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Slight dip for Today as radio listening booms

By Dominic Ponsford

BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme saw a slight drop in listeners in the first quarter of this year.

It’s weekly reach Monday to Friday was 6.4m listeners compared with 6.7m listeners in the first quarter of 2009 according to data released today by Rajar.

Award-winning breakfast show host on London’s LBC Nick Ferrari, continued to grow his audience – reaching 597,000 listeners a week, up from 448,000 in the same period last year.

Radio listening was said to be at an all-time high in the first quarter of this year as 46.5m adults tuned in to the radio every week, or 90.6 per cent of the population.

BBC Radio 4 reached 10.03m listeners a week (up from 9.98m in the same period in 2009).

BBC Radio Five Live increased its reach to 6.48m per week for the quarter, up from 6.21m.

The BBC Asian Network, currently under threat of closure, achieved 357,000 listeners a week, down from 405,000 in the same period last year.

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The BBC’s combined local and regional radio network reached 9.99m listeners in the first quarter of this year up from 9.59m in the same period last year.

Looking at other journalism-led radio stations, Talksport reached 2.37m listeners a week (down two per cent year on year); LBC 97.3 in London reached 878,000 listeners a week (up 24.5 per cent) and London’s LBC News reached 338,000 listeners a week, up 20 per cent.

Full breakdown of UK radio station listening figures for first quarter of 2009 (source Rajar)

Title of station, number of listeners (hundreds of thousands), percentage change year on year
102.1 Bay Radio 33 -5.7

