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RAJARs show mixed results for Northern stations

Nationally, radio listening is continuing to rise with 91% of the population tuning in every week and that’s partly down to the continuing importance of digital platforms.

Now more than half (52%) of the UK population listens to radio through digital platforms – DAB, DTV and online. That’s despite plans for the digital switchover being delayed last year due to poor audience pick-up. Last November, Ofcom predicted that the 50% threshold, which would trigger the switch, wouldn’t be achieved for another 2 years.

Real and Smooth Radio, which are both based in Salford Quays have seen significant increases in audience figures over this quarter as well as year-on-year (up 250k). Now 5.7m adult listeners tune into the network each week, this is made up of 2.45m Real Radio UK listeners and 3.69m Smooth Radio UK listeners.

Regionally, Real Radio North West has seen a quarter-on-quarter increase of 115k listeners and Real Radio Yorkshire has also seen figures rise by 35k. However, the picture’s not so good for Real Radio North East (previously Century Radio), seeing a drop of more than 20k listeners over the quarter.

tfm“I’m delighted with the results this quarter has produced, with rises in reach across the group.  To have 5.7 million adult listeners tuning into our stations every week is a wonderful achievement and testament to the hard work, commitment and talent we have on both Real and Smooth Radio,” said Andy Carter, group managing director for Real and Smooth Ltd.

Bauer stations have had fairly mixed results, most notably Key 103 which has shed almost 90k listeners over the quarter to 406k. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pennines, Hallam FM has recorded its best RAJARs for almost a decade and listening figures are now ahead of Key 103 at 431k.

The controversial switch of TFM from its Teesside homeland to Metro Radio in Newcastle hasn’t dinted its figures growing from 169k listeners to 190k over the quarter.

Yorkshire-RadioBlackpool’s Radio Wave has also had good RAJAR’s with increases across the board, including audience and listening hours. It’s share has grown to 16.5% (13.8%) over the period.

Yorkshire Radio, which has now closed saw its listening figures drop to 89k (99k).

At the BBC, there have been slight increases at the MediaCityUK-based 5 Live, with both the main station and Sports Extra gaining audience share.

There were also good performances for BBC Radio Cumbria, Radio Humberside and Radio Stoke. Radio Manchester is also showing gains, after last quarter’s dip.

 

 

  2013 Quarter 2 Summary

1st April-23rd June

  31st December 2012 – 31st March 2013
   
  Survey Pop’n Total Hours Share of Pop’n Total Hours Share of
  Period  ‘000 ‘000 Listening %  ‘000 ‘000 Listening %
               
 BBC Radio FIVE LIVE Q 6040 42391  4.1% 6288 41608  4.0%
 BBC Radio FIVE LIVE (inc SPORTS EXTRA) Q 6324 45916  4.5% 6414 43881  4.2%
 FIVE LIVE SPORTS EXTRA Q 947 3525  0.3% 860 2273  0.2%
               
BBC Radio Cumbria H 138 1296  15.6% 132 1172  14.3%
BBC Radio Humberside H 223 2339  14.2% 204 1875  12.7%
BBC Radio Lancashire H 226 1753  7.9% 193 1919  8.8%
BBC Radio Leeds H 247 1558  5.2% 232 1416  4.7%
BBC Radio Manchester H 234 1487  4.2% 199 1068  2.7%
BBC Radio Merseyside H 357 5776  17.1% 339 5191  16.0%
BBC Radio Newcastle H 284 1702  6.8% 323 2168  8.3%
BBC Radio Sheffield H 255 2028  7.3% 256 2090  7.7%
BBC Radio Stoke H 165 1732  14.0% 151 1695  12.8%
BBC Radio Tees H 141 1080  7.3% 144 1205  8.8%
               
Smooth Radio Brand UK H 3153 22757  2.2% 3139 24097  2.3%
Sunrise Radio National Q 425 2713  0.3% 492 3439  0.3%
               
  Bauer Place Portfolio – North East H 733 6400  15.9% 728 6097  15.1%
   Bauer Middlesbrough H 261 2100  13.6% 228 1793  12.5%
   Bauer Newcastle H 474 4299  16.5% 503 4304  15.8%
  Bauer Place Portfolio – North West H 1222 9103  9.6% 1254 10215  10.6%
   Bauer Liverpool (inc. City Talk) H 506 4783  12.7% 494 4574  12.7%
    Bauer Liverpool H 477 4439  11.8% 464 4109  11.4%
   Bauer Manchester H 447 2901  7.1% 535 4345  9.8%
   Bauer Preston H 310 1763  7.0% 268 1762  7.1%
  Bauer Place Portfolio – Yorkshire H 974 8140  12.6% 937 8431  13.4%
   Bauer Hull H 297 2408  12.1% 279 2083  11.9%
   Bauer Leeds H 189 1449  7.8% 228 1780  9.2%
   Bauer Sheffield H 489 4285  15.4% 433 4575  16.7%
  FM Bauer Place Portfolio North East H 574 3863  9.6% 600 3929  9.7%
   Metro Radio H 386 2677  10.3% 434 2878  10.6%
   TFM Radio H 190 1186  7.7% 169 1051  7.3%
   C.F.M (Bauer Carlisle) Y 105 804  17.4% 91 791  18.2%
  Bauer FM Liverpool H 458 3810  10.1% 450 3677  10.2%
   Total City Talk/Magic 1548 H 140 1318  3.5% 139 1361  3.8%
   City Talk 105.9 H 60 344  1.0% 67 465  1.5%
  FM Bauer Place Portfolio North West H 1112 7467  8.1% 1140 8162  8.8%
   Radio City 96.7 H 428 3466  9.2% 419 3212  8.9%
   Key 103 (Manchester) H 406 2601  6.4% 491 3625  8.2%
   97.4 Rock FM H 290 1400  6.2% 243 1325  6.2%
  FM Bauer Place Portfolio Yorkshire H 783 5330  9.2% 736 5458  9.7%
   96.3 Radio Aire H 110 617  5.2% 140 733  5.8%
   Hallam FM H 431 3155  11.4% 369 3317  12.1%
   96.9 Viking FM H 242 1557  7.8% 228 1408  8.1%
               
