Broadcasters rejoice, radio not broken

Michael Hedges May 7, 2009

Spring has sprung, here in the northern hemisphere. Almost all the first quarter audience figures have bloomed like the trees, sending the more allergic broadcasters to hankies or drugs. Sure, the DJs are still up to their tricks, pop music stinks and the sales people can’t sell. It’s a great day when not much happens.

RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) released its first quarter UK radio listening estimates (May 7) and all broadcasters exhaled, relieved. Nothing bad happened. Actually, overall radio listening rose during the winter months – January through March – to 90.2% of the population, 45.8 million, a new record.

Nationally, BBC Radio 2 remains the top ranked radio channel with 15.9% market share, down from the record 16.5% one year on. Radio 4 rose to 12.5% from 12.2%, still number 2. BBC Radio One dropped to 10.3% from 10.6%, still number 3. Altogether, the BBC’s market share was lower, year on year, with 56.3% market share from 56.6%. The loss is entirely attributable to BBC local stations, down to 9.4% nationally from 9.9%. BBC national network channels held a 47% market share.

The BBC had a few notable winners, a bit farther down the rankings. Both Radio 3 and BBC World Service gained more than a blip; Radio 3 up to 1.1% from 0.9% and the World Service up to 0.8% from 0.6%. Five Live is up to 4.7% and 5th place from 4.6% and 4th place year on year. Also notable was BBC 6music, a digital-only channel, up to 0.4% from 0.3%.

The three statutory national commercial radio channels didn’t have a great day. Classic FM, year on year, held its 3.7% market share but erased gains through the later quarters of 2008. The channel is at its lowest national market share in, like, forever.      

TalkSport was down a pinch, to 1.8% from 1.9%. Absolute Radio showed 1.2% market share, slightly lower than Virgin Radio’s waning days. Absolute Radio held its own, quarter to quarter, as the rebranding from Virgin Radio starts to take hold.

The newly constructed nationally branded commercial networks made significant gains, mostly from frequency shuffling and name changes. The Heart network now ranks 4th nationally with 5.7% market share. The Galaxy network rose to 2.6% nationally from 1.6% one year on. Both channels undertook repositioning last summer.

Commercial radio, as a whole, grew to 41.6% market share from 41.1% one year on. National commercial channels lost share to 10.2% from 10.7%. That was offset by gains from local commercial stations; 31.3% market share from 30.3% one year on.  A seasonal affect is clear; winter being (a) good to the BBC or (b) bad to commercial radio. (See the BBC v. commercial radio chart here)

The greater London market survey showed results, just in reverse. The BBC channels plus BBC London increased market share to 41.9% from 40.4% one year on. Much of that was from Radio 4 gains to 16.7% from 14.6%. BBC 2 was off, dropping to 11.4% from 12.4% year on year. Radio Two’s morning (breakfast) show with Sir Terry Wogan was off. Among local commercial stations Heart pulled ahead of Magic, 5.9% and 5.7% respectively. In the first quarter 2008 the two were tied at 5.8%. The top five local commercial stations are still the top five commercial stations. Kiss FM gained the most, up to 4.6% from 4.3%. Capital Radio, the benchmark for local commercial radio, gained a bit, still in 3rd place at 4.7%. Capital Radio’s morning (breakfast) show regained the time-slot top slot among commercial stations.

National commercial channels Classic FM and TalkSport both gained market share, contrary to the national trend. Absolute Radio – formerly Virgin Radio – is still to find its sea-legs in the London market.

And, yes, digital radio listening increased to 34% of all listening nationally. Most of that came from DAB radios, now in more homes. Internet and mobile phone listening increases barely denting. DAB proponents gleefully shouted that analogue shut-off should take place sooner than later. Others, like Deloitte’s Mark Lees-Amies, quoted in The Telegraph (May 7), looked askance. “Question marks,” he said, “remain about its ability to grow much further and it is likely to be limited by the relative scarcity of DAB radio in cars, where some 20pc of radio listening takes place. DAB is under represented in the workplace, where a further 20pc of radio listening takes place.”

The next RAJAR radio audience survey will be released in about three months.