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Radio Joint Audience Research has released the United Kingdom’s radio audience figures for the second quarter of 2023. Rajar — jointly owned by the BBC and the Radiocentre on behalf of the commercial sector — is the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the U.K. The figures represent all individuals over the age of 15 for the three months ending June 2023.
Overall, there was a slight lift in overall listenership — 49.5 million adults tuned in to their selected radio stations each week, up from 49.4 million in the first quarter. That represents approximately 88% of potential adult listeners.
However, the slight shift hides some dramatic developments, not least the continued growth of commercial radio at the expense of the BBC. Greatest Hits Radio, for example, increased its weekly audience from 5.1 million in Q1 2023 to 5.8 million in Q2. Over the same period, its BBC competitor, Radio 2, lost a million listeners — from 14.5 million to 13.5 million. The public broadcaster’s overall share of listening is now at its lowest since the pandemic.
Other notable shifts in the latest figures are continued growth in digital listenership (DAB, DTV, online/app and smart speakers) and a corresponding dip in FM/AM listenership.
You can see a snapshot of the results here and a more detailed breakdown of quarterly listening figures for all stations in the U.K. here.