102.4 Wish FM 85 10.4

102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire 42 -4.5

102FM Touchradio – Warks Worcs Cotswolds 45 28.6

105-107 Atlantic FM 61 48.8

105.4 Leicester Sound FM 125 10.6

106 JACKfm (Bristol) (was Original 106) 21 61.5

106 JACKfm (Oxford) 42 -8.7

106.1 Rock Radio 93 -31.6

106.3 Bridge FM 32 -20.0

107 The Bee 25 13.6

107.2 Wire FM 59 0.0

107.3 Touchradio – Warwick 8 n/a

107.4 The Quay 57 35.7

107.4 Tower FM 48 9.1

107.5 Sovereign Radio 27 3.8

107.6 Banbury Sound 18 -10.0

107.6 Juice FM 138 -10.4

107.7 The Wolf 41 10.8

107.8 Arrow FM for Hastings 21 0.0

107.8 Radio Hampshire n/a n/a

107.9 Dune FM n/a n/a

1Xtra from the BBC 663 7.6

2BR 62 37.8

3FM 24 33.3

3TR n/a n/a

95.8 Capital FM 1904 1.9

96 Trent FM 314 -6.3

96.2 The Revolution 29 7.4

96.2FM Touchradio – Coventry 31 0.0

96.3 Radio Aire 112 -17.0

96.3 Rock Radio 50 6.4

96.4 BRMB 391 -9.1

96.4 Eagle Radio 141 6.8

96.4 FM The Wave 146 14.1

96.9 Viking FM 220 -15.4

97.1 Radio Carmarthenshire 40 11.1

97.2 Stray FM 40 -18.4

97.4 Cool FM 340 18.1

97.4 Rock FM 329 27.5

Absolute 80s 264 n/a

Absolute Radio Classic Rock (was Virgin Radio Classic Rock) 255 37.1

Absolute Radio London (was Virgin Radio London) 600 -24.1

Absolute Radio National (was Virgin Radio National) 945 -12.5

Absolute Radio Xtreme (was Virgin Radio Xtreme) n/a n/a

Bath FM n/a n/a

BBC 6 Music 1023 50.2

BBC Coventry and Warwickshire 86 -7.5

BBC Essex 245 -2.8

BBC Hereford & Worcester 127 22.1

BBC London 94.9 521 12.5

BBC Oxford 95.2FM 76 7.0

BBC Radio 1 11737 6.0

BBC Radio 2 14569 8.3

BBC Radio 3 2025 1.7

BBC Radio 4 10029 0.5

BBC Radio 7 1049 6.6

BBC Radio Berkshire 157 30.8

BBC Radio Bristol 163 5.8

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire 130 -4.4

BBC Radio Cornwall 142 -2.1

BBC Radio Cumbria 154 19.4

BBC Radio Cymru 148 -6.9

BBC Radio Derby 174 11.5

BBC Radio Devon 228 -5.8

BBC Radio FIVE LIVE 6481 4.3

BBC Radio Gloucestershire 99 2.1

BBC Radio Guernsey 18 0.0

BBC Radio Humberside 205 -5.1

BBC Radio Jersey 28 -20.0

BBC Radio Kent 241 2.6

BBC Radio Lancashire 228 -3.0

BBC Radio Leeds 226 5.6

BBC Radio Leicester 161 -6.4

BBC Radio Lincolnshire 111 -2.6

BBC Radio Manchester 241 14.2

BBC Radio Merseyside 324 -2.4

BBC Radio Newcastle 299 12.4

BBC Radio Norfolk 214 8.1

BBC Radio Northampton 99 6.5

BBC Radio Nottingham 182 -7.1

BBC Radio Scotland 955 2.9

BBC Radio Sheffield 255 10.4

BBC Radio Shropshire 111 14.4

BBC Radio Solent 243 -3.6

BBC Radio Stoke 174 11.5

BBC Radio Suffolk 128 -3.0

BBC Radio Ulster 519 -2.3

BBC Radio Wales 419 -8.5

BBC Radio Wiltshire/Swindon 69 1.5

BBC Radio York 82 -7.9

BBC Solent for Dorset 24 0.0

BBC Somerset 55 22.2

BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey 260 9.2

BBC Tees 126 -1.6

BBC Three Counties Radio 147 -14.0

BBC WM (Birmingham & Black Country) 243 -16.5

BBC World Service 1288 -12.4

Beacon Radio 212 -12.0

Brunel FM n/a n/a

Buzz Asia 963 & 972AM 134 -28.7

C.F.M.Radio 99 13.8

Central FM 41 -8.9

Channel 103 FM 39 5.4

Cheshire’s Silk 106.9 25 25.0

