As voters in Northern Ireland make their way to the polling stations today for the Local Council Elections, RAJAR* has published the most recent radio listening figures.
 
Downtown Country is the clear star of this release, year-on-year almost doubling its reach (those who tune in each week) and hours, from 105,000 to 193,000 adults and 687,000 to 1,289,000 respectively with its share of all radio listening upping from 2.5 to 4.6. Stablemates Downtown Radio increased reach from 285,000 to 289,000, but hours fell to 2,470,000 from 2,759,000 (share now 8.8 from 10.1); and Cool FM hit the upward trend with 489,000 from 440,000 in reach and 3,446,000 from 3,104,000 in hours (share 12.3 from 11.4).
 
Elsewhere in the Commercial sector, U105 increased its reach from 198,000 to 221,000 in Greater Belfast with hours down from 1,955,000 to 1,520,000 (share 5.4 from 7.2).  In their DAB-only area, a 28,000 reach (was 29,000) and 156,000 hours (was 176,000); and share there went from 1.5 to 1.3.
 
Q Radio had similar mixed fortunes, with reach at 216,000 (was 228,000) and hours up from 1,151,000 to 1,220,000 (share 4.3 from 4.2).
 
BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle saw significant falls by all three measures compared with the same time last year; a new reach of 456,000 from 527,000, of particular note as this cedes the leader in reach position to Cool FM, with hours being 5,079,000 from 5,780,000, and share 18.1 from 21.2.
 
The combined performance of the aforementioned stations allows their percentage figure of all radio listening hours to be calculated. This now stands at 54%, a drop of 3 percentage points on a year ago.
 
My next RAJAR blog, due in August, will mark exactly ten years since the very first one, and comparisons across the decade should be illuminating.  During that time I also provided links to a blog published by Paul Easton, who in turn graciously directed his readers to mine.  It was a shock to learn that Paul passed away suddenly earlier this year.  He was one of the early pioneers in Independent Local Radio, working behind the scenes in the major London stations and subsequently as a programming consultant. We met and chatted often at Radio events where his extensive knowledge and dedication to the medium shone through. A good guy who will be greatly missed.
 

*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos-MORI
Note: each station is quoted within its own Total Survey Area.

The latest RAJAR* figures relate to the period from last September to just before Christmas, and show that local broadcasters attract 55% of all radio listening hours, a two percentage point decrease on the same time last year. Within the sector there are ups and downs as audiences choose between stations, whether that’s by hitting a button on the car radio or asking Alexa to ‘play’ something else.
 
The Newtownards-based services from Bauer all saw increases in reach - the number of people tuning in each week - but only Downtown Country added listening hours to just shy of 1 million. The actual numbers are, for Downtown, a reach of 305,000 (up from 280,000) and 2,379,000 hours (were 2,391,000) giving a share of 8.7% (was 8.6); for Cool FM a 470,000 reach up from 446,000  and  3,017,000 hours (were 3,185,000) with share down from 11.5% to 11.0%; and for Downtown Country a 114,000 reach (up from 109,000) and 995,000 hours (were 974,000) and share up to 3.6% from 3.5%.
 
U105 also enjoyed a boost in reach, rising from 185,000 to 202,000 within the original Greater Belfast coverage, with 1,946,000 hours (were 1,679,000) and share of 6.1% (was 7.0). In its DAB-only area, reach was also up, from 23,000 to 29,000, with hours and share static at 166,000 and 1.5% respectively.
 
Q Radio declined in reach from 253,000 to 226,000; however hours and share went up, from 1,426,000 to 1,523,000, and 5.1% to 5.6%.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle now attract 475,000 listeners each week, down from 514,000. Total hours were 5,269,000 from 5,785,000, and the share currently sits at 19.3% (from 20.9).

Recently I was sorting through old radio memorabilia, and found an item from exactly 45 years ago this month. The then Downtown chairman in a statement to shareholders proudly announced that according to the latest JICRAR (the forerunner to RAJAR) the station - which was the only independent service in Northern Ireland in those days - was achieving 10 million listening hours each week. It was a very different time and media landscape of course, but today the commercial sector has a total of just under 10 million listening hours (9,759,000) though these are shared among 5 services. An interesting ‘then and now’ I thought!


