Digital Stations Continue Audience Growth

The nation’s digital radio stations continued to see strong growth according to the latest RAJAR figures, with several digital broadcasters profiting from the increased uptake of digital radio sets in Britain.

Planet Rock, owned by GCap Media, saw a healthy increase, adding 61.19% to its total weekly reach year on year to reach 461,000.

Capital Disney also recorded a large percentage increase in weekly reach, adding 140% year on year in Q1 to more than double its relatively low listenership, reaching 53,000. GCap Media’s Capital Life also performed well, doubling its audience, which now numbers 78,000.

Despite the speedy uptake of digital radio, the national market continues to be dominated by the BBC’s analogue stations, with Radio 2 maintaining its position at the head of the table, with a weekly reach of 12.9 million, despite a downturn of 2.92% year on year.

BBC Radio 1 also suffered a decline year on year, losing 2.24% in the three months to March, although its weekly reach of 9.7 million remains unchallenged by any commercial rival.

The Corporation’s digital stations continued to add to their audiences, with BBC 6 Music rising by 15.43%, while BBC 7 added 11.69%. The stations now command a weekly reach of 359,000 and 621,000 respectively.

Elsewhere, national commercial analogue station Virgin Radio proved that the AM signal still has the potential for growth, with a 0.5% increase in weekly reach year on year. The station’s audience now stands at 1.8 million, despite a slight dip in period on period analysis.

Meanwhile, national speech station, talkSPORT, suffered a 16.6% dip in its audience in the same period. The station now commands a national audience of just over 2 million, although this is likely to increase over the coming months as the World Cup football tournament gets under way.

BBC Radio 1 made the largest increase to its share of listening in the three months to March, adding 0.7% points year on year to command a 9.1% share of tha market.

Radio 2 remains the nation’s favourite national station however, with a share of 16%, despite its 0.5% point downturn year on year marking the largest decline of any station.

In commercial radio, Total Century Network UK shed 0.4% points from its total in the three months to March, pushing its overall share down to 1.2%. TalkSPORT also looked glum, losing 0.2% points from its share, which now rests at 1.7%.

Elsewhere, Primetime Radio, Sunrise Radio, Capital Gold Network, Kiss and Smooth Network all saw 0.1% point dips in listening share year on year.

Heart, LBC and Xfm saw the largest increases in share amongst commercial stations, adding 0.2% points each to total 2.4%, 0.8% and 0.6% respectively.

Digital stations continued to see the largest increase in average hours of listening, as their discovery by newly converted digital homes leads to the new services being explored by consumers.

BBC Five Live Sports Extra saw the largest percentage increase in average hours per listener, adding 47.06% year on year to total 2.5 hours on average.

Emap’s Mojo also performed well, extending its average hours per listener by 44% in the same period. Mojo now commands an average of 3.6 hours per listener each week.

Not all digital stations exhibited growth in listener hours however, as BBC 6 Music suffered a 22.39% downturn year on year to 5.2.

Heat also suffered a downturn in average hours, with a 21.21% dip leaving the station at 2.6.

Virgin Radio Classic Rock suffered the largest dip in average hours, as a 36.21% slump left the station with a total of 3.7. Meanwhile, fellow Virgin digital station Virgin Radio Groove added 36% to its total, hitting 3.4 hours on average.

RAJAR: 0207 903 5350 www.rajar.co.uk