London’s digital listening share has hit 40.8% following the capital’s DAB digital radio signal boost in April.
The figure comes from the Q2 2012 RAJAR figures released today and represents a rise from 35.7% in Q1 and 31.1% in Q2 2011.
That leaves analogue listener share at just over half (51.4%).
Nationally, digital platforms now claim a 31.5% share of listening hours, up from 26.9% last year (326 million hours from 290 million – up 13% year-on-year).
According to the government's Digital Radio Action Plan, the digital radio switchover will only happen once the format's national listening average hits 50%, national DAB coverage is comparable to FM and local DAB reaches 90 per cent of the population and all major roads.
Weekly digital reach is now 46% of UK adults, or 52% of radio listeners. In total 24.2 million people now listen to radio via a digital platform each week, up 10% year on year from 22.1 million in Q2 2011.
DAB is the dominant digital platform representing 69% of all digital listening, with 208 million listening hours (up 13% year-on-year).
21.8 million adults have access to a DAB digital radio, up 8% year on year. In the same quarter (Q2 2012) digital radio sales increased by +12%, according to market research company GfK.
Online listening has recorded an increase of 37% year-on-year, (from 34 million hours to 47 million hours). Including apps, online listening now represents 4.6% of all radio listening, up from 3.9% from Q1 2012 and 3.2% in Q2 2011.
Digital listening in cars has grown to a weekly reach of 5 million people, up from 4 million in Q2 2011.
The strongest age group for digital listening is 15-24 year olds whose digital listening share has increased to 38.1%, with 62% of 15-24 year olds now listening via a digital platform every week.
Radio 2 maintains its No.1 position in the list of leading stations for digital listening with a digital audience of 5,228,000 (up 21.7% year-on-year.
The full list can be seen below.
Ford Ennals, CEO of Digital Radio UK, said: “Digital radio now accounts for almost a third of listening and is transforming radio in the UK.
“London has had a massive boost and leads the way with digital listening now at 41%, and analogue listening decreasing to just 51%.
“With this unstoppable digital momentum and plans to extend coverage, the achievement of 50% digital listening now looks inevitable.”
TOP TWENTY STATIONS FOR DIGITAL LISTENING
|
DIGITAL AUDIENCES: Q2 2012
|
|||
|
No. |
Station |
Digital Audience ('000s) |
Year on year change |
|
1 |
Radio 2 |
5,228 |
21.7% |
|
2 |
Radio 4 |
4,905 |
6.7% |
|
3 |
Radio 1 |
3,719 |
11.0% |
|
4 |
Radio 5 Live |
2,812 |
3.0% |
|
5 |
Heart |
2,109 |
9.3% |
|
6 |
Capital |
2,058 |
19.6% |
|
7 |
Classic FM |
1,914 |
9.7% |
|
8 |
Kiss |
1,845 |
10.1% |
|
9 |
BBC Radio 4 Extra |
1,636 |
1.9% |
|
10 |
Magic UK |
1,507 |
6.3% |
|
11 |
BBC 6 Music |
1,379 |
8.6% |
|
12 |
Radio 1 Xtra |
1,137 |
14.6% |
|
13 |
5 Live Sports Extra |
1,074 |
34.8% |
|
14 |
talkSPORT |
1,078 |
1.4% |
|
15 |
Smash Hits Radio |
1,071 |
-5.4% |
|
16 |
Smooth UK |
1,039 |
10.5% |
|
17 |
Absolute Radio |
1,026 |
39.6% |
|
18 |
The Hits |
973 |
-19.1% |
|
19 |
Planet Rock |
948 |
10.6% |
|
20 |
Radio 3 |
908 |
10.3% |
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