   Magic Network – North H 680 6984  3.5% 671 7194  3.6%
    Magic Network – North East H 234 2537  6.3% 204 2168  5.4%
     Magic 1152 (Newcastle) H 140 1622  6.2% 119 1426  5.2%
     Magic 1170 (Teesside) H 94 915  5.9% 86 742  5.2%
    Magic Network – North West H 169 1636  1.7% 177 2053  2.1%
     Magic 1548 (Liverpool) H 83 973  2.6% 77 897  2.5%
     Magic 1152 (Manchester) H 60 301  0.7% 71 720  1.6%
     Magic 999 (Preston) H 25 363  1.8% 30 437  2.2%
    Magic Network – Yorkshire H 277 2811  4.3% 289 2973  4.7%
     Magic 828 (Leeds) H 95 832  4.5% 110 1046  5.4%
     Magic AM (Sheffield) H 100 1130  4.1% 102 1258  4.6%
     Magic 1161 (Hull) H 84 851  4.3% 80 675  3.9%
               
Total Cheshire Radio Y 58 386  5.3% 58 332  4.5%
 Cheshire’s Silk 106.9 Y 18 110  3.5% 21 130  3.8%
 Chester’s Dee 106.3 Y 40 275  6.6% 37 202  5.0%
Total CN Radio Y 253 1810  11.2% 235 1523  9.4%
 The Bay Y 109 827  14.1% 101 745  12.6%
 Lakeland Radio Y 19 138  12.7% 15 119  10.8%
    Capital Manchester H 500 2792  5.7% 477 2940  5.7%
    Capital North East H 469 2845  7.2% 500 2999  7.5%
    Capital Yorkshire H 1165 8678  9.5% 1128 8003  9.0%
    Gold Manchester H 79 974  2.0% 88 1144  2.2%
    Gold North West & Wales H 23 255  1.2% 18 193  0.9%
    Heart North West and Wales H 217 1269  6.1% 216 1539  7.5%
               
    XFM Manchester H 230 1262  2.6% 206 1020  2.0%
 Lincs FM Group Yorkshire Y 320 2394  7.7% 302 2248  7.5%
  Dearne FM Y 55 399  8.1% 45 375  8.2%
  KCFM 99.8 Y 80 466  5.4% 83 386  4.7%
  Ridings FM Y 50 496  8.1% 51 447  7.1%
  Rother FM Y 40 287  6.6% 36 335  7.8%
  Trax FM Y 96 747  9.4% 87 705  9.3%
The Local Radio Company Group Total Y 541 4440  11.3% 526 4338  11.0%
 2BR Y 56 359  11.4% 47 275  9.6%
 Minster FM Y 74 531  8.8% 69 423  7.0%
 Star North East Y 26 151  3.8% 50 339  4.7%
  Star NE – North (was Durham FM) Y 29 190  5.8% 21 151  3.9%
  Star NE – South (was Alpha 103.2) Y 56 450  15.5% 29 188  5.8%
 97.2 Stray FM Y 72 625  13.2% 56 480  15.9%
 Sun FM Y 72 625  13.2% 72 618  12.9%
 Yorkshire Coast Radio Y 47 414  15.8% 47 447  16.8%
Radio Mansfield 103.2 Y 44 369  10.7% 41 357  10.8%
Total Real and Smooth Ltd. H 5737 46154  4.5% 5574 47324  4.6%
 Real and Smooth Ltd. North West Total H 1210 10107  10.3% 1172 10068  10.1%
 Real and Smooth Ltd. North West Regional H 1127 8980  9.2% 1050 8671  8.8%
 Real and Smooth Ltd. North East H 562 4580  11.4% 582 4695  11.6%
   Real Radio North East – (was Century Radio) H 238 1686  4.2% 261 1582  3.9%
  Total Real Radio North West H 576 4712  4.8% 511 4180  4.2%
   Real Radio North West – (was Century Radio) H 476 3584  3.7% 361 2784  2.8%
   106.1 Real XS Manchester (was 106.1 Rock Radio) H 134 1127  2.3% 170 1397  2.7%
    Smooth Radio North East H 383 2894  7.2% 394 3113  7.7%
    Smooth Radio North West H 780 5396  5.5% 783 5888  6.0%
96.2 The Revolution H 34 359  4.1% 37 385  4.2%
 107 The Bee Y 39 262  4.1% 39 280  4.3%
  107.6 Juice FM H 183 1620  7.1% 221 1706  8.0%
  Peak 107 FM Y 93 720  8.4% 91 708  8.4%
  Radio Wave 96.5 FM Y 76 785  16.5% 66 640  13.8%
  102.4 Wish/107.2 Wire/107.4 Tower FM Y 176 849  4.2% 156 737  3.8%
   107.4 Tower FM Y 48 273  3.7% 50 280  3.7%
   107.2 Wire FM Y 54 235  4.6% 42 164  3.3%
   102.4 Wish FM Y 74 341  3.9% 65 293  3.7%
Yorkshire Radio H 89 263  0.3% 99 411  0.5%

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