This post is brought to you in association with RALF from DP Software and Services. I’ve used RALF for the past 6 years, and it’s my favourite RAJAR analysis tool. So I’m delighted to be able to bring you this analysis. For more details on RALF, contact Deryck Pritchard via this link or phone 07545 425677.
At some point I’m really going to stop writing these…. Maybe.
And I should point out up front that these are most certainly my own views and not those of either my current or previous employer.
Just so we’re really clear on that!
So what things jump out at me this quarter?
Nationally:
- Total listening hours are down 0.9% on the Q but only down 0.2% on the Y.
- And there’s a decent shift towards commercial radio this quarter, with the BBC’s share falling from 54.9% to 53.3%, while commercial radio grows from 42.0% to 43.2%.
- Radio 2 actually lost a few listeners. Only 0.5%. But a few. Enough to fill Old Trafford.
- Radio 1 is up a bit on the Q although down a little on the Y.
- Absolute 80s has its biggest ever reach and hours – up 17% on the Q in listeners.
- Five Live is up 1.7%.
- But Talksport is up 5.6% to nearly 3.4m – a record audience for them.
- Kisstory has passed 1m up 18% on the last quarter.
- Kiss UK grows hours by 3.5%.
- Capital Network is broadly flat.
- And Absolute Radio’s Network is up to a record reach of nearly 3.8m.
- Global Radio grows its hours by 2.7%.
- Bauer Radio loses 1.2% of its hours.
- LBC – now national – basically flat this quarter.
And in London:
- BBC London achieves a record reach of 572,000 up 29% on the Q.
- Capital London achieves its best reach in a couple of years up 15./2% on the Q. #1 in reach commercially.
- Capital Xtra is down 13% on the Q, and is doing much worse than Choice used to do before the rebrand.
- Heart London achieves modest growth in reach and hours. #1 in hours commercially.
- LBC falls back a little bit in the capital this quarter.
- Magic’s hours continue to bounce. Down 10% this Q.
- Smooth leaps 38% in reach and 49% in hours on the Q (and 90% in reach and 138% in hours on the Y!).
- A very disappointing Q for Xfm with some of its lowest ever reach and hours.
Digitally:
- 36.8% of all listening (a joint record) is now digital.
- 57.3% of radio listeners spend at least some of their time listening digitally.
- A record 17.0% of listeners spend at least some of their time listening online – getting on for 1 in 5.
- 44% of 15-24s’ listening is digital…
- …and that means 68% of them listen at least some of the time digitally.
- Importantly, 15.0% of 15-24s’ listening is via the internet.
Bubbles
Where would I be without them?
Here’s the national chart.
As ever, I recommend viewing the larger fullscreen version which includes some explanatory notes.
And here’s the London chart.
And a link to the larger version. Note that this chart in particular will take a long time to load as there’s a lot of data underlying it. Please be patient.
Finally
For more RAJAR analysis, I’d recommend the following sites:
The official RAJAR site
including another nice infographic
Radio Today for a digest of all the main news
The recently renamed Media.Info (née Media UK) for lots of numbers and charts
Paul Easton for analysis
Matt Deegan may have some analysis
Media Guardian for more news and analysis
One Golden Square for more Absolute Radio details
The BBC Mediacentre for BBC Radio stats and findings
And there are always RAJAR Smilies
Source: RAJAR/Ipsos-MORI/RSMB, period ending 22 June 2014, Adults 15+.
Disclaimer: These are my views alone and do not represent those of anyone else. Any errors (I hope there aren’t any!) are mine alone. Access to the RAJAR data is via RALF from DP Software as mentioned at the top of this post.