RAJAR Q4 2009: National Stations

BBC Radio 2 remains the national station with the highest weekly reach according to the latest RAJAR figures. It was relatively static year on year, although it suffered a slight fall of 1.1% on Q3 2009, leaving its total at around 13.5 million listeners.

Up 1.8% year on year but down 3.1% period on period, BBC Radio 1 now has a weekly reach of just under 10.8 million. Also seeing a period on period dip was BBC Radio 4, falling from 10.2 million in Q3 to 9.8 million in Q4. It did, however, post a slight year on year increase.

Alternative station BBC 6 Music had a good quarter, although starting from a small base, recording the highest percentage increases of any BBC national station. It was up 12.3% and 11.4% year on year and period on period respectively, to 695,000 listeners.

BBC Radio Five Live (including Sports Extra) increased its weekly reach by 1.3% year on year, taking its total to around 6.2 million, despite a period on period downturn of 5.3%.

While commercial talk station talkSPORT was down slightly year on year, by 0.8% to around 2.5 million, it saw listener numbers increase period on period by around the same percentage. Rising from 852,000 in Q4 2008 to just over one million listeners in Q4 2009, Total LBC (UK) was down slightly on period on period, by 2.9%.

Elsewhere in the commercial sphere, Classic FM was down 10% on Q4 2008, leaving its total at just over 5.1 million, although it is still the commercial station with the largest weekly reach.

In what was generally a poor period for national commercial stations in terms of weekly reach, The Hits’ reach plummeted 23.9% year on year, to around one million listeners. Total Real Radio was also down, by around 10% year on year, to under 2.4 million.

Dipping below the 3.5 million listener mark for the first time since Q4 2008, Total Magic suffered year on year and period on period declines of 3.6% and 7.2% respectively.

Bucking the trend somewhat was Gold Network (UK), enjoying a very healthy 22.1% year on year rise. Its reach now stands at more than 3.8 million.

Total Kiss Network, Heart Network (UK) and Galaxy Network (UK) all recorded year on year increases of more than 4.5% in Q4, with Heart Network’s reach now standing at almost 7.3 million. Total Kiss Network and Galaxy Network (UK) have totals of 3.4 million and almost 3.8 million respectively.

BBC Radio 2 increased its share of listening by 0.7 percentage points year on year in Q4, putting it well ahead of the pack with a 16.5% total.

BBC Radio 1’s share dipped 0.3 percentage points year on year, with its total for the three months to the end of December resting at 9.8%, while BBC Radio Five Live (including Sports Extra) was down 0.4% to a 4.6% share.

Commercial broadcasters talkSPORT and Total LBC (UK) both saw 0.3 percentage point rises, to 2.1% and 1.3% respectively. Away from the talk-based stations, Heart Network (UK) has an impressive 5.9% share of listening, up 0.4 percentage points on Q4 2008.

It was another exciting quarter in the world of national stations’ average hours per listener figures, with BBC Radio 2 once again gaining on BBC Radio 4 in the battle for top spot.

With 12.6 hours, BBC Radio 4 is still in the lead and although it recorded a year on year decline of 1.6%, it was up 2.4% period on period. However, BBC Radio 2 is racing up behind, with a total of 12.1 hours boosted by increases of 1.7% year on year and 2.5% period on period.

The commercial sector saw some hefty increases in average hours per listener, with talkSPORT up 13.9% to 8.2 hours, Total LBC (UK) up 8.8% to 12.4 hours, Total Absolute Radio up 15.2% to 7.6 hours, and Q up 13.8% to 3.3 hours.

Up a massive 69.2% year on year, listeners are now sticking with Heat for an average of 4.4 hours, while a 47.8% rise gives NME Radio a 3.4 hour total.

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