BBC Radio Five Live and sister station Five Live Sports Extra added nearly half a million listeners in the last quarter, according to figures released today by Rajar, The figures show a quarterly increase of 492,000 listeners across both stations.
There are notable gains for Five Live Breakfast (from 2.12m to 2.32m) and Victoria Derbyshire (from 1.57m to 1.88m), while Sports Extra benefited from increased Premiership coverage, Six Nations rugby and Test cricket.
BBC Radio recorded its highest-ever share of listening for the third successive quarter with 55.4 per cent of all listening. This reflects growth on the year (54.2%) and the quarter (55.1%).
The BBC’s reach of 32.57 million is down on last quarter (32.97m) but up on the year (32.54m).
Jenny Abramsky, Director BBC Radio & Music, said: “These figures represent a steady quarter for BBC Radio.
“I’m pleased to see Radio Five Live and Sports Extra being rewarded for their unrivalled range of live commentary.”
BBC Radio 1, the newly-named Sony station of the year, has a reach of 9.73 million – down on the year (9.96m) and the quarter (10.29m) ? although share, at 9.1%, is up 0.7% on the year (8.4%) and steady on the quarter (9.2%).
The Chris Moyles Show has continued to grow audience across the year – adding 130,000 listeners with reach up from 6.17 million to 6.30m – despite a drop in reach from 6.66m in the previous quarter. BBC Radio 2 has 12.94 million listeners (13.25m last quarter and 13.33m last year).
Its share of 16 per cent is the same as last quarter (16%) but slightly down on the year (16.5%). BBC Radio 3 has increased audience. Reach is 2.1 million ? up on the quarter (1.97m) and the year (1.99m).
Share is up to 1.3 per cent against 1.2% last quarter and last year. BBC Radio 4’s reach is 9.29 million – slightly up on the year (9.26m) and slightly down on the quarter (9.32m).
The station’s share, at 11.7 per cent, is also up on the year (11.4%) and marginally down on the quarter (11.8%).
BBC Radio Five Live – which records a combined reach with its digital service Five Live Sports Extra – has 6.27 million listeners, up from 5.78m last quarter and 6.18m last year. Share is 4.8 per cent – up on the quarter (4.3%) and the year (4.6%).
BBC Local and National Radio remains strong, with reach at 10.38 million (10.44m last quarter and 10.19m last year) and share at 11.1 per cent (11.1% last quarter and 10.8% last year).
All of the BBC’s digital-only services posted increased reach on the quarter. Five Live Sports Extra has 613,000 listeners, from 414,000 last year and 460,000 last quarter. Its share is unchanged at 0.1%.
BBC 7 remains the biggest of the BBC’s digital networks, with a reach of 621,000, up from 556,000 last year and 600,000 last quarter. Its share remains stable on the year and the quarter at 0.3%.
BBC 6 Music’s weekly reach is up to 359,000 (311,000 last year and 354,000 last quarter) while share stays at 0.2%.
1Xtra has 371,000 listeners – up on the year (351,000) and the quarter (352,000). Its share is up to 0.2% from 0.1% last quarter and last year.
The BBC Asian Network’s reach is 427,000 ? up on last quarter’s 420,000 but down on last year’s 443,000 ? while share, at 0.2%, is the same as last year but down on last quarter’s 0.3%.
The BBC World Service has 1.26 million listeners in the UK ? down on the quarter (1.35m) but up on the year (1.15m). Share is 0.6% – up on last year’s 0.5% but down on last quarter (0.7%).