RAJAR results announced this week for Q4 2003 show that Emap continues to perform well and has increased its total listening hours by 17 per cent year-on-year to 73.4 million. Emap has increased its commercial radio market share to 15 per cent up from 14.2 per cent in the previous quarter.
Emap has embarked on a sustained strategy of launching national brands in local markets and 2003 saw the launch of eight national digital radio services. Developing these strong brands and securing comprehensive distribution remains a key priority. Heat today (29.01.04) launched on DAB via the Emap digital multiplexes, which cover a population of more than 8 million people, complementing its current distribution.
Emap?s digital services are: Smash Hits, The Hits, Q, Kerrang!, Magic, Kiss, Heat and Mojo.
Big City
Emap?s Big City Network has consolidated previous gains with total listening increasing by 0.4 per cent. Now every week 3.1 million people tune in to the Big City Network.
Strong performers include Rock FM in Preston which saw a 17 per cent rise in hours (quarter-on-quarter) to 4.2 million and Viking FM in Hull which saw a 9.2 per cent rise in hours to 3 million (quarter-on-quarter).
Kiss
For the sixth successive quarter Kiss 100 remains the number one station for young London. Kiss 100 continues to be well targeted with 17.1 per cent of the capital?s 15-24 year-olds tuning in every week, a rise of 2 percentage points (quarter-on-quarter).
Bam Bam Breakfast maintains its position as young London?s favourite with 716,000 listeners every week.
Nationally Kiss reaches 2.4 million people with one million people tuning in outside of the London tsa.
Emap is refreshing the sound of Kiss and has just announced a new weekend line-up that includes the new signings of Mark Ronson and Rishi Rich.
Magic
Magic 105.4 remains the third biggest ILR station in London with a 7 per cent year-on-year rise in reach. Every week 1.4 million people tune into Magic 105.4.
Nationally, Magic attracts 2.6 million listeners every week.
National Services
Emap launched eight national digital services in 2003. The digital services have helped grow Emap?s group hours to 73.4 million, increasing its commercial market share to 15 per cent (Q4 2003).
Q4 2003 saw the launch of the two latest Emap digital services: Heat and Mojo.
Heat debuted with 58,000 listeners and Mojo debuted with 85,000. (see notes)
Heat today (29.01.04) launched on DAB via the Emap digital multiplexes which cover a population of more than 8 million people in some of the UK?s largest conurbations.
Kerrang!
Kerrang! remains the number one digital station for rock music with 722,000 people tuning in every week.
These figures are an excellent platform on which to build prior to the launch of Kerrang! 105.2 analogue service in the West Midlands later this year.
Mark Story, MD of Radio Programming at Emap Performance, says: “This is a very exciting time for radio. Our strategy of investing in national brands in local markets continues to drive the business forward. We have focused on launching our digital stations – with eight new launches in the last year – and now we?ll be focusing on further development and will continue to innovate and lead in an evolving marketplace.?
Posted on Saturday, January 31st, 2004 at 4:17 am by RadioToday UK