BBC: The final listening figures for Moyles

The listening figures for the final three months of The Chris Moyles Show show a drop of just 20,000 people quarter on quarter.

He left with 6.73 million listeners every week – from 6.93m last quarter and 7.16m last year. He started the show in 2004 with 5.5m and reached 8m at his peak, but never quite overtook Terry Wogan or Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2.

The station itself attracted 11.2 million listeners aged 15+ during the period – down quarterly and yearly (11.85m last year and 11.27m last quarter). Its share is 8.2%, from 9.1% last year and 8.3% last quarter.

Chris Evans also lost some audience, down 4.5% in the quarter to 8.5million listeners. Radio 2 went down in reach and hours too, but remains the biggest radio station in the UK.

Some of the digital stations operated by the BBC have posted record figures. Radio 4 Extra now has 1.7 million listeners per week, up from 1.53 last year and 1.64 last quarter. Its share remains stable on the quarter and year at 0.9%.

BBC 6 Music reaches 1.62 million listeners, up from 1.23 million last year and 1.38 last quarter. Share is 1.3%, up from 0.9% last year and 1.1% last quarter

In its 10th year, BBC Asian Network reaches a record 584,000 people each week, up from 507,000 last year and 547,000 last quarter. Share is 0.4% from 0.3% last year and last quarter.

In addition, 5 live’s bespoke Olympics station 5 live Olympics Extra had 1.9 million listeners across the Olympics period.

Tim Davie, Director BBC Audio & Music, said: “It’s encouraging to see that the radio industry as a whole is in good health and impressive that it has held up over the Olympic summer. I’m thrilled that, despite there being so much competition for people’s time and attention, three of our digital stations have hit record highs.”

Radio 1 Xtra has 1.11 million listeners, up on the year from 904k and broadly in line with last quarter (1.14 million). Share is 0.4% from last year’s 0.5% and last quarter’s 0.6%.

Radio 2 remains by far the biggest station with 13.9 million listeners – its second highest reach over a summer period after last year’s 14.3m. Last quarter was 14.46m and its share is 15.6% compared to 15.9% last year and 16.1% last quarter. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracts 8.55 million listeners every week, from 8.86m last year and 8.95m last quarter.

Radio 3 has a weekly audience of 2.15 million listeners – compared to 2.04m last quarter and 2.05m last year. The network’s share is 1.3%, up from 1.1% last quarter and 1.1% last year.

Radio 4 has had another very strong quarter and recorded its second ever highest reach at 10.85 million listeners, up from 10.56 million last year and 10.52 million last quarter. Its share is 12.5% up from 12% last year and 12.1% last quarter. Radio 4’s Today programme achieved a record share of 17.5% with a reach of 6.94 million.

BBC Radio 5 live posted a combined reach with sister station 5 live Sports Extra of 6.32 million listeners, from 6.36m last quarter and 6.43m last year. Share for Radio 5 live (including Sports Extra) is 4.8% (4.9% last quarter and 4.6% last year).

Over the main two week period of the Olympics, Radio 5 live plus its bespoke Olympics only digital station 5 live Olympics Extra and Radio 5 live Sports Extra posted a combined reach of 7.77m with a 6.5% share of listening.

During the full Games period Radio 5 live Olympics Extra alone posted a total reach of 1.9 million, with a weekly reach of 1.34 million over the course of July 30 – August 12.

BBC Local / Regional radio reached 8.96 million listeners per week – the same as last quarter – and slightly down on last year’s figure of 9.5. Share remains solid at 8.1%.

BBC World Service posted a UK reach of 1.39 million – the same as last quarter and down from last year’s 1.5 million. Share is up to 0.7% from last quarter’s 0.6%. Last year was 0.8%.