RAJAR Q3: What you need to know!

Last Thursday we received the most up to date listening figures for radio across the UK; giving us insight into the current listening patterns of radio fans.

As an advertiser using radio, or if you are planning to do so, here are some key points to take away from this quarter’s report:

• Heart South Wales achieved a record weekly listening figure 544,000 – a massive 94,000 increase from Q2 and the highest improving reach than all other stations in Wales for this quarter!

• Capital South Wales ranks the second most popular station, with 250,000 listeners tuning each week. Capital sees a recovery of around 16,000 listeners!

• It was discovered that listeners to Smooth South Wales tune in for 11.5 hours on average every week; the highest average of all stations per week

• Town and Country Broadcasting stations, which include Nation Radio and Hits, Bridge FM, Radio Pembrokeshire enjoyed a steady quarter, with listening hours increasing along with market share.

• Nation Radio acquired a higher number of male listeners and a large number of ABC1 listeners

• Radio Pembrokeshire continues to have the largest percentage weekly reach at 38% followed by The Wave at 31%, Heart South Wales at 29% and Bridge FM at 28%

• Radio Pembrokeshire has the highest listening share in TSA % at 19.6%

• The Wave was recorded to reach around 148,000 listeners per week; the station has enjoyed a large reach increase of 9,000 listeners compared with last quarter

• Kiss 101 in BBC Radio Wales transmission area unfortunately recorded the highest loss of listeners, down 77,000 since last quarter

• Similarly, Capital North West and Wales was down 18,000 listeners in this quarter compared to last

• On a more national scale, many commercial stations have reported their highest ever reach including Heart (9.1 million), Capital (7.4 million), Kiss (5.5 million), Absolute (4.2 million).

• This quarter also highlighted a “tipping point” for digital listening; DAB platforms are now used by 56% of the UK adult population each week. Digital signals take up less space on the airwaves, meaning more stations are available for advertisers (and over half of the UK population are now listening to these stations!)

There has never been a better time to advertise on radio. Radio is a great frequency builder offering a cost effective and trusted platform for your advertising. As this quarter’s RAJAR figures suggest, radio remains hugely popular for people in Wales.

More people in Wales listen to radio, and they listen for longer, than the UK as a whole. In 2014, radio services reached 94.5% of the adult population in Wales. (Ofcom Communications Market Report, 2015)

Get in touch with our team at The Media Angel for more insight on audience data on RAJAR; we can help advise on the best radio stations available to suit your campaign objectives.