Press Releases

• Radio 4 adds half a million listeners and records highest ever share
• Today programme at seven-year high
• Moyles and Wogan add listeners
• Radio 2 up

BBC Radio 4 has added half-a-million listeners and recorded its highest share – buoyed by a strong performance from the Today programme – according to data released today by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd).

The station now has 9.81 million listeners – up from 9.29 million last year, 9.45 million last quarter – and its highest reach since the start of 2003. During the measurement period (15 September to 14 December) it posted a record share of 12.4% – up from 11.8% last year and 11.5% last quarter.

The Today programme has 6.60 million listeners, up nearly half-a-million on the quarter (6.11m), almost 400,000 on the year, and its largest audience since the end of 2001.

Tim Davie, Director BBC Audio & Music, said: "This quarter's figures are good news for the radio industry, the BBC and particularly Radio 4.

"Radio 4 plays a unique role in the country's cultural and news agenda and these results reflect its influential place in British life."

All BBC Radio now has a reach of 33.52 million (from 33.14m last year and 32.98m last quarter) and a share of 55.7% (from 55.4% last year and 54.9% last quarter).

BBC Radio 1 drew 10.58 million listeners per week in the quarter, from 10.69 million last year and 10.87 million last quarter. Its share, at 10.1%, is up on last quarter (9.8%) but slightly down on last year (10.3%).

The Chris Moyles Show has 7.30 million listeners – up from 7.02 million last quarter and steady on 7.31 million last year.

BBC Radio 2 has a weekly reach of 13.47 million listeners – up from 13.06 million last quarter and 12.82 million last year. Share, at 15.8%, is level with the year (15.7%) and slightly down on the quarter (16%).

Wake Up To Wogan has 7.96 million listeners tuning in each week (from 7.74m last quarter and 7.73m last year).

BBC Radio 3's reach rose to 1.98 million, from 1.95 million last quarter and 1.95 million last year. Share is 1.3% – up from 1.2% last year and last quarter.

BBC Radio 5 Live and its digital service BBC 5 Live Sports Extra recorded a combined reach of 6.11 million – up on last quarter's combined total (5.94m) but down on last year (6.17m). Combined share is up to 5.0%, from 4.8% last quarter and 4.7% last year. 5 Live Sports Extra has a weekly reach of 663,000.

In digital-only services, BBC 6 Music posted its sixth consecutive record reach, with 619,000 listeners, up on both year and quarter.

BBC Radio 7 has 850,000 listeners, the BBC Asian Network has 379,000 listeners and 1Xtra has a reach of 533,000.

The BBC World Service increased its reach to 1.43 million – up from 1.18 million last year and 1.36 million last quarter.

Notes to Editors

JA