Rajar Q1 2014: National stations and networks

Reach

Total Global Radio UK has maintained its dominance over the national stations and networks, recording a healthy 7.3% quarter on quarter (QoQ) increase in weekly reach, taking its total to an average of 21.4 million.

The network was also up 10.8% on the previous year – thanks to its acquisition of Real & Smooth. Meanwhile, Global’s Heart Network UK celebrated a quarterly increase of 25%, netting an extra 1.8 million weekly listeners.

A big change since the last reported results – and one that has impacted the latest figures – is Bauer’s acquisition of Absolute Radio at the end of last year.

The addition of Absolute Radio, formerly owned by Times of India, took Bauer’s audience for its national Passion Portfolio – which includes Kiss, Kerrang! and The Hits – to over 9.5 million listeners.

The move also saw Bauer Radio Total Portfolio overtake BBC Radio Two – which was named Radio station of the year earlier this week at the annual Radio Academy awards – to claim the second spot and secure a weekly reach of 16.1 million. Up 11.7% on the last quarter, the network also recorded a 17.4% increase YoY.

Elsewhere, Bauer’s Passion Portfolio celebrated a significant 31.9% boost in average weekly listeners, overtaking Heart Network (9.1 million) with a total of 9.5 million.

A small 0.4% QoQ increase in listeners, compounded by Bauer’s growth, meant that BBC Radio 2 slid down to third position to record an average of 15.6 million listeners each week.

Despite BBC Radio 4 (including 4 Extra), BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 1 taking the next three spots, each station recorded small quarterly declines – down -2.2%, -2.2% and -4%, respectively – as well as BBC Radio 5 live (including sports extra), which was down -3.1% QoQ.

Slightly better news for BBC Radio 3, however, which saw a 4.8% QoQ lift in weekly listeners, taking its total to just over the two million mark.

Share

The top spots for share of listening belonged largely to the BBC, with BBC Radio 2 maintaining the top spot with a 0.3 percentage point increase to secure 17.9% of all listening.

Total Global Radio UK came in second spot with 17.4% (up 2.1 percentage points), followed by BBC Radio 4 (including 4 Extra) with 13.2%.

All other quarterly increases and decreases were marginal, with the greatest drop in share belonging to Gold Network UK at -0.5 percentage points.

Average hours

The first quarter of 2014 revealed mixed results for radio stations across the nation, with just over half reporting any increases in weekly listening hours – some much greater than others.

For a third consecutive period, BBC Radio 4 (including 4 Extra), Radio 2 and Radio 4 secured the top three spots – the only stations to record an average listening time of over 11 hours. However, a healthy 7.9% QoQ increase boosted Global-owned LBC UK and LBC News’ average weekly listening hours from 10.1 to 10.9.

There was success for Global elsewhere, with its newly-acquired Smooth Radio Network up 8.3%, while Total Global Radio UK was up 6.3% and Heart Network UK up 7.7%.

Bauer also saw some impressive quarterly increases in weekly listening hours, with its Passion Portfolio up 17.7% QoQ from 6.2 hours in Q4 2013 to 7.3 hours in Q1 2014, and Absolute Radio National up 4.1% to an average of 7.7 hours.

However, Bauer’s Absolute Radio 90s and The Hits were both down -10.6% and -33.3%, respectively.