Results In: No Leaping Lizards

Michael Hedges August 1, 2013 Follow on Twitter

Mature markets become predictable. It becomes a goal for organizations as surprises, even good ones, can be jarring. Consolidation is both a benefit and a necessity. The downside, though, is consumer ennui.

Radio listening in the UK jumped to 48.319 million people tuning-in, 90.8% of the population, in the Q2 RAJAR audience estimates. That’s an increase of 3.3% year on year. Taking the long view, a few methodological tweaks along the way, there are 5 million more radio listeners in the UK than ten years ago.

Conforming to pattern, the BBC Radio aggregate market share slipped to 53.9% as the aggregate commercial radio market share rose to 43.7%. Spring and summer quarters are generally good to commercial radio, expanding the listener base and shrinking the gap with BBC Radio, now 10.2%, smallest since 2005. The more recent trend of growing national market share for national and quasi-national commercial channels continues, 13.3% up from 12.7% one year on and the highest in, like, forever. And, it appears, the cannibalization of local commercial market share has slowed.

The aggregate market share of BBC network radio channels fell to 45.7%, down from 46.2% year on year, lowest since Q2 2011. Pop music youth-oriented BBC Radio 1 continues its recent slide nationally, dropping to 6.8% market share from 8.3%. Yes, there have been DJ changes. More adult oriented BBC Radio 2 remains the top rated national UK radio channel with 17.2% market share, up from 15.6%. News oriented BBC Radio 4 remains number 2 nationally, steady with 12.1% market share. Sports-talk channel BBC Five Live dropped to 4.1% national market share from 4.5%. BBC Radio 3 was up a tad, BBC World Service and BBC Asia flat but BBC 6Music, the digital alternative, was up again, 1.5% market share from 1.1% year on year.

The Heart national network ranked 5th in the national survey, 5.1%, unchanged one year on. Very few of the national network or quasi-national channels moved at all. The exception was Planet Rock, to 1.0% from 0.6%, but that may have had more to do with taking over coverage from Kerrang!.

The London radio results were, as always, different, though not great for the BBC. Radio 4 dropped to 15.1%, still in the top spot, from 17.0% year on year and lowest since summer 2010. Radio 2 was up a shade, 12.2% and still 2nd place. Radio 1 careened to 4.8% market share in London from 5.8% year on year. Five Live was off a tad, BBC London and BBC World Service flat.

On the commercial side in London Kiss 100 FM bumped up to 5.2% market share from 4.7%. Talk station LBC 97.3 jumped to 4.9% market share from 3.8% year on year. Hip-hop station Choice FM was up to 1.8% market share from 1.3%.

Earlier this week Bauer Media announced it will acquire the Absolute Radio franchise from Bennett, Coleman & Co. (BCCL), holding company for the Times of India. The Absolute Radio brand is small but significant factor in the national and London markets, 1.3% market share nationally and 3.2% in London. Local media watchers value the deal at about half the GBP 53 million BCCL paid for national channel Virgin Radio in 2008. Ditching the Virgin brand for the Absolute brand, momentary distraction from that vodka brand dispensed with, a rare multi-platform radio brand developed.

The main Absolute Radio brand, more or less a rock music channel, operates on AM/MW and DAB nationally, FM in London and the web everywhere. Then there are the six digital-only line extensions, music-only renderings from Absolute Classic Rock to Absolute 80’s. BCCL has been looking for a buyer for two years.

“Absolute Radio and its sister brands are loved by millions of UK consumers and by advertisers,” said Bauer Media UK CEO Paul Keenan in a statement (July 30). “This acquisition will be an opportunity to learn and share across both businesses.” Bauer Media owns the Magic and Kiss brands plus a few local stations and the digital-only Planet Rock, acquired earlier this year. Part of the very big German publisher and broadcaster Bauer Verlagsgruppe, the UK company also publishes consumer magazines with associated cable TV channels.

The share of radio listening attributed to all digital platforms continues to rise, 52.5% of the population using one of many according to the latest figures. The UK government expects to make a “decision in principle” about an analogue radio switch-off date before the end of this year. Threshold targets for digital radio penetration have evolved over the last few years, now combining all digital platform usage as evidence of analogue antiquation.

See also in ftmKnowledge

Europe’s Radio – Northern Europe

Northern Europe’s radio has a very digital sound. And change is in the air. Economic challenges abound for both public and commercial broadcasters. The ftm Knowledge file reports on Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the UK. 144 pages PDF includes Resources (November 2012)

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