*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos-MORI
Note: each station is quoted within its own Total Survey Area.

In the month that the BBC celebrates 100 years since its establishment as a ‘company’ (Happy Birthday Auntie!), we can once again compare RAJAR* figures with the same period last year, when their publication resumed after a hiatus due to Covid.

The only NI station to increase its reach over that time was Downtown, now with 302,000 weekly listeners (from 281,000) and 2,577,000 hours (from 2,012,000). Its share of listening is 9.8% (was 7.3). Sister station Downtown Country saw a decrease, 106,000 listeners from 114,000 and 780,000 hours from 948,000, with share at 3% (was 3.4); as did Cool FM, with 434,000 listeners (was 492,000) and 2,946,000 hours (was 3,575,000) and a share of 11.2% (was 12.9).

Elsewhere in the local commercial sector, Q Radio attracted 241,000 listeners (was 292,000) with 1,738,000 hours (was 2,108,000) and a share of 6.6% (was 7.6); and U105 in its original FM area now has 186,000 from 196,000, with hours at 1,923,000 from 1,956,000 and share at 12.7 (was 11.6). In the newer DAB-only coverage, reach was steady at 27,000 with hours from 185,000 to 153,000 and share being 1.3 from 1.8.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle now has a weekly reach of 469,000 listeners, down from 517,000. Total hours were 4,688,000 from 5,500,000, and the share currently sits at 17.8% (from 19.9).

That downward trend from most stations is reflected in the share of all radio listening enjoyed by the aforementioned services, which now stands at 56%, having been 58% at this time a year ago.



*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos-MORI
Note: each station is quoted within its own Total Survey Area.

Come October, RAJAR* will have resumed for a full 12 months and it will be possible to do a year-on-year comparison, which is the most meaningful measure of a station's progress. For now, the latest figures which have just been published relate to the period ending June 26, and here are the adult weekly reach, total listening hours and percentage share of all listening for each of the NI stations.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle retained its leading position with 504,000 listeners each week and 5,016,000 hours,  though the resulting share of 19.0 was down from 21.2 in the previous quarter.

The Newtownards-based stations had Cool FM increasing share from 11.4 to 12.0, with a reach of 428,000 and 3,183,000 hours. Downtown dipped from 10.1 to 9.9 with, appropriately, 293,000 listeners and 2,608,000 hours. Downtown Country fared similarly with a 2.1 share from 2.5 previously, 100,000 listeners and 563,000 hours.

Q Radio increased its share from 4.2 to 5.0 through having 194,000 listeners tuned in for a total of 1,324,000 hours.

U105 lost share this time in both its original FM and the newer DAB-only areas, this being 11.5 down from 12.4 (188,000 listeners and 1,845,000 hours) and 1.4 from 1.5 (27,000 listeners and 157,000 hours) respectively.

When in this revised post rechecking the time devoted to radio as a whole, national and local, the services mentioned above combine to attract 56% of all listening hours. 


*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos-MORI
Please note that each station's figures relate to its own Total Survey Area


The national picture from Matt Deegan:
www.mattdeegan.com

​The latest RAJAR* figures relate to the first three months of this year, when life was starting to move on from the pandemic, during which Radio as a medium had shown its strengths as a source of information, entertainment and connection. To find out if audience loyalty has been maintained we’ll look at each NI station’s adult weekly reach, total listening hours, and share of all listening.
 
Top performer this time was BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle with 527,000 listeners each week, 5,780,000 hours and a share of 21.2, up from 20.9 in the previous quarter.
 
Downtown increased its share too, from 8.6 to 10.1, with 285,000 listeners and 2,759,000 hours. Sister stations Downtown Country and Cool FM saw dips in share; these being 3.5 to 2.5 and 11.5 to 11.4 respectively. The Country service now has 105,000 listeners and 687,000 hours, while Cool attracts 440,000 listeners and 3,104,000 hours.
 
