The Radio 1 Chart Show has, for the first time, overtaken commercial radio’s Network Chart Show hit40uk in listenership in the battle of the radio Top 40 countdowns.
Commercial radio has reigned ever since the launch of the Pepsi-sponsored network chart show, launched way back in 1993. But RAJAR has today reported that Radio 1 seem to have finally found the winning combination to conquer the Sunday afternoon airwaves with JK and Joel at the helm.
JK and Joel joined Radio 1 in 2004 and took over as presenters of the BBC’s Top 40 countdown in March 2005. A new format was introduced, whereby only the Top 20 tracks in the UK charts are fully aired. The former half of the show in this new format was controversially filled with showbiz, competitions and general entertainment. However, soon after the relaunch, downloads were also introduced into the compilation of the countdown for the first time in UK chart history, rejuvenating the interest of the British music consumers back in the charts.
Since the last survey quarter (of a half year analysis period), hit40uk have dropped 113,000 listeners over the age of 4 to 1,858,000 listeners, whereas Radio 1 have climbed by 35,000 to a total of 1,865,000. The gap stands at a mere 8,000 listeners.
The A List artist chart, which was launched in March on commercial radio to complement hit40uk is yet to have been included in the RAJAR survey, but will probably be accounted for the the drop in audience figures for hit40uk, presently hosted by Galaxy 105 DJ, Simon Hirst.