RAJAR Q2 2009: Commercial radio gains on the BBC

In Q4 2008, commercial radio's audience share fell by 0.2 percentage points year on year to 42.2%, after posting year-on-year increases in the previous two quarters.

However, according to the latest set of Rajars, for Q2 2009, overall, including national and local radio, commercial radio's share of total audience was up slightly from the previous quarter to 42.7%, driven by increases in national and local commercial share.

Meanwhile, DAB set ownership increased again in Q2, by 22% year on year, with 16.9m adults claiming to live in a household that has a DAB receiver.

In another quarter of growth for radio listening, the Rajars show that share of listening via any digital platform increased 19% year on year and 5% quarter on quarter. The Q2 data reveals that 21.1% of all radio listening was via a digital platform, up from 17.9% in Q2, 2008.

DAB listening share was 13.1% in Q2, compared with 11% in Q2 2008, while listening via digital TV accounted for 3.6% of all radio listening, up from 3.3% in Q2 2008. Internet listening share was 2.2%, up from 2% in Q2, 2008.

Listening to radio via a digital platform in terms of weekly reach has risen 14% year on year and, for the first time, over one third of the population now tunes in to radio via a digitally enabled set each week.  

Radio listening via mobile phone continues to increase steadily among adults aged 15+, rising 15% from 6.2m in Q2, 2008 to 7.1m in Q2, 2009.

The Rajar data covers the three month period to 28 June.

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk