Rajar Q4 2022

Commercial radio continues its success of Q3 2022 by maintaining it’s reach and share,  maintaining 38.1 million adults weekly audience (68% of 15+ adults).

Overall, radio stays at 49.7 million listeners, 89% of the adult population (15+ adults) 1.01 billion weekly listener hours are recorded for Q4 .

The share of listeners of commercial radio has increased from 48.4% in Q1 2022 to 50.2% in Q4 2022.

An average of 20.3 hours of live radio is listened to every week with 41 million adults tuning into radio via a digitally enabled platform each week.

31% listened to radio over a smart phone or tablet at least once a month. (Source Radioworks)

On-line listening is up by 18.7% in one year.

63% of radio audiences listen at home whilst 23% listen on the road (in cars etc) and 14% in work environments.

Summing up National market

Radio 2 has lost listeners, dropping from 14,462,000 to 14,287,000 a loss of 175,000 listeners since Q3. This has perhaps been attributed to the loss of established Radio 2 DJ’s such as Steve Wright in the afternoon and the change of music being played (less 60’s & 70’s)

Capital Network has increased their reach by 194,000 and has 5.1 listening hours weekly on average.

Heart Network has also successfully increased their listeners by 711,000 and increased reach by 1% Global stations reach 26.3 million weekly listeners with heart, Capital and Smooth being the top three commercial brands in the UK.

Summing up local market

Nation Wales had an excellent RAJAR this quarter. They gained 23,000 listeners up 15% to 173,000 weekly listeners. They also had the highest gain in listening hours, now 7.9 per week, up 88% on last quarter. In addition their Radio Carmarthenshire , Radio Pembrokeshire and Dragon radio have remained almost the same reach as Q3 with 18,000, 19,000 and 57,000 respectively.

The Wave was the next station to receive the highest % in reach, up 6% to 99,000 listeners per week

Although Heart South Wales had a small loss of listeners, down 2.4% they still reach a healthy 439,000 listeners per week.  Listening hours were down slightly to 7.6 hours a week.

Heart North Wales has retained its percentage reach but has lost 19.6% of it’s weekly listening hours per person

Capital South Wales hasn’t had a good rajar with a drop in reach from 196,000 last quarter to 175,000 ( down 21%) and listening share drop to 2.9.

Capital North Wales also lost some listeners from last quarters down to 95,000, but only a 5% drop.

Smooth South Wales lost 12.5% of it’s audience, now at 91,000 weekly listeners (104,000 Sep 22)

Bauer media group have accrued 179,000 weekly listeners

Bridge FM has the highest listening hours at 11.3 hours and Radio Pembrokeshire

(Sources, Global, Bauer & Rajar)