Digital Radio listening continues to rise

RAJAR figures for Quarter 2, 2013 show 91% of the adult population are listening to the radio, with 1.5 million more since this time last year.

Average hours remains static at 21.3 per week, and the share of all radio listening via digital radio now stands at 36.8% compared with 34.3% last quarter.

Listening to radio via a digital platform in terms of weekly reach has increased by 16% year on year, with 28 million people now tuning in to radio via a digitally enabled receiver (DAB, DTV, Online) each week (up from 24.2 million in Q2, 2012).

The share of analogue listening in the UK is now at its lowest ever, at 58.6% of listening hours, including in-car listening. At home, listening to analogue is now under 50% of all listening for the first time, at 48.4%.

24 million adults now claim to have access to a DAB receiver too and listening via a mobile phone continues to rise from 20% of adults last quarter to 24% this time round.

Radio listening share via online/apps has now overtaken DTV for the first time. Share of radio listening online and via apps on mobile devices grew by 31% year on year to a record 6% of total listening hours, from audiences listening to Radioplayer, BBC Radio iPlayer and individual station apps. Share of DTV listening now stands at 5.3%, up 13% year on year.

This new data also shows that 10.8% of listening in car is now digital, compared with 8.8% a year ago.

Digital-only station BBC 6 Music remains the leading digital–only station with a year on year increase in listeners of 30%, to 1.8 million. BBC 6 Music has now overtaken BBC Radio 3 in listening hours with 15% more listening hours than the classical music station. BBC digital-only stations Radio 4 Extra (1.6 million), BBC Radio 1 Xtra (1.1 million) and Radio 5 live Sports Extra (950,000) all grew strongly.

Absolute 80s is now the leading commercial digital-only radio station with a record 1.2 million listeners, a growth of 36% year on year, and Absolute Radio showed strong growth across its decade stations (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s). Bauer’s recent acquisition Planet Rock’s listening figures are now combined with sister station Kerrang! and showed 1.1 million digital listeners.

Jazz FM, which may be removing itself from DAB at the end of the year, has recorded a record book. It’s weekly UK reach has grown to 758,000, up 32% quarter on quarter and 26% year on year.

Ford Ennals, CEO of Digital Radio UK, says: “With nearly 37% share of listening, and with over 57% of radio listeners listening on a digital platform, we have reached a tipping point in the radio industry’s unstoppable momentum to digital. It’s clear that the future for radio in the UK is digital and we look forward to the certainty that the Government in-principle decision on a radio switchover will provide at the end of this year.”