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February 6, 2014updated 25 Feb 2014 10:23pm

Talk stations all grow their audience as UK radio listening rises to new high

By Dominic Ponsford

Radio 4 claimed a record weekly reach in the last quarter of 2013 – its highest ever figure under the current Rajar measurement system which dates back to 1999.

It had a weekly reach of 11.2m listeners, up from 10.9m in the same period a year ago. The station’s flagship current affairs show the Today programme also had a strong showing, with 7.14m listeners a week, up from 7.05m in the same period a year earlier.

Radio 2 was the UK’s most popular station with an audience of 15.5m a week.

BBC director of radio Helen Boaden said: “These figures are wonderful news for the radio industry and Britain’s love affair with radio shows no signs of cooling.

“We are a nation of audiophiles and so, despite the ever-increasing competition for people’s time and the growing range of online audio providers, radio is thriving in the digital age. I’m delighted that the BBC’s distinctive portfolio of stations is proving so enduringly popular and helping the UK radio industry go from strength to strength.”

According to Rajar the number of UK adults (aged 15 and over) tuning into their radio at least once a week rose to a record high (under the current system) of 48.4m. This represents 91 per cent of the UK population.

Other major UK speech radio stations also grew their audience in the last quarter of 2013.

Five Live grew its weekly listener numbers form 6.124m a week to 6.285m. London station LBC grew its audience from 902,000 to 958,000 and BBC London rose its audience numbers from 405,000 to 424,000.

Talksport grew its audience total from 3,034 to 3,212.

