The RAJAR figures for radio listening are in for the Q3 period – the three months to September 20.
One of the big winners is BBC Radio 3, which has seen a significant increase in listening during the period that the BBC Proms aired on the network (July 17 to September 12).
Radio 3 drew in an impressive two million listeners with the station’s RAJAR figure in Q3 registering a 9% year-on-year increase (up to 1.962m). The station also saw an uplift of 4% compared to the prior quarter. Radio 3 Unwind reached 382,000 with its mindful mixes.
Sam Jackson, controller, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms, said: “I’m delighted to see Radio 3 attracting two million listeners every week over the summer, with Radio 3 Unwind also welcoming in a weekly audience of 380,000 people. It’s heartening to see significant year-on-year growth across the schedule – from Radio 3 Breakfast, where Tom McKinney increased his audience by 17% year-on-year, to Essential Classics, Composer Of The Week and of course, the BBC Proms, which continues to delight audiences old and new.”
The hot summer was not much help to the other BBC stations during the quarter (most were flat or down year-on-year), though Radio 1’s new dance music brand extensions were up on the prior quarter. Radio 1 Anthems grew by 8% over the three months to 630,000, while Radio 1 Dance was up 5% to 645,000.
Aled Haydn Jones, head of BBC Radio 1, said: “I’m so happy to see more listeners to Radio 1 and Greg James on the Breakfast Show this summer, and really pleased to see Radio 1 Dance and Radio 1 Anthems finding their own audience as well. Well done to all the DJs who make Radio 1 a home for young people across the country.”
It’s still early days for Sara Cox’s new Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which launched in the second week of the quarter. Cox had a decent start with listening in the slot up 4% year-on-year to 6.439m and up 1% on the prior quarter.
It’s heartening to see significant year-on-year growth across the schedule
Sam Jackson
With Radio 2 In The Park in Stirling rounding off the long hot summer, the station remains the UK’s most listened to single radio station with 12.669m weekly listeners, down 1% year-on-year. Vernon Kay continues to have the biggest show in the UK and has increased his listeners to 6.8m.
At the commercial networks, KISS continued to experience a ratings revival. Weekly listeners were up 29% year-on-year to 1.653m. The KISS Breakfast show with Tyler West and Chloe Burrows also surged by 29%.
Ahead of Zoe Ball’s first set of figures in the next quarter, the Greatest Hits Radio Network’s weekly audience is 6.760m (down 6% year-on-year). The network's 1980s spin-off station reported an all-time-high audience of 644,000 (up 13% year-on-year).
Gary Stein, director of audio at Bauer Media Audio UK, said: “It’s been a great quarter across the portfolio. KISS has had a brilliant year since its relaunch, and Tyler and Chloe have made Breakfast fun, unpredictable and genuinely part of their listeners’ mornings. It’s also great to see so many of our other brands growing, from the Hits Radio, Absolute Radio and Magic Radio Networks to Planet Rock. That’s down to talented presenters and teams who know their audiences inside out, so a big thank you to everyone on air and behind the scenes.”
Over at Global, the biggest commercial radio group, Heart network was flat year-on-year and also on the prior quarter, though it still pulled in an impressive 9.363m weekly listeners.
Capital stations saw a year-on-year decline though Capital Xtra Reloaded registered growth of 1% year-on-year to 568,000.
Radio X was down 9% year-on-year at 1.833m, though the spin-off stations performed better with year-on-year growth of 8% for the 90s station and 9% for the 00s brand extension.
PHOTO: Rachmaninov, Bartók and Varèse at the Royal Albert Hall (photo credit BBC/Chris Christodoulou)
FOLLOW 
