November 5, 2012

BBC losing out in fight for London radio listeners – plus full Rajar round-up

BBC London 94.9 continued to lose ground to commercial rival LBC in the second quarter of this year.

According to figures released by Rajar, the BBC London station reached 374,000 listeners a week (down 17.4 per cent year on year) versus LBC 97.3's weekly reach of 927,000, which was up up 14.6 per cent year on year.

Radio 5 Live's main output (including Sports Extra) did not apear to benefit from an Olympics boost in the third quarter of 2012. According to Rajar it reached 6.3m listeners a week in the period, which was a slight 0.6 per cent dip year on year. However the BBC said that the Five Live Olympics Extra digital station achieved a reach of 1.9m listeners.

Commercial station Talksport was slightly down year on year according to Rajar, with an average weekly reach of 3m (down 3.6 per cent).

Radio 4 was up 3.5 per cent year on year at 10.8m. Radio 4's flagship current affairs programme Today was up year on year with an average weekly reach of 6.9m according to Rajar (compared with 6.8m in the same period a year earlier).

Five Live breakfast had a weekly reach of 2.8m (versus 2.5m a in the same period last year) and Talksport's breakfast show was steady year on year with a weekly reach of 1.3m.

In London, BBC London 94.9's breakfast show slumped from 209,000 a year ago to 152,000 while rival commercial station LBC 97.3 grew from 527,000 in the same period a year ago to 566,000.

Full breakdown of radio listening figures for the third quarter of 2012

Name of station: average weekly reach (in thousands); percentage change year on year