Rajar UK radio station listening figures – to December 2013

All Individuals 15+ for period ending December 2013
Station/Group Reach 000s Reach 000s Reach 000s
Dec '12 Dec '13 Y on Y Dec '13
102 Touch FM – Warks Worcs Cotswolds 42 55 13
102.4 Wish FM 63 68 5
102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire 43 45 2
106 JACKfm (Bristol) (was Original 106) 109 122 13
106 JACKfm (Oxford) 54 86 32
106.1 Real XS Manchester (was 106.1 Rock Radio) 153 150 -3
106.3 Bridge FM 35 38 3
107.2 Wire FM 50 51 1
107.4 Tower FM 49 52 3
107.5 Sovereign Radio 23 24 1
107.6 Banbury Sound 17 16 -1
107.6 Juice FM 248 211 -37
107.8 Arrow FM for Hastings 23 21 -2
1Xtra from the BBC 1044 1094 50
2BR 55 62 7
3FM 27 30 3
96.2 The Revolution 32 34 2
96.2 Touch FM – Coventry 19 31 12
96.3 Radio Aire 126 126 0
96.3 Real XS Glasgow (was 96.3 Rock Radio) 70 70 0
96.4 Eagle Radio 145 143 -2
96.4 FM The Wave 128 150 22
96.9 Viking FM 231 227 -4
97.2 Stray FM 50 52 2
97.4 Cool FM 381 393 12
97.4 Rock FM 259 280 21
Absolute 80s 888 1183 295
Absolute Radio 00s 149 145 -4
Absolute Radio 60s 154 197 43
Absolute Radio 70s 164 181 17
Absolute Radio 90s 436 568 132
Absolute Radio Classic Rock 362 364 2
Absolute Radio London 686 593 -93
Absolute Radio National 1242 1310 68
BBC 6 Music 1891 1962 71
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire 73 116 43
BBC Essex 247 222 -25
BBC Hereford & Worcester 94 96 2
BBC London 94.9 424 465 41
BBC Radio 1 11091 10969 -122
BBC Radio 2 15109 15513 404
BBC Radio 3 2061 1992 -69
BBC Radio 4 10754 11205 451
BBC Radio 4 Extra 1685 1646 -39
BBC Radio Berkshire 135 109 -26
BBC Radio Bristol 150 115 -35
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire 116 147 31
BBC Radio Cornwall 152 159 7
BBC Radio Cumbria 107 127 20
BBC Radio Cymru 125 140 15
BBC Radio Derby 147 160 13
BBC Radio Devon 225 221 -4
BBC Radio FIVE LIVE 6124 6285 161
BBC Radio Gloucestershire 112 85 -27
BBC Radio Guernsey 22 22 0
BBC Radio Humberside 237 186 -51
BBC Radio Jersey 28 29 1
BBC Radio Kent 271 259 -12
BBC Radio Lancashire 203 228 25
BBC Radio Leeds 205 239 34
BBC Radio Leicester 172 144 -28
BBC Radio Lincolnshire 104 120 16
BBC Radio Manchester 208 210 2
BBC Radio Merseyside 323 344 21
BBC Radio Newcastle 335 369 34
BBC Radio Norfolk 191 176 -15
BBC Radio Northampton 105 92 -13
BBC Radio Nottingham 181 193 12
BBC Radio Oxford 81 77 -4
BBC Radio Scotland 994 868 -126
BBC Radio Sheffield 249 241 -8
BBC Radio Shropshire 110 108 -2
BBC Radio Stoke 141 157 16
BBC Radio Suffolk 124 122 -2
BBC Radio Tees 115 143 28
BBC Radio Ulster 507 524 17
BBC Radio Wales 436 466 30
BBC Radio Wiltshire/Swindon 97 108 11
BBC Radio York 93 81 -12
BBC Somerset 68 75 7
BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey 251 236 -15
BBC Three Counties Radio 143 154 11
BBC WM (Birmingham & Black Country) 220 233 13
BBC World Service 1462 1413 -49
Buzz Asia 963 & 972AM 88 109 21
C.F.M (Bauer Carlisle) 83 111 28
Capital Birmingham 397 481 84
Capital East Midlands 496 478 -18
Capital London 1983 2156 173
Capital Manchester 463 626 163
Capital North East 498 455 -43
Capital Scotland 468 552 84
Capital South Coast 193 n/a n/a
Capital South Coast n/a 231 n/a
Capital South Wales 230 212 -18
Capital XTRA (Was Choice FM) 568 470 -98
Capital Yorkshire 1090 1062 -28
Central FM 60 49 -11
Channel 103 FM 48 54 6
Cheshire's Silk 106.9 18 21 3
Chester's Dee 106.3 38 47 9
City Talk 105.9 60 79 19
Citybeat 96.7/102.5FM 112 147 35
Classic FM 5370 5634 264
Clyde 1 FM 624 580 -44
Clyde 2 233 168 -65
Connect FM (was Connect FM and Lite 106.8FM) 44 51 7
Dearne FM 46 60 14
Downtown Radio (DTR) 267 318 51
Dream 100 45 40 -5
Eagle Extra 12 3 -9
Fire Radio 41 46 5
Fire Radio South Coast 7 6 -1
FIVE LIVE SPORTS EXTRA 847 889 42
Forth2 78 74 -4
ForthOne 346 320 -26
Free Radio 80s (Birmingham & Black Country) 91 74 -17
Free Radio 80s (Coventry & Warwickshire) 28 25 -3
Free Radio 80s (Shropshire) 11 24 13
Free Radio FM (Birmingham & Black Country) (was BRMB and Beacon) 336 331 -5
Free Radio FM (Coventry & Warwickshire) (was Mercia) 101 96 -5
Free Radio FM (Herefordshire & Worcestershire) (was Wyvern) 78 97 19
Free Radio FM (Shropshire) (was Beacon) 84 86 2
Gem 106 404 510 106
Glide FM 1079 (was Oxford's FM 107.9) 17 30 13
Gold Cambridgeshire 46 41 -5
Gold Devon 36 35 -1
Gold East Anglia 63 66 3
Gold East Midlands 62 66 4
Gold Essex 56 39 -17
Gold Four Counties 75 58 -17
Gold Kent 62 58 -4
Gold London 298 274 -24
Gold Manchester 102 108 6
