RAJAR Results Q3 2003: Heart Challenges Capital At The Top

The latest RAJAR listening figures for the third quarter of 2003 brought bad news for Capital 95.8 FM. The station continued to see its dominance of the London market dip with a 13.9% year on year decline in weekly reach to just below 2.3 million.

Capital recently restructured its senior management team and put veteran programming executive, Keith Pringle, in charge of its flagship London station in a bid to increase listening. However, its market lead could be eroded further when lynchpin DJ, Chris Tarrant, leaves his job as presenter of the weekday breakfast show early next year (see Capital Confirms Tarrant Is To Leave Breakfast Show).

Tarrant will be replaced by former Big Breakfast host, Johnny Vaughan, who has signed a three year deal to present the breakfast show as part of Capital 95.8 FM’s ongoing attempts to reposition towards its core youth audience (see 95.8 Capital FM Repositions For Youth Audience).

Meanwhile, Chrysalis-owned Heart 106.2 FM continued to strengthen its position in the capital with a 9.9% year on year improvement in weekly reach to just below the 2 million mark. The station recently announced plans to launch a £1 million television advertising campaign to further increase its profile in the London area. It now trails Capital 95.8 FM by less than 350,000 listeners (see Heart To Raise Profile With £1 Million TV Campaign).

Magic 105.4 continued to prove a hit and its reliable mix of chart music, news and lifestyle features helped it to see weekly reach rise by an impressive 18.4% year on year to above the 1.4 million mark.

Emap’s dance focussed Kiss 100 proved less fortunate in the three months to September and suffered a 12.2% year on year decline to just below 1.5 million. However, last month the station unveiled a £1.8 million marketing campaign targeting 15 to 24 year-old listeners (see Emap Rolls Out Live Sexy Campaign To Promote Kiss).

Elsewhere, Virgin 105.8 FM saw its weekly reach drop by 7.2% year on year to below the 1 million mark. The station recently appointed former Capital Radio marketing director, David Andrews, to head up its marketing team, as it increases its efforts to attract new listeners in the face of growing competition (see Virgin Radio Wakes Up Listeners With Nescafé Original).

The recently relaunched LBC News 1152 suffered the sector’s most significant decline in percentage terms with weekly reach dropping by 41.9% to 279,000. Chrysalis remains committed to attracting advertisers to the station and has created a dedicated brand team to offer clients sales and sponsorship opportunities (see Chrysalis Launches LBC Brand Team For National Clients).

Analysis of the latest RAJAR data for third quarter of 2003 shows that Capital 95.8 FM saw its share of listening drop by 1.8% points year on year to 7%. This coincided with a 0.9% points increase for Heart 106.2, which overtook its closest rival to commanded a slightly larger 7.2% share of the overall market.

The news will be warmly welcomed by the Chrysalis-owned station, which has been vying for the top spot for some time. However, Capital still retains its lead in terms of weekly reach and is on the offensive with a number of changes to its programming line-up. Reports also suggest the station has renewed its contract with drivetime host, Neil Fox, for another two years.

Elsewhere, the recently relaunched news and talk radio station, LBC 97.3, saw its share of listening improve by a solid 1.6% points year on year to 2.4%. The station recently boosted its line up with the addition of former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond and ex-Five Live presenter Fi Glover (see LBC Raids BBC For New Presenters).

However, sister station, LBC News 1152, proved less fortunate in the three months to September and experienced a 2.6% points drop in share of listening to 0.6%, down from 3.2% in the same period the previous year.

Kiss 100 also had a rather lacklustre period with its share of listening dipping by 0.7% points year on year to 4.1%. Meanwhile, Emap’s Magic 105.4 increased by 1% points year on year and Jazz FM London inched up by 0.2% points during the same period.

SMG’s Virgin 105.8 FM London saw its share of listening remain static during the third quarter of 2003 at 2.6%. Xfm, the alternative music station for 15 to 35 year-olds, also saw its share of listening hold firm at 2%.

Choice FM, the urban and contemporary music station, proved a hit with its target audience of 16 to 24 year-olds from all ethnic backgrounds. The station saw its share of listening rise by 0.6% points year on year to 2.5%.

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