RAJAR: Radio 6 Music and Radio 1Xtra break records in anniversary year

New figures show that the stations – launched in March and September 2002 respectively – are more popular than ever: 6 Music now reaches 1.44 million people each week – up 27% on last year, while 1Xtra attracts 1.02 million listeners – up 25% on last year and the first time the station has tipped one million. Including all listeners aged 10+, 1Xtra’s audience rises to 1.10 million.

Elsewhere. Radio 4 continues its formidable form, adding half a million listeners over the course of the year to achieve a weekly audience of10.83 million – just shy of its highest ever total of 10.85m. The Today programme now has more than 7 million listeners, with 7.15m tuning in each week – up from 6.63m last year and 6.76m last quarter. Radio 4’s digital sister station Radio 4 Extra attracted 1.55 million listeners during the period, an increase of 65% on last year’s 941,000 (as Radio 7).

RAJAR statistics also show that during the measurement period (Sept 19 – Dec 18), All BBC Radio reaches 34.94 million people every week (from 34.51m last year and 34.86m last quarter). It has a share of 55.5%, compared to 55.3% last year and 54.5% last quarter.

Tim Davie, Director BBC Audio & Music, said: “Radio is in rude health and these figures illustrate the value listeners place on high quality broadcasting. Radio 4 goes from strength to strength and proves once again that distinctive, intelligent output and broad appeal are not mutually exclusive. 6 Music and 1Xtra are unique stations which are establishing loyal and ever-growing audiences. Their record listening figures are a fitting tribute as they celebrate10 years on air.”

Radio 1 attracted 11.67 million listeners aged 15+ during the period (compared to 11.42m last year and 11.85m last quarter) and including all listeners aged 10+, this figure rises to 12.66 million (compared to 12.61m last year and 12.75m last quarter) Its share is 8.5%, from 8.8% last year and 9.1% last quarter. The Chris Moyles Show now has 7.24 million listeners every week – from 7.16m last quarter and 7.45m last year. Including 10+ listeners, this total increases to 7.77m.

Radio 2 has 14.27 million listeners – from last year’s 13.94m and last quarter’s 14.31m. It has a share of 16.3% compared to 16.2% last year and 15.9% last quarter. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracted 8.86 million listeners every week, from 8.72m last year and 8.86m last quarter.

Radio 3 has a weekly audience of 2.10 million listeners – compared to 2.05m last quarter and 2.22m last year. The network’s share is 1.3%, up from 1.1% last quarter and 1.2% last year.

BBC Radio 5 live posted a combined reach with sister station 5 live sports extra of 6.34 million listeners, from 6.43m last quarter and 7.21m last year during The Ashes. Share for Radio 5 live (inc. sports extra) is 4.4% (4.6% last quarter and 5.5% last year).

The BBC Asian Network’s weekly reach was 472,000, from 477,000 last year and 507,000 last quarter. BBC World Service posted a UK reach of 1.39 million – broadly in line with the figure of 1.46m last year, while BBC Local / Regional radio reached 9.60 million listeners per week - from 9.50 last quarter and 9.84 last year.

BBC Radio Publicity