BBC Radio 2 Is Nation’s Number One Breakfast Station

BBC Radio 2 remained the UK’s favourite breakfast time station, with the latest RAJAR figures for Q3 2006 showing it had a national audience of over 7.6 million listeners per week.

However, Radio 2 saw its weekly reach fall by 5.2% period on period from a total of eight million, and also a small decline year on year, of 0.2%.

The BBC occupied all of the top three spots in the national breakfast league, with BBC Radio 1 in second place with a weekly reach of 6.8 million, a year on year increase of 4.4% for Chris Moyles.

BBC Radio 4 was in third spot, with a weekly reach of 6.1 million listeners for its Today programme. The station recorded a 4.4% increase in listeners period on period and 1% year on year.

Total Virgin Radio (AM/FM) experienced a period on period decline of 6% to leave it with a weekly reach of just over one million listeners. This figure was down 14.4% year on year.

TalkSPORT, having dropped below one million listeners in Q2 (see BBC Radio 2 Remains Nation’s Number One At Breakfast), had a good third quarter, with its weekly reach rising by 5.5% to push its total figure to 999,000.

The London market continued to be a competitive arena, with the top three commercial stations still separated by around 500,000 listeners, as was the case in Q2.

The latest RAJAR figures for Q3 2006 show that Capital Radio remained London’s top breakfast station, with over 780,000 listeners tuning into Johnny Vaughan. However, the station recorded a decline in weekly reach of 8.2% period on period, a drop of around 700,000 listeners.

Heart 106.2 FM was in second place, just behind Capital Radio, following a period on period drop of 6.3%, leaving it with a total weekly reach of almost 770,000.

The largest period on period increase was felt by a resurgent LBC News 1152, as its breakfast reach was up by 33.6%, a growth spurt almost as large as the decline it felt in Q2 (see BBC Radio 2 Remains Nation’s Number One At Breakfast). LBC 97.3 saw a small period on period increase in listeners, of 2%, although it saw a large year on year increase, of 18%.

Smooth FM London suffered a large decrease in its weekly breakfast reach, shedding 42% of its listeners from Q2, although it experienced a year on year increase, of 8%. The station saw its total weekly reach figure fall from 303,000 in Q2 to 176,000 in Q3. Just three days ago, Guardian Media Group, owners of Smooth FM, applied to Ofcom requesting a change in the format of the station, changing its focus from jazz and soul to easy-listening for the over-50s (see Smooth FM Applies For Format Change).

Capital Gold London boosted its breakfast reach in Q3, rising from 275,000 in the second quarter to almost 320,000 in Q3 with a period on period rise of 15.3%. It also experienced a massive 29.4% year on year rise.

Weekly reach for Choice FM London fell 14.5% period on period, leaving the station with a weekly reach of 206,000 listeners. However, Choice FM London’s weekly reach was up 10.1% year on year, from 187,000 in Q3 2005.

BBC London 94.9 saw its weekly reach decline year on year by 20%, although it was only down 1.5% period on period, to leave it with a weekly reach of around 201,000 in Q3.

Kiss 100 FM’s weekly reach declined by 8.5% period on period, taking it below 700,000 listeners, although year on year its reach increased by 27.7%. Meanwhile, XFM 104.9 saw a period on period decline of 13.5%, losing 44,000 listeners over the quarter.

RAJAR: 020 7292 9040 www.rajar.co.uk