RAJAR Q2 2012: Breakfast

This analysis is comparing the weekly reach of the breakfast shows of the London stations and not the time slots.

National

Radio listeners in the UK continue to favour Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, which enjoyed a 3.3% YoY rise in weekly reach in Q2 2012. However, the show slipped below nine million listeners after a -3.0% QoQ decline. Evans picked up Music Radio Personality of the Year at the Sony awards in May.

Despite seeing his reach dip slightly during the second quarter, Evans remains well ahead of BBC Radio 2’s stablemates Radio 1 and Radio 4 with a total weekly reach of more than 8.9 million listeners.

Chris Moyles and his team at BBC Radio 1 recorded losses once again – down -2.5% QoQ and -6.9% YoY, taking its reach below the seven million mark (6.9 million). Following rumours earlier in the year, the BBC announced Moyles’ departure in July. Nick “Grimmy” Grimshaw has been hired to take over as part of the bigger BBC Radio 1 picture to decrease the average age of its listeners from 32, to a more Kiss like 29, according to Active International’s Dean Wilson.

BBC Radio 4’s Today programme enjoyed a small increase during the three month period – up 1.6% QoQ – to just below 6.8 million listeners. BBC Radio FIVE LIVE also recorded a QoQ upturn of 3.3%, though it is down -9.3% YoY.

In the commercial sector, Global’s Classic FM and talkSPORT posted positive QoQ figures – up 1.2% and 3.7% respectively. However, the Total Absolute Radio Network Christian O’Connell show jumped ahead of talkSPORT following an impressive 15.8% QoQ and 8.5% YoY rise.

Unfortunately, after success in Q1, Bauer’s Kiss UK recorded a -3.9% QoQ and -3.0% YoY decline in weekly reach.

BBC Radio 3’s breakfast show posted a 25.% QoQ and a 2% YoY increase.

London

In London, 95.8 Capital Radio was still the favourite in Q2 with around 1.16 million listeners tuning in between 6am and 10am. Lisa Snowdon now presents the show with Dave Berry, who took over from the long-standing Capital DJ Johnny Vaughan after Christmas. Capital breakfast’s listening figures have fallen during the quarter, down -8.6%, following a -4.1% drop in Q1. However, it is the only top four London breakfast show to record a yearly rise, up 1.1%.

Bauer’s Magic 105.4 saw listening figures dwindle in Q2, as did Kiss100FM, Heart 106.2 FM and LBC 97.3. Magic’s breakfast show posted a -4.2% QoQ and -10.1% YoY decline; Kiss a -2.0% QoQ and -6.8% YoY drop; Heart a -3.3% QoQ and -7.3% YoY decrease; and LBC a -5.5% QoQ and -0.4% YoY fall.

However, Bauer’s Magic still sits in second place in London behind Capital with a total weekly reach of 760,000 listeners, while Kiss’ Rickie and Melvin breakfast show remains in third place with a total reach of 735,000 listeners. Kiss FM’s breakfast show claimed the best Breakfast Show of the Year prize at the Sony awards.

Once again, the Total Absolute Radio Network was the real success story in the capital, up 26.7% QoQ and 13.7% YoY. Its total weekly reach in London now stands at 674,000. Absolute’s Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show took home the silver award at the Sonys.

Choice FM London also saw a rise, up 14.7% QoQ and 14.2% YoY to 242,000 listeners.

MediaTel has PowerPoint presentations available to download, featuring pre-prepared market breakdown graphs for the RAJAR data release – click here.