BBC’s Share Of Listening Down To 47.8%

All BBC Radio increased its weekly reach by 101,000 listeners year on year to give an average weekly reach of 59%, as it has been since Q2 1994. However, its total hours were down to give it a weekly share of listening of 47.8%, its lowest ever. Commercial took 50.1%, with “other listening” taking the remaining share.

Radio 1 recorded an improved performance, both on the previous quarter and on last year. Its listeners increased to 11.2 million, or 24% weekly reach, up from 11.19 million this quarter last year.

Radio 5 Live had a good quarter, adding an extra 440,000 listeners year on year to reach 4.8 million people, or 6%. This gives it a 3% share of listening, its highest ever apart from Q1 this year, a quarter in which football boosts the station’s audience.

Radio 3 also increased its weekly reach, up from 5% last quarter to 6% this quarter; up 26,000 listeners to 2.6 million. Radio 4’s audience was up by 280,000 year on year to 8.7 million, a reach of 18% as it has been consecutively since 1994.

The main BBC casualty of the quarter seems to be the local stations, perhaps not surprisingly due to continued growth in the local commercial sector. BBC local and regional radio lost nearly 400,000 listeners year on year, giving a weekly reach of 19%. Its share of listening also fell year on year, to 9.7%.