As Rajar releases its latest figures for the UK radio market, Carat’s Flora Ballinger analyses the results
This was an extraordinary RAJAR with the highest ever commercial reach number of 35.57 million.
The digital multiplex has contributed to commercial radio once again overtaking the BBC stations in reach share after last quarter’s swap.
The market share of commercial radio has also reached 45% again, the first time since 2004. Over the past 10 years, the BBC’s radio offering strengthened due to diversification.
This quarter’s result shows the commercial station’s fight back via greater listening choice across an array of national and regional offerings. With the new stations only likely to grow – as awareness and DAB penetration increases – it is likely commercial radio will hold their majority share for the foreseeable future.
Within the digital multiplex, Virgin’s results are a huge triumph with 409,000 reach – more than double the reach numbers of the other two Wireless stations. They have significant growth opportunity; they can still double before they reach the reach level of Kisstory’s launch back in September 2013 (854,000).
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Virgin, along with talkSPORT2 and talkRADIO, has contributed to the Wireless Group’s 23% increase in reach QoQ. The Euros were also a significant contribution to this group’s quarterly reach success with talkSPORT up +8.4% YoY.
Bauer’s new additions of Magic Chilled and Mellow Magic have also seen strong reach launch numbers at 233,000 and 280,000 respectively. However, two of their stations which moved from the previous multiplex to the new one have lost some listeners in the process, with Absolute 80s down -8% and Planet Rock down -22%.
Brexit seems to have increased listenership in talk-heavy radio stations with LBC up 19.96% in total hours YoY, talkRADIO launching with a 224,000 reach and Radio 4 increasing its reach by 8.82% YoY.
The continued strong growth figures for both the BBC and commercial standalone digital stations is evidence that this is still a growth area providing encouraging signs for the new stations that many listeners are still yet to discover them.
Flora Ballinger is account director, AV Planning at Carat
