Young People Desert Radio - New Channels Needed

Michael Hedges February 8, 2019 Follow on Twitter

Everybody paying attention to the media world knows everything has changed. Digital transition, once promising metaphysical joy, has been a wrecking ball. Consumers of media - who pay the bills - have seen the future, shrugged at the confusion and made other plans.

UK radio measurement institute RAJAR issued its Q4 2018 audience estimates to a thumping for public broadcaster BBC. And this was the holiday season report. The aggregate listening share for BBC radio channels plunged to 50.9% from 52.8% year on year. This is the lowest in, like, forever. BBC network (national) channels dropped, on aggregate, to 44.6% audience share from 45.5%. The aggregate listening share for BBC local stations hit a historic low, 6.3%.

Commercial radio broadcasters are, clearly, counting their money. Aggregate audience share for UK commercial radio hit a dizzying 46.5%, up from 44.2% one year on. The strategy of packing the digital multiplexes with national brand extensions has paid off; national channels - now almost countless - attracted 18.6% listening share, up from 17.1%. Local commercial stations, in decline for several years, bumped up on aggregate to 27.9% listening share from 27.1%. (See 2003 to present BBC v commercial ‘gap’ chart here)

There is a backdrop to this, unpleasant for all broadcasters. All UK radio listening has dropped for the third consecutive quarter since the all-time record in Q1 2018. Listening reach by 15 to 44 year olds to BBC radio, on aggregate, dropped 4.9% year on year and for commercial radio by 0.4%. Among listeners 45 years and older BBC radio lost 1.8% while commercial radio gained 1.1%.

In the national audience estimates BBC Radio 2 kept first place, dropping to 18.1% listener share from 18.3% one year on. News-talk BBC Radio 4 remains in second place, dropping to its lowest listener share in more than a decade, 11.2% from 11.8% year on year. Youth-oriented BBC Radio 1 now shares third place with contemporary music commercial channel Heart. Radio 1 is slightly lower, 5.7% from 5.9%, and Heart is slightly up. (See UK national radio listening share trend chart here)

The Smooth national network of adult contemporary stations moved up to fifth spot, rising slightly to 3.6% listening share. The Capital network of pop stations dropped to 6th - tied with Classic FM - from 5th one year on. Classic FM was slightly lower in listening share.

All-sports BBC Five Live was slightly lower, 3.3% listening share and 8th place. Hip-hop dance channel Kiss ranked 9th nationally, down to 3.0% listening share from 3.2%. Adult-contemporary Magic moved up to 10th place, 2.4% listening share from 2.0%, the biggest share gain of all nationally ranked channels.

The London radio audience estimates for Q4 2018 couldn’t be more different. BBC Radio 4 and Radio 2, number one and two, respectively, were basically unchanged in listening share. Commercial talk station LBC remains in 3rd place, 5.5% listening share from 5.2% one year on. The newly configured TalkRadio is getting underway, highly promoted and owned by News UK, and may give LBC some pain. (See London radio listening share trend chart here)

Both Heart London and Magic London were up in the rankings, 4th and 5th, respectively. That was largely due to Classic FM, Kiss London and Capital London taking deep dives. BBC Radio 1 was also slightly lower. Classic FM is due for competition this year from a new commercial digital-only classical music station.

The big London winner on the commercial side was Smooth Radio, 3.0% listening share from 1.9%, one year on. BBC Radio 3 - the classical music and culture channel - was also up significantly, 1.8% listening share from 1.3%.

Even in the face of overall decline in radio listening, digital radio listening increased year on year. Digital listening on all platforms rose to 53.6% listening share from 49.9%. The DAB platform attracts a 38.3% listening share, up from 36.3%. Online listening still bubbles just under 10%. Listening via mobile devices is virtually unchanged year on year.

See also in ftmKnowledge

Digital Transitions

Media's transition from analogue to digital has opened opportunities and unleashed challenges beyond the imagination. Media is connected and mobile yet fettered by old rules and new economics. Broadcasters and publishers borrow from the past while inventing whole new services. This ftm Knowledge file explores the changes. 88 pages PDF (March 2012)

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