Local commercial radio saw a decline in listening share for the December 1999 RAJAR period, from 39.2% in September 1999 to 38.4% for this three month period. At the same time, the sector’s overall weekly reach grew slightly by 0.7% to 26.2 million listeners. Average hours, on the other hand, dropped back by 0.7% to 14.8 per listener per week.
The following tables show the best and worst performers, in terms of weekly reach and share of listening, of the local commercial stations broadcasting outside London. Birmingham’s Galaxy 102.2, which reported its first RAJAR figure last quarter, is still performing well with reach up a further 21.0% to 266,000. Down at the other end of the scale are four of GWR Group’s Classic Gold stations, all showing audience declines of over 15%.
Top/Bottom 10 Weekly Reach (000s) % Change
Station
Survey Period
Ending Sep 1999
Ending Dec 1999
% Change
Breeze 1521 (was Fame 1521 AM)
H
4
7
75.0
Eleven Seventy AM
Y
13
16
23.1
Galaxy 102.2
H
220
266
20.9
Fosseway Radio
Y
17
20
17.6
Imagine FM (was Signal FM)
H
72
83
15.3
Classic Gold 828
H
55
63
14.5
Classic Gold 1557 AM
H
49
56
14.3
TLR 107.2
Y
21
24
14.3
Cool FM
H
273
309
13.2
Champion FM
Y
16
18
12.5
96 Trent FM
H
392
334
-14.8
Classic Gold 792 (Bedford)
H
51
43
-15.7
1458 Lite AM
H
62
52
-16.1
Scot FM (East)
H
202
168
-16.8
Classic Gold GEM Notts
H
150
123
-18.0
Classic Gold 828 AM (Dunstable)
H
55
45
-18.2
WABC Classic Gold
H
86
70
-18.6
Capital Gold South Wales (was Touch Radio)
H
101
81
-19.8
Classic Gold 774 (was Severn Sound Classic Gold)
H
40
30
-25.0
County Sound Radio 1476 AM
H
28
20
-28.6
Top/Bottom 10 Share Of Listening % Point Change
Station
Survey Period
Ending Sep 1999
Ending Dec 1999
% Point Change
Pirate FM102 (East)
H
7.1
12.0
4.9
Southern FM
H
18.9
23.0
4.1
Tay FM
H
18.0
22.1
4.1
Lincs FM 102.2
H
26.1
28.7
2.6
MFM 103.4
H
14.6
17.1
2.5
Cool FM
H
18.8
21.2
2.4
Tay AM
H
13.0
15.4
2.4
Imagine FM (was Signal FM)
H
3.3
5.4
2.1
Bay
H
22.9
24.9
2.0
Big AM (was Classic Gold 1278/1530)
H
5.6
7.6
2.0
Minster FM
H
19.1
16.8
-2.3
Gemini FM
H
19.8
17.2
-2.6
Hallam FM
H
23.3
20.6
-2.7
Hereward FM 102.7
H
22.4
19.7
-2.7
Orchard FM
H
27.1
24.3
-2.8
Borders
Y
40.9
38.1
-2.8
Pulse
H
15.1
12.0
-3.1
96 Trent FM
H
19.3
16.1
-3.2
Q103
H
16.5
13.1
-3.4
TFM
H
22.3
18.3
-4.0
Two stations report for the first time in this RAJAR survey. London’s Millennium Radio took a 0.4% share of listening and had a weekly reach of 19,000 listeners; Tower FM, which broadcasts from Bolton, had a 3.1% share of listening and an average weekly reach of 36,000.
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