Ratings Rock And Roll The Radio

Michael Hedges July 14, 2011 Follow on Twitter

Some broadcasters are rocked by audience ratings. Some just roll with them. The trend points to changes and more changes. It’s best to get used to it.

With the data release (July 12) of German radio listening from Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (AG.MA), there were the usual cheers and jeers. AG.MA has changed methodology several times in the last three years so direct comparison with the like period in 2010 are ill-advised. With only two periods of data with the same methodology trends are hard to judge.

Overall listening rose against the previous radio survey, nearly all increase going to private radio channels on aggregate. Radio now reaches 79.3% of all Germans, Monday through Friday. Broadcasters, mostly, were thrilled at time spent listening increases among younger listeners. 

Radio NRW, a network of 45 local stations, remains the top rated broadcaster nationally, gaining 4.6% audience reach Monday through Friday over the previous period. Second place went to public channel Bayern 1 (down 3.8%), followed by public channel SWR3 (up 1.7%), public channel Eins Live (up 5.6%), WDR 2 (down 3.6%) and private channel Antenne Bayern (down 12.7%).

Yes, the formidable Antenne Bayern got kicked in the pants, falling to 6th place in the national reach figures from 3rd in the previous survey and slipping below 1 million listeners. Also in Bavaria, public channel BR Bayern 1 was off but youth channel Bayern 3 gained.

Market leaders changed in Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany’s largest market, as private station 104.6 RTL gained 18.5% audience reach over the previous survey, displacing public broadcaster RBB channel Antenne Brandenburg, which lost 8.5%. “Listeners have given us a great gift,” said RTL program director and morning show host Arno Müller speaking generally about private broadcasters gains. BB Radio, ranking 3rd in Berlin-Brandenburg, gained 4.5%. Ranking 4th, 94. 3rs2 gained 12.5% audience reach. Oldies station Berliner Rundfunk 91.4, principally owned by DuMont, gained 11% at 5th place.

“It’s bitter when you are no longer the market leader after so many years,” said RBB program director Christoph Singelnstein to Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung (July 13).  RBB channels Radio Berlin 88,8, Fritz and Inforadio all lost listeners against the previous period. The bright spot for RBB was Radio Eins, which gained back most of the audience lost in the previous radio survey. Singelnstein denied RBB would be dropping one of its six radio channels due to budgetary stress.

Tiny Berlin station Motor FM posted the largest audience reach increase of all stations in Germany compared with the previous survey – 75%. Rock station Star FM and urban station Jam FM also posted significant gains.

The tight race continues in the Hamburg market between private station Radio Hamburg and public channel NDR 90.3. The winner, of course, depends on how the numbers are cut. NDR 90.3 beats Radio Hamburg in Monday to Sunday market share, 20.5% and 20.4% respectively. Radio Hamburg leads in Monday to Friday figures, 23.1% and 19.2% respectively.

“Six months ago I congratulated radio Hamburg,” said NDR radio director Lutz Marmor in a statement. “Now we are back in front. It’s tough competition in radio.”

“This is a great day for us,” said Radio Hamburg managing director Marzel Becker in a statement, “because listeners have told us that radio Hamburg is the sound of the city and the people who live here. Of all the programs we send exclusively for the city of Hamburg and the surrounding area we have the most listeners.” Radio Hamburg’s morning show with John Ment has been a market leader for several years.

NDR 2 increased its Hamburg Monday to Sunday market share to 12.4% for 3rd place in Hamburg from 11.7% in the previous Radio MA. Oldies 95, sister station of Radio Hamburg, posted 5.2% market share. Energy Hamburg posted 2.3%.

Average daily Monday through Friday time spent listening in Hamburg rose to 181 minutes from 167 minutes in the previous survey. People 50 years and older were listening an average of 219 minutes a day.

Another perennial market leader, Hessen station FFH, boosted its audience reach 13% over the previous period. “The music has moved faster, the moderators more directed,” said station director Han-Dieter Hillmoth, citing the station’s “renewal.” FFH sister station Planet Radio also gained as did rock station Radio Bob.

Hessen public broadcaster hr received mixed reviews from the Radio MA II. Youth channel hr3 Popwelle gained slightly while oldies channel hr4, rolling news channel hr info and cultural channel hr2 dropped. “It’s not nice but we can live with it,” said hr program director Rainer Götze. “Not everybody wants to hear ‘60’s oldies.”

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