102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire	48	14.3
102FM Touchradio – Warks Worcs Cotswolds	44	-12
106 JACKfm (Bristol) (was Original 106)	92	-19.3
106 JACKfm (Oxford)	55	-39.6
106.1 Real XS (was 106.1 Rock Radio)	n/a	n/a
106.1 Real XS Manchester (was 106.1 Rock Radio)	168	n/a
106.3 Bridge FM	33	-19.5
107 The Bee	29	20.8
107.2 Wire FM	52	-14.8
107.3 Touchradio – Warwick	n/a	n/a
107.4 Tower FM	56	9.8
107.5 Sovereign Radio	27	22.7
107.6 Banbury Sound	15	0
107.6 Juice FM	221	19.5
107.7 The Wolf	34	-30.6
107.8 Arrow FM for Hastings	21	-8.7
1Xtra from the BBC	1114	23.2
2BR	60	9.1
3FM	27	28.6
96.2 The Revolution	41	-14.6
96.2FM Touchradio – Coventry	20	-25.9
96.3 Radio Aire	119	-16.2
96.3 Real XS Glasgow (was 96.3 Rock Radio)	63	5
96.4 BRMB	n/a	n/a
96.4 Eagle Radio	145	-0.7
96.4 FM The Wave	130	-13.9
96.9 Viking FM	255	8.5
97.2 Stray FM	48	0
97.4 Cool FM	382	-9.3
97.4 Rock FM	267	-5.7
Absolute 80s	895	-12.1
Absolute Radio 00s	143	19.2
Absolute Radio 60s	189	n/a
Absolute Radio 70s	172	n/a
Absolute Radio 90s	435	18.9
Absolute Radio Classic Rock	356	2.9
Absolute Radio London	592	7.4
Absolute Radio National	1055	-11.9
BBC 6 Music	1620	31.8
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire	86	-2.3
BBC Essex	250	-10.1
BBC Hereford & Worcester	98	-3.9
BBC London 94.9	374	-21.1
BBC Oxford 95.2FM	62	-15.1
BBC Radio 1	11198	-5.5
BBC Radio 2	13903	-2.8
BBC Radio 3	2150	4.8
BBC Radio 4	10845	2.7
BBC Radio 4 Extra	1694	11
BBC Radio Berkshire	125	-13.8
BBC Radio Bristol	141	-2.1
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire	108	0
BBC Radio Cornwall	154	1.3
BBC Radio Cumbria	100	-29.1
BBC Radio Cymru	142	2.9
BBC Radio Derby	155	10.7
BBC Radio Devon	203	-21.6
BBC Radio FIVE LIVE	6098	-2.2
BBC Radio Gloucestershire	114	22.6
BBC Radio Guernsey	23	0
BBC Radio Humberside	238	36
BBC Radio Jersey	27	-6.9
BBC Radio Kent	266	12.7
BBC Radio Lancashire	202	-6.5
BBC Radio Leeds	209	-13.3
BBC Radio Leicester	181	8.4
BBC Radio Lincolnshire	117	21.9
BBC Radio Manchester	231	29.1
BBC Radio Merseyside	322	-7.5
BBC Radio Newcastle	308	16.2
BBC Radio Norfolk	172	-18.9
BBC Radio Northampton	100	6.4
BBC Radio Nottingham	187	-1.6
BBC Radio Scotland	928	-2.6
BBC Radio Sheffield	255	6.7
BBC Radio Shropshire	103	-4.6
BBC Radio Solent (Hants/ IoW/ East Dorset)	n/a	n/a
BBC Radio Solent (West Dorset)	n/a	n/a
BBC Radio Stoke	156	-25.4
BBC Radio Suffolk	115	-10.2
BBC Radio Tees	106	-2.8
BBC Radio Ulster	542	0.7
BBC Radio Wales	450	-6.1
BBC Radio Wiltshire/Swindon	83	-10.8
BBC Radio York	94	0
BBC Somerset	66	-1.5
BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey	241	-7.7
BBC Three Counties Radio	146	-19.8
BBC WM (Birmingham & Black Country)	214	-10.5
BBC World Service	1387	-7.6
Beacon Radio	n/a	n/a
Buzz Asia 963 & 972AM	88	-12.9
C.F.M (Bauer Carlisle)	74	-30.8
Capital Birmingham	421	-9.9
Capital East Midlands	480	-14
Capital London	1999	-8.3
Capital Manchester	516	0.2
Capital North East	491	-10.6
Capital Scotland	476	-4.8
Capital South Coast	164	-18.8
Capital South Wales	236	-9.6
Capital Yorkshire	1100	7.7
Central FM	53	0
Channel 103 FM	47	6.8
Cheshire's Silk 106.9	17	-15
Chester's Dee 106.3	32	-8.6
Chill	n/a	n/a
Choice FM London	508	-9.6
City Talk 105.9	62	-7.5
Citybeat 96.7/102.5FM	126	-9.4
Classic FM	5450	1.2
Clyde 1 FM	574	-1.5
Clyde 2	230	12.7
Connect FM (was Connect FM and Lite 106.8FM)	38	-17.4
Dearne FM	48	-15.8
Downtown Radio (DTR)	267	-7.3
Dream 100	46	-6.1
Eagle Extra (formerly County Sound 1566MW)	10	-33.3
Fire Radio	40	-7
Fire Radio South Coast	5	n/a
FIVE LIVE SPORTS EXTRA	1005	-12.6
Forth2	73	-27
ForthOne	342	0
Free Radio 80s (Birmingham & Black Country)	93	n/a
Free Radio 80s (Coventry & Warwickshire)	21	-12.5
Free Radio 80s (Shropshire)	12	n/a
Free Radio FM (Birmingham & Black Country) (was BRMB and Beacon)	335	n/a
Free Radio FM (Coventry & Warwickshire) (was Mercia)	109	-28.8
Free Radio FM (Herefordshire & Worcestershire) (was Wyvern)	82	n/a
Free Radio FM (Shropshire) (was Beacon)	78	n/a
Gem 106	n/a	n/a
Gem 106	392	n/a
Glide FM 1079 (was Oxford's FM 107.9)	18	-14.3
Gold Birmingham	n/a	n/a
Gold Cambridgeshire	49	32.4
Gold Devon	31	10.7
Gold East Anglia	74	-5.1
Gold East Midlands	65	-11
Gold Essex	59	-25.3
Gold Four Counties	85	34.9
Gold Kent	58	13.7
