Talk Loudly And Be Nice To Alexa

Michael Hedges May 14, 2020 Follow on Twitter

There is little magic in the air, or airwaves. Sometimes listeners like big, legacy brands. Sometimes they favor those cute, new ones. In between are the bold ones, loud ones, familiar ones and odd ones. These are interesting times. There is a flow, if anybody can find it. Just ask Alexa.

The latest RAJAR radio audience estimates for the UK are, at once, exciting and sobering. On top, the two-year fall in national radio reach slowed in Q1. Alas, it is a period typically with lower radio reach. Aggregate reach share for commercial radio grew to 47.8% from 45.7%, year on year. Virtually all of that growth is from the ever expanding stable of nationally available channels and brand extensions, 22.3% on aggregate, up from 19.9%. Local commercial radio reach dropped to 25.5% from 25.9%. Commercial channels and stations expanded reach among persons over 45 years slightly, among persons 15 to 44 years even less. About 60% of commercial radio’s reach comes from the younger side of the audience.

Public broadcaster BBC Radio got slapped. Aggregate national reach share dropped to 49.7% from 51.4% one year on. National channels, far and away the lions share of the broadcasters output, fell to 43.4% reach from 44.8%. Local BBC stations were not beaten up quite so badly, 6.3% reach share, down from 6.6%. Where it hurts, arguably, is with persons 45 years and older, down to 57.9% from 60.2%. Younger listeners were also less in evidence, just not so much.

Trouble for BBC Radio stirred from the top. Radio 2, the entertainment channel, remains the most listened to in the national survey. But its reach share dropped to 16.3% from 17.4% year on year. Most of that appears to have come from morning show (breakfast) losses. Radio 2’s share has shown transience - up and down - for a year. News-talk channel Radio 4 was off slightly, 11.7% from 11.9%. Youth oriented Radio 1 returned to third place, 5.6% reach share from 5.7%.

The Heart network remains commercial radio’s top rated brand. In the Q1 RAJAR audience estimates its reach share was kicked in the pants, 4.8% down from 5.8% one year on. A year ago Heart’s owner, Global Radio, was allowed by regulator Ofcom to ditch local presentations, which was accomplished shortly there after with a singular morning (breakfast) show. Ratings have dropped ever since.

Classic FM, 5th nationally, is one of commercial radio’s successes. Offering classical music excerpts, as it has for a generation, it gained a 4.2% reach share, up from 3.8% year on year. It’s the best showing for Classic FM, an original national channel, since 2007.

Beyond the top five, the Capital radio brand dropped to 8th place, 3.0% reach share from 3.6% one year on. Commercial talk channel LBC shot up to 9th place, 2.8% reach share from 2.1%, the biggest gain for a commercial channel in the national survey. It’s program largely consists of right-wing, tabloid-style phone-in shows. For the rest, BBC and commercial radio, results were up a bit, down a bit or unchanged.

Results for the London market were similar. BBC Radio 4 remained on top but dropped to 14.6% reach share from 15.4% year on year. In January BBC Radio began cutting news department jobs and programs. With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic two months later those cuts were largely rolled back. Radio 2, remaining number 2 in London, also fell hard, 10.6% reach share from 12.1%.

LBC went screaming, literally and figuratively, to 8.4% reach share, best in its history, from 6.4%, one year on. Magic London and Classic FM were also up, as was Absolute London. Capital London and Smooth were down.

On the BBC side, all-sports Five Live was lower, 3.6% reach share from 3.9%. Radio 1 was slightly lower. But arts and culture Radio 3 hit its historical best result, 2.6% reach share from 1.9%. BBC Radio London was also up.

The platform arena always occupies a certain level of attention. The FM/AM platforms are still shrinking, but far more slowly. The DAB platform isn’t growing at all. Swelling are the online and mobile platforms, solidly in double digits for both the BBC and commercial radio. Alexa is a favorite lockdown companion.

The Q2 2020 RAJAR radio audience estimates, due in August, will likely come with an asterisk. Field interviewers are currently not being deployed, face-to-face interviews challenged by coronavirus safety restrictions and “contingency measures” applied. French and Spanish radio measurements are also being adjusted for the spring period.

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• Hot Topics - Radio Audience

• Hot Topics - Digital Transitions