RAJAR Q2 figures: Mixed fortunes for the BBC
BBC Radio 1 listening figures were down 9.4% year-on-year to 9.45 million, according to the RAJAR figures for the second quarter of 2016. The figures were down 4.6% on the first quarter. BBC Radio 2 dipped 1.4% from 15.51m listeners in Q1 to 15.3m in Q2, but were up 1% on the same period last year. BBC Radio 6 Music continued its climb, attracting 2.27m compared to 2.24m in Q1 2016 and 2.06m in Q2 2015. BBC Asian Network numbers are also on the rise: up to 676,000, a 20.3% increase on the last quarter.
Strong showings from Global stations
Global's Capital brand has achieved its highest ever figures with 8.5 million listeners every week, adding nearly 1m listeners in one year and 365,000 listeners in three months. In London, Capital is the most popular commercial radio brand with 2.3m listeners, while the Capital London Breakfast Show attracts 1.1m listeners every week. Capital XTRA reached a record 1.3m listeners across the UK every week, up 371,000 year-on-year. Heart remains the UK’s leading commercial radio brand with 9m listeners every week, while the LBC brand now reaches 1.7m listeners across the UK every week, up a quarter of a million in just one year. Classic FM meanwhile, now reaches 5.5m listeners after adding 390,000 listeners in three months. Elsewhere, listenership at Global's Radio X fell 4.1% to just under 1.2m.
Wireless hails opening Virgin Radio results
Wireless Group has hailed the first set of RAJAR results for Virgin Radio, which returned to the UK airwaves in March. The station posted a weekly reach of 409,000, with Edith Bowman’s breakfast show drawing in more than 200,000 weekly listeners.
Snowbombing expands to Canada
Austrian winter sports and music festival Snowbombing is expanding to Canada. The debut edition of Coors Light Snowbombing Canada will take place at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia from April 6-10. Staged by UK-based promoter Broadwick Live, Snowbombing will return to Mayrfohen, Austria, from April 3-8.
Kobalt signs administration deal with Blue Raincoat Songs
Kobalt has signed a worldwide administration agreement for new publishing company Blue Raincoat Songs. Jeremy Lascelles who previously ran the Chrysalis Music Group is a co-founder alongside fellow veteran and producer, Robin Millar. Chrysalis Records and Kobalt Label Services have also signed a global label services deal, meaning Kobalt will be providing distribution services to the newly independent label and catalogue.
