GB News Radio has overtaken Talk (formerly Talkradio) for weekly reach according to the RAJAR listening figures for the third quarter of 2024.
The station, an audio simulcast of sister TV station GB News, had an average weekly reach of 611,000 in Q3, up 18% on Q2 and up 54% on Q3 2023.
Talkradio on the other hand reached an average of 576,000 listeners weekly — a 17% year-on-year decrease and a 16% month-on-month one.
GB News’s movement up the table comes the quarter after it overtook another Rupert Murdoch-owned station, Times Radio. Times Radio had a good quarter in Q3, however, growing its reach 17% quarter-on-quarter to 557,000.
GB News editorial director Michael Booker said: “Our army of viewers and listeners is growing at a phenomenal rate. This is another milestone moment in GB News’ continuing success story.
“To achieve the level of growth we have is remarkable and is down to the brilliant content our journalists produce, and the loyalty of our viewers and listeners. We look forward to welcoming more and more of them into the GB News family in the years ahead.”
LBC remains ahead of all three stations, with LBC-branded stations collectively reaching 3.4 million listeners on average weekly, an increase of 16% year-on-year. LBC London alone had a weekly reach of 1.4 million over the quarter.
Meanwhile, the reach of BBC local and regional stations declined in the RAJAR figures, which may reflect cost-saving changes made by the corporation that have seen jobs cut and stations sharing newsreaders.
The weekly average reach of BBC local and regional stations was 4.6 million in Q3, a decline of 14% year-on-year and 6% compared with the second quarter. Average hours spent listening per listener also declined 2%.
In cheerier news for the broadcaster, weekly reach was up at both Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live, where average listenership rose 8% and 12% respectively compared with last quarter.
Radio 4's Today show adds 300,000 listeners
Among breakfast programmes specifically GB News Radio also saw the most growth in the RAJAR stats, with average weekly listeners to its show fronted by Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster up 55% year-on-year to 253,000.
BBC Radio 4's Today breakfast news programme added 300,000 listeners compared to the same period in 2023 averaging 5,849,000 listeners per week. Radio 5 Live also grew its breakfast audience, up 30,000 year on year to an average of 1,579,000 listeners per week.
BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC London also saw listenership rise year-on-year, growing respectively 9% to 1.6 million and 14% to 847,000.
Some thirty years after launch Radio 5's weekly reach of six million was said to be its biggest audience in a decade.
The BBC said that the BBC Sounds app drove 622 million plays in the quarter, up 3% year on year.
Times Radio noted that it has reached one million subscribers on Youtube where it offers video highlights of its coverage.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
