Emap's Big City network of FM stations continue to do well in their respective areas, however Radio City in Liverpool is reporting its lowest reach and average hours in recent history. But the station continues to dominate the local airwaves both commercially and against the BBC.
Radio Aire in Leeds has increased its listeners quarter on quarter, but has lost two per cent of audience share since this time last year. TFM Radio has increased on weekly reach but is down from 11.5 per cent share a year ago to 8.2 per cent today. Average and total hours are also down for the Stockton-on-Tees-based station.
West FM continues its impressive reach of 45 per cent, and sees a rise in hours too. The Big City network, it total, has 4.6 million listeners every week who tune in for 40,794,000 hours.
Digitally, The Hits has more listeners than any other digital station with 1,494,000 people tuning in every week. Newly relaunched station heat radio has nearly 40 per cent more listeners than this time last year with 413,000 weekly listeners, but the true figures will be revealed during the next survey period as these figures do not account for the new style of the station since last month.
Emap's AM network, Magic, reaches 3,430,000 listeners with most stations staying static or increasing audience. Magic AM in Hull is back into double figures with a 10 per cent weekly reach and over a million total hours. However Magic 999 in Preston is at an all time low, having recently celebrated 25 years of broadcasting, now with average hours down to 8.2 and an audience share of just 1.7 per cent.
Dee Ford, group managing director Emap Radio, said: “This is a fantastic result for Emap with its highest ever reach across the group; Magic’s phenomenal continued performance; 17 of our 20 local stations being number one or two in their market and a continued dominance of the digital only services.