Gold London	353	-6.4
Gold Manchester	116	46.8
Gold North West & Wales	28	21.7
Gold Solent	66	-13.2
Gold South Wales	76	65.2
Gold Sussex	70	25
Gold Thames Valley	36	20
Gold West Country	112	7.7
Gold Wolverhampton	n/a	n/a
Hallam FM	375	3.6
Heart Cambridgeshire	235	16.9
Heart Cornwall (was 105-107 Atlantic FM)	69	-1.4
Heart Devon	322	-5.6
Heart East Anglia	305	-5.9
Heart East Midlands	102	67.2
Heart Essex	415	-16.7
Heart Four Counties	555	12.3
Heart Kent	365	-3.4
Heart London	1826	-9.9
Heart North West and Wales	255	22
Heart Solent	341	9.6
Heart Sussex	386	10.6
Heart Thames Valley	388	2.6
Heart West Country	643	-9.2
Heart West Midlands	690	-17.8
Heat	681	7.9
IOW Radio	38	2.7
Island FM 104.7	30	3.4
Jack FM South Coast (Was The Coast)	211	104.9
Jazz FM	624	22.8
KCFM 99.8	87	27.9
Kerrang! 105.2	307	-17.7
Kestrel FM	31	-6.1
KESTREL FM – was Delta Radio	19	35.7
Key 103 (Manchester)	483	-15.3
Kingdom FM	83	5.1
Kismat Radio 1035 (Greater London)	81	-39.1
Kiss 100 FM	1952	14.6
Kiss East	443	3.3
Kiss West	501	6.4
KL.FM 96.7	48	9.1
kmfm East	90	-6.3
kmfm West	69	-5.5
Lakeland Radio	14	0
LBC 97.3	927	10.2
LBC News 1152	439	14.9
Lincs FM 102.2	315	-2.8
Magic 105.4	2174	9.1
Magic 1152 (Manchester)	69	-24.2
Magic 1152 (Newcastle)	164	-7.9
Magic 1161 (Hull)	59	-32.2
Magic 1170 (Teesside)	88	-15.4
Magic 1548 (Liverpool)	89	-11.9
Magic 828 (Leeds)	113	6.6
Magic 999 (Preston)	30	-25
Magic AM (Sheffield)	102	-1
Manx Radio	36	0
Metro Radio	382	5.8
Midwest Radio	n/a	n/a
Midwest Radio	35	n/a
Minster FM	73	-3.9
Mix 96	39	5.4
Moray Firth Radio (Bauer Inverness)	115	-10.2
Nation 80s (was 102.1 Bay Radio)	39	-9.3
Nation Radio	138	1.5
NME Radio	n/a	n/a
North Norfolk Radio	20	-16.7
Northsound One	126	-7.4
Northsound Two	52	20.9
Norwich 99.9fm	54	12.5
Nova Radio – Weston (was Star Radio in North Somerset)	21	5
Oak FM	26	-21.2
Original 106 (Aberdeen)	44	-13.7
Palm FM	34	-19
Peak 107 FM	99	11.2
Pirate FM	163	-0.6
Planet Rock	864	2.9
Premier Christian Radio	164	-9.4
Pulse 2	57	11.8
Q	162	-22.5
Q100.5 (Was Five FM)	15	-34.8
Q102.9FM/Q97.2FM/Q101.2FM	80	1.3
Q106 (was Six FM)	8	-33.3
Q107 (was Seven FM)	11	-26.7
Radio Borders (Bauer Borders)	51	-16.4
Radio Carmarthenshire and Scarlet FM	42	5
Radio Ceredigion	13	30
Radio City 96.7	465	0
Radio Exe 107.3 FM (was Exeter FM)	25	-13.8
Radio Mansfield 103.2	41	7.9
Radio Wave 96.5 FM	66	-12
Reading 107 FM	22	-12
Real Radio North East – (was Century Radio)	252	-22
Real Radio North West – (was Century Radio)	442	-24.7
Real Radio Scotland	545	-12.9
Real Radio Wales (North)	61	27.1
Real Radio Wales (South)	436	-2.5
Real Radio Yorkshire	396	6.7
Ridings FM	48	6.7
Rother FM	36	2.9
Rugby FM	24	9.1
Signal One	258	-9.2
Signal Two	69	-12.7
Smash Hits Radio	970	9.1
Smooth 70s	749	n/a
Smooth Radio East Midlands	295	-22.8
Smooth Radio Glasgow	265	3.9
Smooth Radio London	431	-29.6
Smooth Radio North East	410	-1.9
Smooth Radio North West	907	3.9
Smooth Radio West Midlands	376	-5.5
Southend & Chelmsford Radio	58	7.4
Spire FM	45	7.1
Spirit FM	57	21.3
Star NE – North (was Durham FM)	21	-4.5
Star NE – South (was Alpha 103.2)	26	-10.3
Star Radio in Cambridge	26	-21.2
Sun FM	57	-32.1
Sunrise Radio (Greater London)	282	-21.7
Sunrise Radio National	403	-11
Swansea Sound – 1170 MW	58	-10.8
talkSPORT	3018	-3.6
Tay-AM	81	20.9
Tay-FM	124	-6.8
TFM Radio	161	-7.5
The Bay	101	-6.5
THE BEACH	60	7.1
The Breeze (East and West)	42	n/a
The Breeze (East) (formerly The Quay)	n/a	n/a
The Breeze (South West) (was Star Radio (Bristol))	26	-3.7
The Breeze (West)	n/a	n/a
The Hits	893	-10.3
The Pulse	143	-14.9
Time FM 106.6	24	50
Total Absolute Radio (London)	832	7.9
Total Choice (UK)	701	-8.4
Touchradio Staffs	27	-10
Town 102 FM	64	8.5
Trax FM	98	6.5
U105	198	-11.2
Wave 102 FM	26	-7.1
Wave 105 FM (Bauer South Coast)	350	-11.8
Wessex FM	47	11.9
West Sound (Bauer Southwest Scotland)	190	5
Wyvern FM	n/a	n/a
XFM London	372	-14.5
XFM Manchester	228	7.5
Yorkshire Coast Radio	41	0
Yorkshire Radio	100	38.9

Topics in this article : BBC

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Dominic Ponsford

@DomPonsford

Dominic Ponsford is the editor in chief of Press Gazette and has more than 20 years experience in journalism. Former Paul Foot Awards finalist and PPA editor of the year nominee 2022.