Rajar Q2 2014: Round-up

National stations and networks

Total Global Radio UK has maintained its dominance over the national stations and networks, recording almost no change since the first quarter (-0.1%). The network has more than 21.3 million listeners, on average, each week. Over the last year the network has seen its reach grow 6.1%.

Still out-performing BBC Radio 2 for a second consecutive quarter after the acquisition of Absolute Radio at the end of last year, Bauer Radio’s total portfolio saw a slight drop of -1.4% from the first quarter, recording more than 15.9 million weekly listeners. However, over the last 12 months, the network has seen 13.3% growth.

Getting used to its new place in the rankings, BBC Radio 2, almost neck and neck with the whole of Bauer’s network, has a little under 15.5 million weekly listeners.

The station, home to popular breakfast host Chris Evans, was down only -0.5%, quarter on quarter (QoQ) and was up 0.3% year on year (YoY).

Sister station BBC Radio 1 has managed to climb into fourth place in the rankings after BBC Radio 4 (including 4 Extra) saw a 4.1% drop over the quarter, dropping into fifth position.

Youth seemingly triumphing over culture and debate, BBC Radio 1 recorded a 2.5% rise in the second quarter to reach almost 10.8 million listeners as BBC Radio 4 (including 4 Extra) lost 458,000.

Elsewhere, a strong performance for Bauer’s Passion Portfolio – which has now added Absolute – saw a huge 30.9% rise over the last 12 months to reach almost 10 million listeners each week. The portfolio was up a healthy 4.1% QoQ.

Heart Network (UK) also put in a strong performance over the year, up 20.4% (just over 9 million listeners), despite a fairly static quarter with growth down just -0.6%. The performance is likely due to the re-branding of stations to Heart following the merger of Global Radio and Real and Smooth Limited.

Similarly, Smooth Radio Network – which re-branded Gold stations as Smooth – will be celebrating the impact of the move after recording growth of 24.7%. The network was up 6.8% in quarter two and now has a weekly audience of more than 4.6 million.

Riding high on the back of the World Cup, talkSPORT recorded it highest audience ever with almost 3.4 million listeners. The station was up 5.6% on the first quarter and up 3.9% YoY.

Less to shout about for Total Absolute Radio which saw a -2.9% dip this quarter and a -9.2% dip over the last 12 months. The station still maintains a healthy 1.8 million listeners, however.

Click here for the full breakdown.

Digital

Today Rajar announced that 90% of the adult UK population (15+) tuned in to their selected radio stations each week in the second quarter of 2014 – down by approximately 270,000 adults on the same quarter of the previous year.

Listening to radio via a digital platform has played a key role in the increase, with a weekly reach of 27.5 million people now tuning in to radio via a digitally enabled receiver.

In total, 26 million adults have access to a DAB receiver, up 7% year on year.

Digital listening hours remain high for Q2 2014 with 378 million hours being listened to in an average week.

DAB radio is still the most popular device when it comes to listening digitally, accounting for 65% of all digital hours. Listening via a digital television represents 13% and listening online 17% of all digital listening hours.

Click here for the full breakdown.

Breakfast

National

The latest Rajar results for the second quarter of 2014 paint another positive picture for national breakfast stations, with the majority reporting increases in weekly reach over the period.

Chris Evans continued to rule the breakfast roost with BBC Radio 2 as the station reported a small 0.8% increase in weekly listeners, taking its total to just over 9.9 million; however, BBC Radio 4, the next most-listened to breakfast station, saw its weekly reach drop by almost 350,000 over the quarter (-4.9%).

After a -7% QoQ drop in listeners last period, radio’s answer to marmite, Nick Grimshaw, has managed to tighten the reins once again to pull BBC Radio 1’s three and a half hour breakfast show out of negative waters, which was up 2% over the period to secure an average weekly audience of 5.97 million.

Global’s Classic FM also proved to be popular among the early morning risers, with a weekly average of 1.78 million (up 5.5% QoQ) tuning in for the dulcet tones of presenter Tim Lihoreau; while Total Absolute Radio Network recorded a 4.5% QoQ increase in average weekly listeners.

A summer of sport, including the World Cup, undoubtedly helped both BBC Radio Five Live and talkSPORT recorded quarterly increases, up 8.5% and 2%, respectively.

There was slightly less good news for BBC Radio 3 which saw its audience drop a huge -21.8% over the quarter and -14.5% over the year, taking its total weekly audience from 673,000 in Q1 2014 to 526,000 in Q2.

London

There was good news for Global’s top two most-listened to breakfast stations, Capital London and Heart London, which were up 20.3% and 5.4% over the quarter, respectively – taking Capital’s total weekly reach to a little over 1.1 million and Heart’s to 821,000. As a result, Heart pushed Bauer’s Kiss FM to fourth spot to take second place instead.

The group suffered elsewhere, however, with XFM London, Gold London and Capital XTRA down -33.9% QoQ, -33.3% QoQ and -15.2% QoQ, respectively.

Both of Bauer’s breakfast stations recorded decreases in average weekly listeners over the quarter, with Magic down -12.2% and Kiss down -2%. A strong quarter for Global meant that both Magic and Kiss were down one spot each to become the third and fourth most-listened to breakfast shows in London.

There were some big changes elsewhere, with Smooth Radio (London) reporting a massive 59.9% lift in weekly listeners over the quarter, and BBC London 94.9 recording an even larger 61.1% QoQ increase.