Magic takes London commercial radio number one spot

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 10-May-07, 08:45

LONDON - Emap's Magic has elbowed aside Chrysalis' Heart to become the most listened to commercial radio station in London, but the latest Rajar figures show the BBC's stations have gained substantial share.

Magic had a 5.9% share of listening in the first quarter, ahead of Heart with 5.4% and Capital with 4.6%. Magic's reach was 1.8m while Heart's was 1.7m.

In the previous quarter Heart had been top with 7.1%, ahead of Magic with 5.5% and Capital with 4.7%.

Heart had compounded this performance by finally taking the title of most listened to breakfast show from Capital, but this time Capital's Johnny Vaughan is back on top with 854,000 listeners to Jamie Theakston's 825,000.

However, the wider picture is that the commercial sector has lost share in the capital to the BBC's stations, much like the national picture.

For example, Radio 1 has taken a 6.7% share this quarter compared with 4.8% last quarter and 5.2% a year ago. Radio 4 is up to 16.1% from 14.4% last quarter and 14% a year ago.

In another notable shift, Capital Radio has been leapfrogged by national classical music station Classic FM, also owned by GCap Media.

Classic FM's share climbed from 4.1% last quarter to 4.9% this quarter.

Emap's pleasure in seeing Magic back on top can be sweetened with satisfaction that its Kiss dance station has held its 3.9% share while its rival, GCap-owned Choice, fell from 2.8% last quarter to 1.6%.

Virgin Radio, which will be spun off from Scottish Media Group as a separate stock market listed company later this year, had a disappointing quarter. Its share was down from 3.6% to 3.2% although its reach was only down 25,000 to 1.13m.

Chrysalis Radio, which owns Heart and LBC in London, could also soon change ownership. Currently the subject of a strategic review by its parent company, its valuation will not be enhanced by Heart's loss of the top spot and LBC's drop in share from 3.3% to 3%.

Behind LBC comes TalkSport on 2.7%, up from 2.5% last quarter, and Xfm on 1.8%, up from 1.3% last quarter. It was the last Rajar for Xfm breakfast host Lauren Laverne, who departed in April to be replaced Alex Zane.

Guardian Media Group's Smooth Radio climbed from 1.5% to 1.7%. At the end of March the station changed its output from jazz-led to easy listening classics in a bid to target an older audience.

BBC Radio London was down from 2% to 1.6%, while Asian station Sunrise Radio was unchanged at 1.4%.