BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Asian Network reach record audiences

The overall listening of radio in the UK has also reached a record high, now attracting an audience of 48.7m each week.

BBC Radio 4 posted its record weekly reach of 11.51 million during the quarter (10.57m last quarter and 10.57m last year) and a share of 11.9% (12% last quarter and 11.7% last year). The Today programme has a record 7.35 million listeners each week, from 6.76m last quarter and 6.68m last year.

BBC Radio 6 Music drew a record 2.27 million listeners (from a previous record 2.24m last quarter and 2.06m last year) and BBC Asian Network achieved a record 676,000 listeners, reporting on a six-monthly basis, compared to 562,000 last quarter and 607,000 last year.

Helen Boaden, Director of BBC Radio, said:

“BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 6 Music and the Asian Network are brilliant and unique. It's fantastic that audiences across the country are finding these stations in record numbers to enjoy as part of their daily lives.”

“The overall radio industry in the UK is in incredibly rude health. I’m delighted that in today’s digital world, audiences continue to appreciate the power of radio - its ability to provide daily companionship and entertainment, to share stories and to find and curate the best music with such a deep understanding of different audiences across the UK. Radio is a vital part of the UK's media ecology and we should all celebrate that.”

All BBC Radio’s weekly reach over the period (4th April - 26th June 2016) was 35.07 million (34.87m last quarter and 35.02m last year) and a share of 52.2% (54.1% last quarter and 53% last year).

BBC Radio 1 posted a reach of 9.46 million listeners (from 9.91m last quarter and 10.44m last year) – which rises to 10.26m when listeners aged 10 to 14 are included – while the network’s share of listening was 5.7% (from 5.6% last quarter and 6.4% last year). The Radio 1 Breakfast Show With Nick Grimshaw now attracts 5.43 million listeners per week, compared to 5.44m last quarter and 5.84m last year. Including all listeners aged 10+, the show now has a weekly audience of 5.82m.

BBC Radio 2’s weekly audience was 15.3 million (from 15.51m last quarter and 15.14m last year) while the station’s share of listening was 17.2% (18.6% last quarter and 17.6% last year). The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracted 9.47 million listeners per week, compared to 9.73m last quarter and 9.7m last year.

BBC Radio 3’s audience was 2.2 million (from 2.12m last quarter and 1.89m last year) – the station’s highest in five years. Radio 3’s share was 1.2% (1.3% last quarter and 1.3% last year).

BBC Radio 5 live posted a reach of 5.86 million listeners (5.77m last quarter and 5.32m last year) and a share of 3.9% (3.9% last quarter and 3.5% last year).

Amongst digital-only stations, BBC Radio 1Xtra had a reach of 1.08 million weekly listeners across the period (from 1.04m last quarter and 958,000 last year), BBC Radio 4 Extra attracted 1.95 million listeners per week (from 1.85m last quarter and 1.95m last year), BBC Radio 5 live sports extra posted 1.31 million listeners (from 1.33m last quarter and 1.63m last year).

The BBC World Service posted a weekly UK audience of 1.45 million (from 1.47m last quarter and 1.55m last year).

BBC Local radio reached 8.38 million listeners per week, from 8.79m last quarter and 8.84m last year.

For further Information, please contact:

BBC Publicity contacts

BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra – PC
BBC Radio 2 & 6 Music, Asian Network – SH
BBC Radio 3 - AH
Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra – LZ
BBC Local Radio - TM
BBC Radio 5 live & 5 live Sports Extra – DH
BBC World Service – CM

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