RAJAR: Listening remains static for Q1

The latest listening figures for radio show that 46.7 million Adults or 90% of the adult (15+) UK population are continuing to tune in each week.

45% of the population has tuned in via any Digital platform, including DAB and Digital TV.

The figure is down year-on-year by 600,000 but remains the same as the final quarter in 2011. For the first time there has been more than 200 million hours recorded for DAB listening, and internet listening reaches an all-time high with the population listening 42 million hours per week.

Also, 17 % of adults listen to radio via their mobile phone – up 24% year on year and 22.1 million adults have access to a DAB receiver up 12% year on year.

DAB radio is still the most favoured device when it comes to listening to digital radio, accounting for 65.2% of all digital hours, listening via DTV (digital television) and internet have both continued to rise year on year, (hours up by 7% and 8% respectively) .

Digital only Jazz FM reports one of its highest reaches ever with a total of 564,000 and an equally strong rise in total hours. Time spent listening to Jazz FM has grown by more than half a million hours per week, reaching a record 2.4 million. Other trends show that Jazz FM is young and up-market with 50% of its audience under 45 and getting younger.

Richard Wheatly, Jazz FM’s CEO, says, “The latest RAJAR figures continue to demonstrate an increase in listening hours for digital radio, a trend we have been seeing over the last year. We are particularly pleased too, that Jazz FM continues to get younger and that it is part of an ever-growing trend for ABC1 audiences to listen to radio online, on mobile and now on iPads and other tablet devices.”