Sky Survey Shows Bigger Digital Audience For talkSPORT

New research by Sky Digital has brought good news for the Wireless Group’s talkSPORT station, by suggesting that its audience via digital TV is larger than suggested by RAJAR.

The Digital Audience Research Service surveyed 15,000 Sky Digital viewers and found that of the 54 radio stations available via the digital TV service, speech radio stations were the most popular.

According to the survey, one out of every seven adults who use Sky Digital TV sets to listen to the radio tune in to talkSPORT at least once a week. This compares favourably RAJAR figures- much criticised by talkSPORT boss Kelvin MacKenzie- which say that only one in 20 adults who listen to the radio in the UK listen to the station. The Sky survey also suggested that 80% of talkSPORT listeners are male and that 27% are in the 25-34 year old age bracket.

MacKenzie is treating the survey results as further evidence against the diary system used by RAJAR, which he claims is unfair to smaller radio outfits such as the Wireless Group, which have less to spend on marketing. Last week details were announced of a new trade group- Little Guys Radio- which is campaigning for the introduction of electronic measurement of radio audiences (see “Little Guy” Radio Stations Form Trade Body). RAJAR is currently conducting tests on two such systems, with results expected early next year.

BSkyB: 020 7705 3000 www.sky.com RAJAR: 020 7903 5350 www.rajar.co.uk Wireless Group: 020 7269 7180

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