BBC Radio 6 Music has become the first digital-only station to reach two million listeners in the latest RAJAR.
The station, which once again has more listeners than BBC Radio 3 on FM, now has 2.08 million people listening each week, up from 1.99 last quarter and 1.96m last year. By comparison Radio 3 has 2.03 million (from 1.91m last quarter and 1.99m last year.
Radio 1 lost a few listeners but Nick Grimshaw had an increase. The station now has 10.43 million listeners during the period (10.55m last quarter and 10.97m last year) with a share of 6.6% (6.9% last quarter and last year), continuing to reach around 40% of the country’s 15-24-year-olds. The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw registered a weekly audience of 5.90 million, from 5.82m last quarter and 6.29m last year.
Ben Cooper, Controller Radio 1 & 1Xtra said: “This is great news for Grimmy and 1Xtra, however RAJAR only tell part of the Radio 1 story as it continues to innovate in reaching new audiences for the BBC in different ways.”
BBC Radio 4 Extra has gained its biggest ever audience this quarter, attracting a record audience of 1.72 million weekly listeners compared with 1.63m last quarter and 1.65m last year, in a quarter that saw it broadcast NPR’s Serial.
All BBC Radio’s weekly reach over the period was 34.80 million (34.85m last quarter and 36.22m last year) and a share of 52.8% (53.6% last quarter and 55.2% last year).
Helen Boaden, Director of BBC Radio, said: “I’m delighted to see 6 Music and Radio 4 Extra continuing to thrive. The unique output of our digital-only stations has enhanced the appeal of radio in an era of ever-increasing digital competition.”
Radio 2’s weekly audience was 15.28 million, from 15.01m last quarter and last year’s record of 15.51 million, while the station’s share of listening was17.8% (17% last quarter and 17.6% last year). The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracted 9.60 million listeners per week – compared to 9.30m last quarter and a record 9.82m last year.
Radio 4 posted a weekly reach of 10.76 million during the quarter (10.62m last quarter and 11.21m last year) and a share of 11.9% (11.9% last quarter and 12.5% last year). The Today programme has 6.77 million listeners each week, from 6.69m last year and 7.14m last quarter.
BBC Radio 5 live posted a reach of 5.61 million listeners (5.81m last quarter and 6.29m last year) and a share of 3.5% (3.8% last quarter and 4.2% last year). Sister station 5 live sports extra reached 657,000 listeners each week – from 1.22m last quarter and 889,000 last year.
Among digital-only stations, Radio 1Xtra posted a reach of 1.11 million weekly listeners across the period (from 1.06m last quarter and 1.09m last year) and the Asian Network drew 619,000 listeners, reporting on a six-monthly basis, compared to 629,000 last quarter.
BBC World Service’s weekly UK audience was 1.36 million (from 1.31m last quarter and 1.41m last year), while BBC Local / Regional radio reached 8.98 million listeners per week – from 8.95m last quarter and 9.32m last year.
