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.
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