Chester’s Dee 106.3 37 8.8

Chill 160 -20.0

Choice FM London 526 14.3

City Talk 105.9 58 -1.7

Citybeat 96.7/102.5FM 112 -5.9

Classic FM 5515 1.9

Clyde 1 FM 569 -2.9

Clyde 2 221 7.3

Connect FM 37 -9.8

Connect FM Peterborough (was Lite FM) 18 -37.9

County Sound 1566 12 9.1

Dearne FM 45 -32.8

Delta FM 17 13.3

Downtown Radio (DTR) 226 -1.3

Dream 100 44 25.7

Dream 107.7 FM 19 -5.0

Exeter FM 29 n/a

Fire 107.6 FM 37 32.1

Five FM 21 5.0

FIVE LIVE SPORTS EXTRA 685 6.7

Forth2 88 -5.4

ForthOne 326 7.9

Fun Radio 28 -15.2

Galaxy Birmingham 334 -14.8

Galaxy Manchester 509 12.6

Galaxy North East 505 6.1

Galaxy Scotland (East) (was XFM Scotland (East)) 142 69.0

Galaxy Scotland (West) (was XFM Scotland (West)) 276 112.3

Galaxy South Coast (was 103.2 Power FM) 184 12.2

Galaxy Yorkshire 1017 6.2

Gold Bedford 19 -20.8

Gold Berkshire/North Hampshire 29 38.1

Gold Birmingham 57 -3.4

Gold Bristol/Bath/Wiltshire 68 -1.4

Gold Coventry 17 -5.6

Gold Crawley 8 33.3

Gold Derby 16 -5.9

Gold Devon 9 50.0

Gold Dorset 21 -19.2

Gold Essex 55 48.6

Gold Gloucester 15 -28.6

Gold Hampshire 60 66.7

Gold Kent 25 -34.2

Gold London 269 -16.2

Gold Luton 24 -22.6

Gold Manchester 76 43.4

Gold Norfolk 26 85.7

Gold North Wales/Cheshire 10 66.7

Gold Northampton 27 92.9

Gold Nottingham 47 2.2

Gold Peterborough 32 33.3

Gold Plymouth 18 20.0

Gold South East Wales 48 65.5

Gold Suffolk 28 86.7

Gold Sussex 50 47.1

Gold Wolverhampton 37 15.6

Hallam FM 336 -8.4

Heart 100.7 FM West Midlands 748 -13.9

Heart 102.3 FM Dorset and New Forest (was 2CR) 141 10.2

Heart 102.4 FM Norfolk 187 -6.5

Heart 102.7 Peterborough 106 -7.8

Heart 103 FM Anglesey and Gwynedd (was Champion) 27 -20.6

Heart 103 FM Cambridgeshire 114 -5.8

Heart 103.3 FM Milton Keynes 87 3.6

Heart 103.4 FM Cheshire and North East Wales (was Marcher Sound) 66 -8.3

Heart 106 FM East Midlands 350 -4.1

Heart 106.2 FM London 1885 -4.3

Heart 96.1 FM Colchester 58 5.5

Heart 96.3 FM North Wales Coast (was Coast) 53 15.2

Heart 96.6 FM Northants 159 44.5

Heart 96.9 FM Bedford 106 17.8

Heart 97.1 FM Wirral (was The Buzz) 44 -20.0

Heart 97.6 FM Beds/Bucks/Herts 164 -3.0

Heart Berkshire and North Hants (was 2-Ten FM) 170 -14.1

Heart Bristol/Bath/Wiltshire (was GWR) 408 -1.7

Heart Essex (was Essex FM) 389 15.1

Heart Exeter & East Devon (was Gemini) 113 29.9

Heart Gloucestershire (was Severn Sound) 116 2.7

Heart Hampshire and West Sussex (was Ocean) 168 3.1

Heart Kent (was Invicta FM) 339 -10.3

Heart North Devon (was Lantern FM) 53 20.5

Heart Oxfordshire (was Fox FM) 169 -5.6

Heart Plymouth (was Plymouth Sound) 98 -10.1

Heart Somerset (was Orchard FM) 122 0.0

Heart South Hams 13 0.0

Heart Suffolk 133 24.3

Heart Sussex (was Southern FM) 311 5.1

Heart Torbay & South Devon (was Gemini) 64 -3.0

Heat 447 5.7

Imagine FM 28 3.7

IOW Radio 36 9.1

Island FM 104.7 25 0.0

Jazz FM n/a n/a

Jazz FM 471 n/a

KCFM 99.8 76 22.6

Kerrang! 105.2 321 -14.2

Kestrel FM 31 -16.2

Key 103 (Manchester) 473 -3.1

Kick FM n/a n/a

Kingdom FM 73 12.3

Kismat Radio 1035 (Greater London) 131 52.3

