BBC Radio Scotland is celebrating its biggest share of its available adult audience in five years, according to the Corporation.
Says RAJAR, the station registered an average 9.3 per cent share of adults aged 15 and over, while its reach was down year-on-year from an average 959,000 listeners during the second quarter of last year to an average 948,000 during the second quarter of this year.
‘Reach’ is defined as an adult, aged at least 15, having tuned into a station for at least five minutes during an average week.
BBC Radio Scotland share during Q2 2012 was 8.3 per cent and during Q1 2013, it was 8.9 per cent.
Says a BBC Radio Scotland media release: “The latest official RAJAR figures for BBC Radio Scotland show that the station has attracted its biggest share (9.3 per cent) of listeners since 2008. The figures also show that listeners are now tuning in for longer (7.79 hours per week). The reach figure of 948,000 means the station still reaches more listeners than any other station based in Scotland and is second only to BBC Radio 2 when compared with all stations available to audiences here [in Scotland].”
Head of Radio at BBC Radio Scotland, Jeff Zycinski, is quoted, as saying: “A good set of figures, and we’re particularly pleased that our recent schedule changes seem to be encouraging people to stay with the station longer each day. Our schedule of daytime speech and evening music is now bedding in. Programmes like Good Morning Scotland, Call Kaye and Sportsound are attracting substantial audiences, but we’re equally proud of our high-quality music programmes and distinctive line-up of documentaries, comedy and drama.”
Meanwhile, Capital Scotland was also celebrating. Its Q2 2013 reach figure was up 10.8 per cent on Q1 2013.
Said a Capital media release: “Capital FM has recorded its highest ever reach in the frequency’s history by adding 49,000 listeners over the last three months, with 523,000 people now tuning in each week and listening for a total of 3.1 million hours each week – an increase of 84,000 total hours. The station’s market share has also seen an increase up to 6.5 per cent.
“Scotland’s Capital Breakfast Show hosted by local favourites Des and Jennie has enjoyed an increase of 33,000 over the last quarter and now reaches 284,000 listeners across Central Scotland each week.
“The news comes hot on the heels of hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks’ live acoustic gig inside the Capital FM studios last week, and on the back of the station’s successful sponsorship of the Great Edinburgh Run earlier this month.”
Programme controller, Stuart Barrie, is quoted, as saying: “We’re delighted with our RAJAR results and our highest ever audience figures with more people than ever tuning into Capital FM in Scotland. This is an extremely exciting time for us as we look forward to continued growth in our audience, and take Capital from strength to strength.”
In a similar vein, the Bauer Media group of Scots stations, that include the likes of Clyde 1 and Moray Firth Radio, was hailing what it was describing as a ‘knockout set of figures’.
Says a Bauer media release: “Bauer Radio Scotland delivers a weekly audience of 1.7 million Scottish listeners, reaching 40 per cent of the available adult listening audience.
“In the fiercely competitive Central Belt of Scotland, Radio Forth [one and 2] and Radio Clyde [1 and 2] lead the way, extending their dominant positions, delivering one million adult listeners each week and a market-leading 22 per cent share of available listening.
“Stand-out performances from Clyde 1 and Forth One are the driving force behind this success. Forth One has increased listening hours by 12 per cent over the past year and Clyde 1 by a massive 29 per cent, firmly consolidating its position as the largest commercial radio station in Scotland [recognising that not all stations operate over the same geographical area].
“Forth One’s breakfast show, Boogie in the Morning, continues to lead the pack with almost two and a half times the listening hours of its nearest commercial competitor; and Clyde 1’s Bowie at Breakfast attracts more listeners than its nearest commercial competitor’s entire weekly reach across all shows in Glasgow and the West [ditto].
“Once again in every market in which Bauer Media operates in Scotland, it is the commercial market-leader in reach, share and in the all-important breakfast segment. And in this survey, Bauer stations are now overall market-leader in reach in every single market in which we operate, outperforming a resurgent BBC Radio 2.
“The on-going revitalisation of The Greatest Hits Network stations across Scotland continues apace with the newly-launched Robin Galloway Breakfast show. The network now benefits from a continued investment in local news, local traffic and travel and local information whilst benefiting from the best national talent from across the country.
“This July also saw the introduction of a number of ‘Appointment to Listen’ specialist music programmes and our flagship two-hour talk-in on a Sunday, with guests including Prime Minister, David Cameron, and Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, setting the tone for the ambition of this re-invigorated network.
Graham Bryce, managing director of Bauer Media Scotland, is quoted, as saying:
“These are knockout figures from RAJAR, which cement Bauer Media’s undisputable position as the number one radio broadcaster across Scotland.
“More than 40 per cent of Scottish adults tune in to a Bauer Media station every week, attracted by locally tailored content they can consume via web, social, digital radio as well as AM and FM broadcasts.
“In the central belt, Radio Clyde and Radio Forth are market leaders by a considerable distance, with clear blue water between us and our nearest commercial competitors. RAJAR’s figures prove our unique, local offering is the stand-out choice for Scottish listeners who are tired of impersonal programming pumped from studios in London or Manchester.
“On our Greatest Hits stations, the newly-launched Robin Galloway Breakfast Show and our new schedule of specialist programmes have been very well received and underline our ambition to create the most compelling and engaging programming for our 1.7 million listeners.”
The figures in full are as follows, for Q2 2012-Q2 2013 (in brackets Q1 2012-Q1 2013)
BBC Scotland down 1.1 per cent (down 0.9 per cent)
Radio Borders down 3.8 per cent (down 17.5 per cent )
Capital Scotland down 2.1 per cent (up 0.8 per cent)
Central FM up 12.2 per cent (up 9.8 per cent)
Clyde 1 up 10.6 per cent (up 16.2 per cent)
Clyde 2 down 16.8 per cent (down 7.1 per cent)
Forth 2 up 1.4 per cent (down 6.6 per cent)
Forth One down 8.3 per cent (up 1.7 per cent)
Kingdom FM down 15.7 per cent (up 6.4 per cent)
Moray Firth Radio down 3.5 per cent (down 12.6 per cent)
Northsound 1 up seven per cent (up 11 per cent)
Northsound 2 up 39.5 per cent (up 40.5 per cent)
Original 106 up 12.8 per cent (down six per cent)
Real Radio Scotland down 18.5 per cent (down 27.4 per cent)
96.3 Real XS Glasgow down 24.3 per cent ( up 14.7 per cent)
Smooth Radio Glasgow down 10.7 per cent (down 4.1 per cent)
Tay AM down 1.3 per cent (up 4.2 per cent)
Tay FM up 17.4 per cent (up 11.3 per cent)
Wave 102 up 34.8 per cent (up 9.4 per cent)
West Sound no change (down 5.3 per cent)
