Radio Market Sees Musical Chairs At Breakfast

BBC Radio 2 retained its market leadership in the national breakfast market during Q3, despite a substantial dip in weekly reach of 4.9% period on period.

The station’s breakfast show, which is hosted by veteran presenter Terry Wogan between 7:30-9:30, now commands an early morning audience of 7.7 million.

BBC Radio 1’s Chris Moyles is hot on Wogan’s heels, however, having increased his audience by 4.25% period on period to total 6.5 million. The larger than life DJ has even run a light-hearted campaign to encourage Radio 2 listeners to “Say No To Wogan” – supported by promotional stickers and badges.

Moyles’ early morning success has also pushed BBC Radio 4 into third place nationally, with the station’s loss of 4% from its breakfast audience assisting in its slip down the league table.

The station’s highbrow news and current affairs programme, Today, now commands an audience of 6.1 million.

Classic FM remains the commercial station of choice for breakfast, with a nationwide audience of just under 3 million, despite a disappointing slip of 6.71% quarter on quarter.

Elsewhere, TalkSPORT also saw its audience wane, although its decline was less dramatic, shedding 0.78% in the same period.

Virgin Radio extended its national audience in Q3, adding 1.46% to total 1.2 million. The station’s high profile breakfast presenters Pete and Geoff are due to vacate their early morning slot in the next few months, however, making way for former Xfm breakfast host Christian O’Connell on 23 January 2006 (see Virgin Signs O’Connell As New Breakfast Host).

Q3 saw Capital FM hold on to its position at the top of the breakfast table in London, although its dip of 17% in weekly reach has helped to narrow the gap for rival Heart 106.2, which now trails by just 10,000 listeners.

The new figures will make uncomfortable reading for Capital host Johnny Vaughan, who has held the post for less than 18 months. The show’s audience has now dipped below the 1 million mark, standing at 893,000.

London rival Heart will have cause for celebration, meanwhile, having added an impressive 22.6% quarter on quarter to its breakfast listenership. Breakfast host Jamie Theakston has proved a wise choice for the station, having taken over from previous frontman Jono Coleman at the beginning of the year (see Heart Ditches Coleman In Battle For London Supremacy).

Elsewhere, a strong performance in the capital by Virgin has seen the station leapfrog Emap’s Magic 105.4 to take third place. The station’s breakfast audience now stands at 667,000, although current hosts Pete and Geoff are due to relinquish their post at the end of the year, handing over to former Xfm host Christian O’Connell in January 2006 (see Virgin Signs O’Connell As New Breakfast Host).

O’Connell leaves Xfm breakfast in good shape, however, having secured a 9.8% increase in audience during his last full quarter as the station’s morning host.

Meanwhile, Magic’s breakfast audience now stands at 645,000 following an 8.1% downturn quarter on quarter. Smooth FM (formerly Jazz FM) also saw a downturn, shedding 44.6% from its breakfast audience as listeners move away from its revised music output. Rival soul station Choice FM also struggled, losing 45.5% quarter on quarter to 187,000.

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