching over their shoulders as the gap has closed by quite a way. Neil ‘Foxy’ Fox on Magic London has made a charge into second place and is only 28,000 listeners behind on 895,000.
Rounding off the top three, Rickie, Melvin and Charlie on the Kiss 100 breakfastshow have 799,000 weekly listeners and have gained 148,000 since last year’s corresponding quarter. The breakfast show team also air across the Kisstory and KissFresh radio stations, with the additional platforms helping them to reach an impressive 1 million listeners!
6. What’s your favourite fact this quarter?
Bauer’s recent acquisition of the Absolute Radio group of stations now means that the group are home to the top six commercial digital only stations. Absolute 80s have taken top spot again with 1.1 million listeners, with Kerrang!, The Hits, Kisstory, Heat and Absolute Radio 90s making up the rest of the top six.
7. To close, describe RAJAR Q1 2014 in one sentence?
Digital listening is growing – in London an amazing 55% of people listen to radio via a digital platform each week.