U105 enjoyed listener growth in both its original FM and the newer DAB-only areas, with 198,000 and 29,000 adults tuning in for 1,955,000 and 176,000 hours, with the respective shares  being 12.4 (up from 12.3) and 1.5 (same).
 
It was a different picture at Q Radio with decreases in all measures; a 228,000 reach, 1,151,000 hours, and a share down from 5.1 to 4.2.
 
Lastly to our usual check on how the local stations are performing against their national competitors. In the previous survey period, the combined share of listening hours of all the services referred to above was 57%, and this time it is…  57%, so the good news is that they are continuing to hold the attention of local audiences.


*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos - MORI
Each station's figures are from its own Total Survey Area

The national picture from Matt Deegan:
www.mattdeegan.com
​

Such was the long wait for the last RAJAR* after reporting was suspended in response to the pandemic, the newest figures seem to have come quickly, and these relate to Quarter 4, 2021. The measures by which the fortunes of the NI stations can be assessed are reach (of adults), total listening hours and share, and this is a pocket-sized summary of how each has fared.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle now attracts 514,000 listeners each week, with 5,785,000 hours and a share of 20.9, up from 19.9 in the previous quarter.

Downtown also enjoyed an increase in share, from 7.3 to 8.6, with 280,000 listeners and 2,391,000 hours. Stablemate Downtown Country likewise saw upwards movement from 3.4 to 3.5, with 109,000 listeners and 974,000 hours. Cool FM posted 446,000 listeners, 3,185,000 hours and a share of 11.5, down from 12.9 last time.

Moving on to the Belfast-based commercial services: Q Radio reaches 253,000 with hours of 1,426,000 and a share of 5.1, declining from 7.6.

U105 in its original FM transmission area has a reach of 185,000, along with 1,946,000 hours and a share of 12.3, an increase from 11.6 previously, while a further 23,000 listeners and 166,000 hours come from the station’s newer DAB-only coverage, with a 1.5 share (was 1.8).

It’s always interesting to check on how the local stations perform against their national competitors, with up to 60 such stations currently available on a DAB+ receiver. The combined listening hours share of all the local services referred to above is 57%, one percentage point down on the previous quarter. We’ll find out next time if this is a blip or a trend.


*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos-MORI

Each station’s figures relate to its own Total Survey Area

The national picture from Matt Deegan:
www.mattdeegan.com

The coronavirus pandemic had not long begun when RAJAR* was last published, and of necessity this has been in a holding pattern.

In the interim, the research gurus have been working on innovative ways to collect and collate the data needed to provide robust up to date results, issuing an advisory that comparisons should not be made with previous findings such as station ‘reaches’ - that’s the number of adults tuning in each week. It also in any case would not be advisable to contrast the previous Quarter 1 survey with a Quarter 3 survey now.

What remains a telling metric though is the share of total listening achieved by each station, which reflects their success in attracting and keeping an audience. So this time, in addition to giving the latest reach and total hours of each local NI station, I’ve added the respective share and compared it to that in the last set of published results from May 2020.

Since then, the two longest-established local broadcasters, BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle and Downtown Radio have made significant on air changes; Ormeau Avenue refreshing its schedule, and the Newtownards station moving to a more modern music offering instead of being predominantly based on Greatest Hits and complementary to Cool FM. Downtown had also extended its FM service to the Belfast area by opening a relay at Carnmoney.

And so to the latest figures; leading on share is BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle with 19.9, from 19.3. Their reach and hours are 517,000 and 5,500,000.

Cool FM enjoys a 12.9 share (13.9 last time), a reach of 492,000 and 3,575,000 hours; while sister station Downtown has a 7.3 share (from 7.2), 281,000 reach and 2,012,000 hours, and Downtown Country a 3.4 share (from 2.2), 114,000 reach and 948,000 hours.

