Press Releases BBC Radio increases reach and share as radio industry enjoys record high

Category: Radio; Radio 2
Date: 01.02.2007
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BBC reach and share up

Record reach for radio industry as a whole

Radio 2 adds half a million in last quarter

BBC Radio posted strong listening figures as more people than ever listened to UK radio stations, according to data released today by Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd).

The figures - covering the period from 18 September to 17 December 2006 - show BBC Radio in rude health.

Reach is 32.81 million - 32.66m last quarter and 32.97m last year - and share is 54.4% - 54.3% last quarter and 55.1% last year.

More than 45 million people - or 90% of the UK population - tuned into their radio every week during the period - the highest number since the weekly survey began.

Jenny Abramsky, Director, BBC Audio & Music, said: "It's great to see radio listening at a record high.

"It proves that radio still plays an incredibly important part in people's lives and that, despite the range of new media available, listeners continue to value the close relationship they have with radio."

BBC Radio 1's reach is 10.26 million - slightly down on last year (10.29m) and last quarter (10.58m) - and share is 9.7%, compared to 9.2% last year and 9.8% last quarter.

BBC Radio 2 has 13.27 million listeners - an increase of 530,000 on last quarter (12.74m) and steady on the year (13.26m). Share, at 15.8%, is slightly down on the year (16%) but up on the quarter (15.5%).

BBC Radio 3's reach is 2.03 million - the same as last quarter but up from last year's 1.97m. Share (1.4%) is up on the quarter (1.3%) and the year (1.2%).

BBC Radio 4 has 9.34 million listeners - down on the quarter (9.47m) but up on the year (9.32m). The station's share is 11.1%, down from 11.8% last quarter and last year.

BBC Radio Five Live - which records a combined reach with its digital service Five Live Sports Extra - has a reach of 5.92 million, up from 5.78m last year and 5.87m last quarter. Share is 4.5%, up from 4.4% last quarter and 4.3% last year.

BBC Local and National Radio has a reach of 10.26 million (9.73m last quarter and 10.44m last year) and share of 10.4% (9.8% last quarter and 11.1% last year).

Five Live Sports Extra has 650,000 listeners, up from 460,000 last year and steady on last quarter's 649,000. Its share is 0.1% (0.1% last year and 0.2% last quarter).

BBC 6 Music has a reach of 383,000 - up from last year's 354,000 and marginally down on 400,000 last quarter, while share remains at 0.2%, unchanged on the year and quarter.

BBC 7's reach is 672,000 (600,000 last year and 697,000 last quarter), while share is 0.3% - the same as last year and last quarter.

1Xtra has 368,000 listeners - slightly up on the year (352,000) but down on last quarter (394,000). Its share (0.2%) is up on the year (0.1%) and steady on the quarter (0.2%).

The BBC World Service has 1.26 million listeners in the UK - down from 1.35m last quarter and last year. Share is 0.6% from 0.7% last year and 0.8% last quarter.

The BBC Asian Network has 493,000 listeners - up on last quarter's 481,000 and last year's 420,000 - while share, at 0.3%, is level with last year and last quarter.

JA

Notes to Editors