RAJAR Results Q1 2005: Digital Uptake Boosts National Stations

The continued growth of digital radio fuelled several impressive increases in market share in the three months to March, with many of the nation’s digital stations seeing percentage increases above 50%, while some more than doubled their audience year on year.

Leading the way in terms of percentage growth year on year is Chrysalis’ The Arrow, adding 163.64% to its weekly reach year on year, although the station’s audience remains relatively low, even by digital-only standards, at 87,000.

Oneword Radio also saw impressive growth, adding 59.21% to its reach year on year, giving a total audience of 121,000. The rise will please new owners Channel 4, who bought a 51% interest in the company from UBC Media for £1 million earlier this year (see Oneword Deal Completed With Channel 4).

Emap also has cause for celebration, with the latest RAJAR figures revealing strong growth for both Heat and Mojo Radio, increasing weekly reach by 26.58% and 30.83% respectively.

The radio giant’s digital stations were not all on the up, however, with Q suffering an 11.59% decline in the same period. The station, playing a mix of rock and indie music, now commands a total weekly reach of 328,000, having seen its audience see-saw over the past four quarters.

Elsewhere, Chrysalis saw its total weekly reach dip by 2.47% year on year, while rival GMG radio experienced a sharper decline, at 6.61 in the same period. The companies now command respective weekly reach totals of 5.92 million and 2.73 million.

Chrysalis recently confirmed its intention to merge with GMG, only to have its advances rebuffed by the company. However, Chrysalis has remained optimistic, stating that it will “continue to review acquisition opportunities in the radio sector” which would be “complementary” to its existing radio business (see Chrysalis Unperturbed By GMG Takeover Rebuttal).

The majority of stations saw their share of listening remain steady throughout the three months to March, although BBC Radio 2 bucked the trend, adding 1.2% points to its share year on year to continue its trend of expansion and achieve a 17% share, the largest of any national radio station.

Elsewhere BBC Radio 4 also saw a slight rise year on year, adding 0.4%, although this represents a dip of 1% point in quarter on quarter analysis.

Five Live was also in decline, losing 0.5% points year on year, but adding 1% point quarter on quarter, pushing its total share to 5%. Commercial rival, talkSPORT, meanwhile, saw its share decline slightly quarter on quarter, shedding 0.1% points.

Meanwhile, Capital Radio’s indie music station, Xfm, saw a slight upturn year on year, adding 0.4% points, although this represents a loss of 0.6% points quarter on quarter.

Digital stations were again the most active in terms of change in average listening hours, with a smattering of heavy increases, especially across the BBC’s digital stations.

The Corporation’s 6 Music and BBC 7 performs well, adding 52.27% and 60% year on year respectively, although BBC7 saw an 11.1% dip in listening hours quarter on quarter.

The BBC’s urban music station, 1Xtra, also suffers, losing 25% of its average listening hours year on year, although some comfort can be gleaned from a slight increase of 2.6% quarter on quarter.

Elsewhere, commercial digital stations saw a mixed bag, with Emap’s Heat notching up a 13.79% increase year on year, but suffering a dip of 17.5% period on period. Fellow Emap station, Mojo, fared even worse – shedding 40.48% of its average listening hours year on year, and losing 50% quarter on quarter, despite rises in its weekly reach.

Emap also had some success stories to celebrate, however, with The Hits adding 9.38% to its average listening hours year on year, while Q added 21.74 in the same period.

Chrysalis notched up the largest increase in average listening hours, adding 128.89% year on year, while total Chrysalis saw a dip of 6.9% in the same period. The company did, however, see a 1.25% rise quarter on quarter.

Guardian Media Group’s Total Jazz/Smooth Network saw a 32.76% rise in average listening, in what will be its last full quarter featuring the Jazz brand, ahead of a network-wide rebranding as Smooth later this year (see GMG Drops JazzFM Brand To Smooth Over Audience Woes).

RAJAR: 0207 903 5350 www.rajar.co.uk