Kiss 100 FM 1667 -2.3

Kiss East 340 2.4

Kiss West 351 21.0

KL.FM 96.7 48 -4.0

kmfm East 92 -1.1

kmfm West 60 -10.4

Lakeland Radio 15 0.0

LBC 97.3 878 24.5

LBC News 1152 338 19.9

Lincs FM 102.2 314 -10.0

Magic 105.4 2005 -2.2

Magic 1152 (Manchester) 91 -19.5

Magic 1152 (Newcastle) 162 -8.5

Magic 1161 (Hull) 77 0.0

Magic 1170 (Teesside) 76 -16.5

Magic 1548 (Liverpool) 80 -1.2

Magic 828 (Leeds) 83 -7.8

Magic 999 (Preston) 46 58.6

Magic AM (Sheffield) 81 14.1

Manx Radio 37 12.1

Mercia 147 0.7

Mercury FM (Herts) 29 -21.6

Mercury FM (Surrey & Sussex) 86 10.3

Metro Radio 360 -7.7

Midwest Radio 30 -25.0

Minster FM 70 -5.4

Mix 107 n/a n/a

Mix 96 39 8.3

Moray Firth Radio 126 15.6

Nation Radio 91 97.8

NME Radio 226 16.5

North Norfolk Radio 19 35.7

Northsound One 122 -5.4

Northsound Two 53 12.8

Oak FM 36 -5.3

Original 106 (Aberdeen) 42 10.5

Oxford’s FM107.9 6 -64.7

Palm FM 36 24.1

Panjab Radio 172 290.9

Peak 107 FM 83 15.3

Pennine FM (formerly 107.9 Home FM) 18 -5.3

Pirate FM 154 16.7

Planet Rock 694 3.0

Premier Christian Radio 141 -10.8

Pulse 2 31 -20.5

Punjabi Radio (was Yarr Radio) n/a n/a

Q 231 -23.0

Q102.9FM/Q97.2FM/Q101.2FM 91 21.3

QuayWest FM n/a n/a

Radio Borders 55 12.2

Radio City 96.7 413 -15.0

Radio Mansfield 103.2 38 -13.6

Radio NORWICH 99.9 48 6.7

Radio Wave 96.5 FM 62 -13.9

RAM FM 93 -7.0

Reading 107 FM 22 -33.3

Real Radio (North East) – (was Century Radio) 299 -32.7

Real Radio (North West) – (was Century Radio) 442 -12.5

Real Radio (Scotland) 669 -5.1

Real Radio (Wales) 406 0.5

Real Radio (Yorkshire) 310 5.4

Red Dragon 306 13.8

Ridings FM 40 -2.4

Rother FM 33 -2.9

Rugby FM 20 -13.0

Seven FM 16 -11.1

Signal One 257 14.2

Signal Two 65 -5.8

Six FM 14 16.7

Smash Hits Radio 853 -14.4

Smooth Radio (East Midlands) 291 -4.6

Smooth Radio (Glasgow) 220 -6.8

Smooth Radio (London) 479 -10.6

Smooth Radio (North East) 307 5.1

Smooth Radio (North West) 667 -0.4

Smooth Radio (West Midlands) 364 -10.3

South London Radio 107.3 FM (South FM) n/a n/a

Spire FM 39 -9.3

Spirit FM 44 2.3

Star NE – North (was Durham FM) 27 -12.9

Star NE – South (was Alpha 103.2) 25 4.2

Star Radio (Bristol) 32 -23.8

Star Radio in Cambridge 24 -25.0

Star Radio in North Somerset 17 -26.1

Sun FM 62 -1.6

Sunrise Radio (Greater London) 323 -1.5

Sunrise Radio National 444 -6.1

Swansea Sound – 1170 MW 73 1.4

talkSPORT 2368 -2.0

Tay-AM 77 -3.8

Tay-FM 99 -9.2

TFM Radio 201 14.9

The Bay 92 -11.5

THE BEACH 49 -12.5

The Coast 113 36.1

The Hits 1055 -18.8

The Pulse 126 2.4

Time FM 106.6 21 -8.7

Time FM 106.8 n/a n/a

Time FM 107.5 n/a n/a

Total Absolute Radio (London) (was Total Virgin (London)) 690 -24.9

Total BBC Radio Wales/Cymru 522 -9.2

Touchradio Staffs 32 23.1

Town 102 FM 31 0.0

Trax FM 110 6.8

U105 143 25.4

Valleys Radio n/a n/a

Wave 102 FM 26 -3.7

Wave 105 FM 387 4.9

Wessex FM 37 -5.1

West Sound 175 6.7

Wyvern FM 97 2.1

XFM 104.9 518 -8.0

XFM Manchester 157 -6.5

Yorkshire Coast Radio 44 10.0

Yorkshire Radio 67 8.1

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