Radio 1 falls behind Radio 4 according to latest Rajars
Radio 4 has edged ahead of its mainstream rival Radio 1 for the first time in six months according to the latest quarterly Rajar listening figures.
The dethroning cements radio 4’s ascension this year, since it overtook Radio 1 for the first time in over a decade earlier in the year.
The all-important Breakfast slot has been a key battleground between the two stations and contrasts the differing fortunes of the two.
At Radio 4 the Today show continues to prove popular but Radio 1’s Breakfast Show has lost more than 1.1m listeners since Chris Moyles departed to be replaced by DJ Nick Grimshaw.
This has seen its audience fall to 5.6m, the lowest in a decade and 1.2m behind Today.
Radio 4 appeals to an older demographic with the average age of listeners put at 55, it regularly pulls in 10.9m listeners per week.
At Radio 1 the average age is 32 with an average weekly audience of just 10.8m in the second quarter.
A BBC spokesman said: “While Radio 1’s audience has held up through the biggest set of changes for a generation as it focuses on younger listeners, Radio 4 has seen its popularity reach new heights.”
Radio 2 remains the UK’s most popular station, drawing 14.94m listeners per week.