Bauer Media Audio UK has marked a significant milestone in the Q1 2024 Rajar ratings, achieving its largest audience to date. The company’s diverse array of owned and partnered stations attracted a record 24 million weekly listeners, reflecting a 6.9% increase compared to the previous year.
The surge in listenership has been significantly influenced by former BBC2 stalwart Ken Bruce’s mid-morning program on Greatest Hits Radio. Since his arrival a year ago, the show has seen a dramatic 73% year-on-year increase in listeners, now attracting 3.8 million people weekly. Simon Mayo’s program has also become the most listened-to commercial drivetime show in the U.K., while Rossie’s breakfast slot also saw substantial gains, with a 39% year-on-year increase to a new high of 2.9 million listeners. Overall, Greatest Hits Radio experienced a remarkable 50.3% growth, reaching 7.7 million weekly listeners.
The Magic Radio Network also reported strong performance, with nearly 400,000 additional listeners over the past year, pushing its total to 4.4 million — a 9.6% YoY increase. The flagship Magic Radio alone reported a 7.7% increase, achieving 3.1 million listeners, while Magic Soul witnessed an 18.5% rise, reaching 512,000 listeners.
The hits just keep on coming
Additional highlights include:
- The Hits Radio Network now reaches 6.7 million listeners weekly, with its national brand drawing 4.5 million.
- The Absolute Radio Network has reached a new peak of 5.5 million listeners, a 2.7% increase from the previous year, making its main station the UK’s largest commercial digital station.
- The KISS Network attracts 4.1 million weekly listeners, and Kerrang! Radio has seen a 33% increase, reaching 456,000 listeners now.
Bauer Media Audio UK continues to lead in digital listening, with 81% of its consumption through digital devices. It remains dominant in the market for connected device listening, including smart speakers, web, and apps, with a significant 30.8% share.
Simon Myciunka, CEO of Bauer Media Audio UK, commented, “It’s great to see another record performance for Bauer Media Audio UK, reflecting the ambition and confidence of the business as it continues to evolve. We are committed to driving even further growth, as evidenced by significant recent investment in Hits Radio, delivering even more value for our advertising partners.”
Ben Cooper, chief content and music officer, added, “A year of Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio has changed the landscape of our industry, with huge gains in audiences for the station and Bauer as a whole. Listeners are loving our range of talented broadcasters across the portfolio with record results for Absolute Radio and Magic Radio Networks.”
Licking their wounds
While Bauer Media Audio is celebrating, the BBC is licking its wounds. The latest Rajar figures indicate a persistent decline in listenership for BBC local radio stations in England, with a continuous 10% drop in listening hours for the second consecutive quarter. This decline follows reductions in local content.
According to the figures, the collective weekly reach of these stations was 4.8 million people, marking a 10% decrease from the previous year and a 2% reduction from the previous quarter.
Total listening hours for the network fell to 30.4 million, sustaining a 10% decline for another quarter. Additionally, there was a reduction in the average listening hours per person, which decreased from 6.9 hours in Q4 2023 to 6.4 hours in the current quarter.
You can see the latest Rajar quarterly figures for all U.K. stations here.
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