The Belfast-based commercial services next: Q Radio achieved a share of 7.6 (was 10.5) with a 292,000 reach and 2,108,000 hours, while U105 reporting in its original FM transmission area has a share of 11.6 (was 9.7), reach of 196,000 and 1,956,000 hours, with a further 1.8 share (no change), 27,000 reach and 185,000 hours outside of this.

With all the changes to people’s living and working patterns during the pandemic, and the increasing adoption of new ways of listening such as smart speakers, the radio sector has responded skilfully, playing to its strength as a ‘one-to-one’ medium. Many stations revised their ways of operating, with programme presenters broadcasting live from home.

So how did the aforementioned local NI stations fare in the big picture of all radio listening? Their combined share of total hours was 58%, the same as last time pre-Covid, from which we can tell that in the midst of the turmoil they held the attention and loyalty of their listeners.

*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos-MORI

Please note that each station’s figures relate to its own Total Survey Area.

The national scene from Matt Deegan:
www.mattdeegan.com

The latest RAJAR* release comes in the very week that Cool FM marks 30 years on air, and their new audience figures give added reason for celebration with an all time high of 506,000 weekly listeners.

This has edged ahead of the previous record set two years ago, which was helped by the inclusion of DAB coverage across the whole of Northern Ireland.

The decision by the original Downtown to ‘split’ its frequencies to carry two services in 1990 was not a straightforward one.

From 1988, stations elsewhere in the UK doing likewise were keeping their main output on FM aiming this at a younger audience, and opening a ‘gold’ alternative on AM.

While a station ‘of the times’ was a good fit for Greater Belfast with the launch of Cool FM, Downtown’s breadth and popularity on FM in the newer northern and western areas, combined with a loyal audience built up within the AM coverage, led to it becoming the station ‘of the place’. The addition of DAB from the early 2000s has allowed Downtown to offer a clear quality signal everywhere.

In terms of weekly reach and listening hours year-on-year, Cool with 506,000 is up from 486,000 and has a drop of 17% in hours; Downtown increases to 264,000 from 245,000 with a 13% loss in hours; and Downtown Country sees a decline to 108,000 from 143,000 and a 51% fall in hours.

Q Radio attracted an extra 24,000 listeners, giving the network 300,000 in all, with hours down by 8%.

U105 decreased to 210,000 from 221,000 in its FM area, with hours up by 10%. To this should be added the audience served only on DAB, of 31,000.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle dropped to 516,000 from 524,000, and hours were down by 12%.

The total of the listening hours for the local stations above comprises 56% of the hours spent with all radio, which is up by one percentage point from the RAJAR results in the previous quarter. That gives them a greater share of the cake - birthday or otherwise!


*RAJAR is compiled by Ipsos - MORI

The national picture from Matt Deegan:
www.mattdeegan.com

In the latest RAJAR* just released, the two NI stations using letters as names are both celebrating an upturn in reach, that’s the number of people listening in the course of a week.

U105 increased to 191,000 from 186,000 in its FM area, with hours up by 5%. To this should be added the audience served only on DAB, the most recent figure being published in the last RAJAR, of 31,000.

Q Radio gained 20,000 listeners, taking them to 311,000, compared to last year when the Belfast and original Q Network figures were given separately as 142,000 and 149,000. Hours however did not follow suit, dropping by 14%.

Downtown, Cool FM and Downtown Country all saw declines (220,000 from 272,000; 477,000 from 496,000; and 125,000 from 134,000 respectively) with hours commensurately decreasing by 35%, 15% and 13%.

BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle also dropped to 513,000 from 539,000, and hours were down by 11%. It will be interesting in due course to see the effect of the schedule changes recently introduced at Broadcasting House.

The total of the listening hours for the aforementioned local stations comprises 55% of the hours spent with all radio, which is unchanged from the previous RAJAR results, and would suggest that overall radio listening is down in this quarter.

As always, comparisons are year-on-year and each station’s figures relate to its own stated Total Survey Area.


*RAJAR is compiled by IPSOS-MORI


The national picture from Matt Deegan:
www.mattdeegan.com