Feather Brooksbank: UK Rajar analysis Q2 2011
Consistently beating its personal best and today is no exception, All Radio reaches 47.6 million listeners each week across Q2 2011.
When we break this down we can see that the BBC had a great performance from both a quarter on quarter (QonQ) and year on year (YonY) perspective (increase of 1.3% and 2.7% respectively) which means that they can now boast a reach 35,530,000 listeners. Commercial Radio is slightly down this quarter by 0.1% but as the YonY increased by 3.5%, Commercial Radio now reaches 34,021,000 listeners.
Looking at average hours per listener there is almost a reverse of the situation going on when looking at QonQ data as BBC are down slightly by 1.2% and Commercial is up by 3.8% QonQ, but they did both increase YonY (0.6% and 2.2% respectively) with the end result of BBC attracting listeners for 16.4 hours per week and Commercial listeners tuning in for 13.8 hours per week.
Digital
Digital radio has received good press again this time as it has been reported that listening via a digital platform has increased by 10.7% YonY – now reaching 22.1 million people each week. However this is down from last quarter – albeit ever so slightly from the last quarterly report of 22.3 million listeners. Listening hours are up quarter on quarter (3%) and year on year (14.3%) and now account for 289 million hours.
The share of listening to a digital platform is now 26.9% which is around a 1% increase QonQ – this is somewhat disappointing reading and the target remains 50% by 2013 (to proceed with the switchover by 2015).
Let’s briefly look at the bigger radio networks and national stations:
BAUER
Bauer Radio reaches 13.8 million listeners each week. This is split by:
Place portfolio reaches 9,052,000 listeners which is an increase QonQ.
Passion Portfolio remains static quarter on quarter with a slight year on year increase at 6,600,000 listeners.
GLOBAL
Global are singing from the roof tops as they can now claim to reach 20 million listeners – which is a first for the group. Looking into their main portfolios:
Capital has increased their weekly reach by 163,000 (QonQ) to reach 6,875,000 listeners across the UK.
Heart Network – reaches around 7.7 million listeners each week which is an increase of 3.38% QonQ.
GMG
GMG now reach 5,547,000 listeners which is an increase of 12% YonY. Main portfolios are as follows:
Smooth Radio now reaches 3,210,000 listeners which is an increase of 4.1% QonQ, and 14.6% YonY
Real Radio now reaches 2,563,000 listeners which is an increased YonY 7.6%
UTV
UTV now reaches 1.3 million listeners (which is an increase of 14% YonY).
National stations:
Absolute - The whole network now reaches 2.9 million listeners which is up a QonQ and YonY – up YonY by a staggering 43.4%, Absolute radio AM national feed and London FM reaches 1.765 million again which is up YonY and QonQ!
TalkSPORT – Fantastic result for talkSPORT as they gained 705,000 listeners ( up 28.12% YonY) and also 15.99% onto their listening hours, QonQ they are down slightly on reach by 1.11%
Classic FM - Adds 51,000 listeners year on year to reach 5,735,000 listeners but they are down 5.77% QonQ