Gold North West & Wales 23 20 -3
Gold Solent 64 68 4
Gold South Wales 75 49 -26
Gold Sussex 62 53 -9
Gold Thames Valley 41 31 -10
Gold West Country 105 112 7
Hallam FM 358 410 52
Heart Cambridgeshire 257 248 -9
Heart East Anglia 313 286 -27
Heart Essex 458 437 -21
Heart Four Counties 577 505 -72
Heart Kent 356 359 3
Heart London 1707 1557 -150
Heart North West and Wales 244 212 -32
Heart Solent 292 330 38
Heart South West 394 428 34
Heart Sussex 402 377 -25
Heart Thames Valley 387 327 -60
Heart West Country 643 606 -37
Heart West Midlands 701 768 67
Heat 767 714 -53
IOW Radio 40 41 1
Island FM 104.7 32 35 3
JACK fm (Swindon) (was More Radio) 7 32 25
Jack FM South Coast (Was The Coast) 205 245 40
Jazz FM 608 681 73
KCFM 99.8 93 78 -15
Kerrang! n/a 1021 n/a
Key 103 (Manchester) 512 570 58
Kingdom FM 87 61 -26
Kismat Radio 1035 (Greater London) 69 88 19
Kiss 100 FM 1816 1825 9
Kiss East 458 447 -11
Kiss Fresh (Was Smash Hits) 992 387 -605
Kiss West 471 492 21
Kisstory n/a 927 n/a
KL.FM 96.7 50 46 -4
kmfm East 80 82 2
kmfm West 67 71 4
Lakeland Radio 14 21 7
LBC 97.3 902 958 56
LBC News 1152 411 236 -175
Lincs FM 102.2 342 316 -26
Magic 105.4 (London) 2031 1756 -275
Magic 1152 (Manchester) 88 94 6
Magic 1152 (Newcastle) 131 147 16
Magic 1161 (Hull) 68 89 21
Magic 1170 (Teesside) 87 86 -1
Magic 1548 (Liverpool) 77 92 15
Magic 828 (Leeds) 98 124 26
Magic 999 (Preston) 32 26 -6
Magic AM (Sheffield) 94 91 -3
Manx Radio 36 40 4
Metro Radio 411 450 39
Minster FM 71 73 2
Mix 96 39 42 3
MKFM n/a 7 n/a
Moray Firth Radio (Bauer Inverness) 108 116 8
Nation Hits! (was Nation 80s) 42 38 -4
Nation Radio 137 150 13
North Norfolk Radio 21 22 1
Northsound One 137 136 -1
Northsound Two 55 40 -15
Norwich 99.9fm 52 47 -5
Oak FM 26 26 0
Original 106 (Aberdeen) 42 66 24
Palm FM 37 43 6
Peak 107 FM 94 104 10
Pirate FM 153 174 21
Planet Rock 877 n/a n/a
Planet Rock 105.2 323 256 -67
Premier Christian Radio 175 160 -15
Pulse 2 58 31 -27
Q 196 n/a n/a
Q Radio Network n/a 110 n/a
Q100.5 (Was Five FM) 13 n/a n/a
Q102.9FM/Q97.2FM/Q101.2FM 85 n/a n/a
Q106 (was Six FM) 7 n/a n/a
Q107 (was Seven FM) 10 n/a n/a
Radio Borders (Bauer Borders) 51 54 3
Radio Carmarthenshire and Scarlet FM 44 44 0
Radio Ceredigion 19 19 0
Radio City 96.7 439 398 -41
Radio Exe 107.3 FM (was Exeter FM) 21 24 3
Radio Mansfield 103.2 42 44 2
Radio Plymouth 37 38 1
Radio Wave 96.5 FM 67 80 13
Reading 107 FM 18 19 1
Real Radio North East – (was Century Radio) 279 257 -22
Real Radio North West – (was Century Radio) 416 472 56
Real Radio Scotland 547 567 20
Real Radio Wales (North) 61 67 6
Real Radio Wales (South) 450 424 -26
Real Radio Yorkshire 397 326 -71
Ridings FM 53 37 -16
Rother FM 36 42 6
Rugby FM 24 22 -2
Signal 107 57 40 -17
Signal One 254 304 50
Signal Two 82 65 -17
Smooth 70s 709 804 95
Smooth Radio East Midlands 305 302 -3
Smooth Radio Glasgow 260 259 -1
Smooth Radio London 514 441 -73
Smooth Radio North East 439 406 -33
Smooth Radio North West 866 900 34
Smooth Radio West Midlands 389 398 9
Southend & Chelmsford Radio 52 48 -4
Spire FM 47 43 -4
Spirit FM 55 46 -9
Star NE – North (was Durham FM) 21 20 -1
Star NE – South (was Alpha 103.2) 31 28 -3
Star Radio in Cambridge 24 n/a n/a
Sun FM 69 71 2
Sunrise Radio (Greater London) 227 382 155
Sunrise Radio National 361 521 160
Swansea Sound – 1170 MW 51 57 6
talkSPORT 3034 3212 178
Tay-AM 73 82 9
Tay-FM 130 153 23
TFM Radio 167 172 5
The Bay 94 118 24
THE BEACH 60 56 -4
The Bee 37 51 14
The Breeze (Basingstoke and North Hampshire) (was Kestrel FM) 33 26 -7
The Breeze (East Hampshire & South West Surrey) (was Kestrel FM) 19 n/a n/a
The Breeze (North Somerset) (was Nova Radio – Weston) 20 n/a n/a
The Breeze (South) 57 72 15
The Breeze South West (North) 49 n/a n/a
The Breeze South West (North) n/a 92 n/a
The Breeze South West (South) (was Midwest Radio) 31 n/a n/a
The Breeze South West (South) (was Midwest Radio) n/a 49 n/a
The Hits 905 910 5
The Pulse 150 120 -30
Time FM 106.6 27 22 -5
Total Absolute Radio (London) 890 809 -81
Total BBC Radio Solent 285 297 12
Total Capital XTRA (UK) 748 854 106
Total Essex n/a 47 n/a
Touch FM Staffs 29 35 6
Town 102 FM 61 58 -3
Trax FM 95 88 -7
U105 200 195 -5
Wave 102 FM 28 n/a n/a
Wave 105 FM (Bauer South Coast) 344 438 94
Wessex FM 45 48 3
West Sound (Bauer Southwest Scotland) 178 177 -1
XFM London 445 440 -5
XFM Manchester 208 199 -9
Yorkshire Coast Radio 43 51 8
Yorkshire Radio 113 n/a n/a

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