OUGD505 // What is good // Radio one

Radio more popular than ever in UK
Listening to BBC Radio reaches highest levels under current methodology
Record figures for Radio 4, Radio 1, Radio 1Xtra, Radio 6 Music and Radio 7 (now Radio 4 Extra)
Radio listening has reached record levels in the UK, with more people than ever tuning into BBC radio stations, according to data published today by RAJAR. (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd).

The figures show that more than 35 million people tuned in to BBC Radio per week during the measurement period (January 3 to March 27) – the biggest total since new research methodology was introduced in January 1999.

The total was boosted by record performances from Radio 1 and Radio 4, and digital-only networks Radio 6 Music, Radio 1Xtra and Radio 7 (now Radio 4 Extra).

RAJAR statistics also show that 47.3 million people tuned into their favourite radio stations every week – 91.6% of the country's population aged 15+.

Tim Davie, Director BBC Audio & Music, said: "It is quite brilliant to see radio reaching a record number of listeners in the digital age. These results speak to the unique quality of radio in the UK and reflect our work as an industry to keep innovating to attract new listeners. From a BBC perspective, the record results reflect the unique strength of our programme makers and the growing value of distinctive radio stations."

All BBC Radio has a weekly reach of 35.07 million, up from 34.88m last year and 34.51m last quarter, and a share of 55%, down from 56.5% last year and 55.3% last quarter.

BBC Radio 1 attracted a record 11.83 million listeners per week in the quarter, compared to 11.42m last quarter and 11.74m last year. Its share – at 8.7% – is down on last quarter (8.8%) and last year (9.5%). The Chris Moyles Show now has 7.52 million listeners every week – from 7.45m last quarter and 7.88m last year.

BBC Radio 2 has 14.54 million listeners – from last quarter's 13.94m and last year's 14.57m. It has a share of 16% compared to 16.2% last quarter and 17.2% last year. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracted 9.18 million listeners every week, up from 8.72m last quarter and the record 9.74m last year.

BBC Radio 3 recorded its highest listening figures for seven years, with a weekly audience of 2.26 million listeners – up from last year's 2.03m and last quarter's 2.22m. The network’s share is 1.3% – up from 1.2% last year and last quarter.

BBC Radio 4 has its biggest audience under current methodology, boosted by record performance from the Today programme. The station has 10.83 million weekly listeners (from 10.03m last year, 10.32m last quarter and a previous record high of 10.4m) and a 12.3% share of all listening (12.2% last year, 12.1% last quarter). The Today programme now has 7.03 million listeners per week – up from 6.44m last year and 6.63m last quarter.

BBC Radio 5 Live has a reach of 6.65 million listeners – its ninth consecutive total (over three years) above six million and up on last year’s 6.48m, but down on last quarter's record 7.09m. Combined with sister station 5 Live Sports Extra, the networks reach 6.75 million listeners (from 6.56m last year and 7.21m last quarter) and have a share of 4.7% (from 5.5% last quarter and 4.7% last year).

In digital-only services, BBC 6 Music cemented its place as the UK's biggest digital-only station with a record 1.3 million listeners – up from 1.02m last year and 1.14m last quarter – while Radio 1Xtra continued to grow with its biggest ever audience of 892,000 weekly listeners – up on last year's 663,000 and last quarter's 816,000.

BBC Radio 7 – the network recently rebranded as BBC Radio 4 Extra – also posted a record reach (1.16 million listeners – from 1.05m last year and 941,000 last quarter) and the BBC Asian Network's weekly reach rose to half a million – up from 357,000 last year and 477,000 last quarter.

BBC World Service recorded its largest UK audience to date, with a reach of 1.79 million – a rise of 39% from 1.29m last year and up on 1.46m last quarter, while BBC Local/Regional radio reached 10.2 million listeners per week – up from 9.99m last year and 9.84m last quarter.

BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00 pm, including electronic dance, hip hop, rock or interviews. It is aimed primarily at the 15-29 age group,although the average age of the audience in 2008 was 33.
- First broadcast on 30th September 1967 at 7am
- While most commercial stations concentrate on two main themes, 1980s music & classic rock, Radio 1 plays a mix of current songs, including independent/alternative, rap, hip hop, rock, house, electronica, dance, drum and bass, dubstep and various pop. The station also broadcasts documentaries and interviews. Although this type of programming arose from necessity it has given the station diversity. The needletime restrictions meant the station tended to have a higher level of speech by DJs. While the station is often criticised for "waffling" by presenters, an experimental "more music day" in 1988 was declared a failure after only a third of callers favoured it.
- The breakfast show is the most sort after broadcasting slot to have.

EVENTS

Radio 1 Roadshows
The Radio 1 Roadshow, which usually involved Radio 1 DJs and pop stars travelling around popular UK seaside destinations, began in 1973, hosted by Alan Freeman in Newquay, Cornwall, with the final one held at Heaton Park, Manchester in 1999. Although the Roadshow style changed with the style of the station itself—such as the introduction of whistlestop audio postcards of each location in 1994 ("2minuteTour")—they were still considered rooted in the "cheesy" old style of the station, and, in the 1980s, they sometimes featured elements which would be seen as highly politically incorrect today, such as wet T-shirt contests.

Radio 1's Big Weekend
Main article: Radio 1's Big Weekend
In March 2000, Radio 1 decided to change the Roadshow format, renaming it One Big Sunday in the process. Several of these Sundays were held in large city-centre parks. In 2003, the event changed again and was rebranded One Big Weekend, with each event occurring biannually and covering two days. Under this name, it visited Derry in Northern Ireland, as part of the Music Lives campaign, and Perry Park in Birmingham.
The most recent change occurred in 2005 when the event was yet again renamed and the decision taken to hold only one per year, this time as Radio 1's Big Weekend. Venues under this title have included Herrington Country Park, Camperdown Country Park, Moor Park–which was the first Weekend to feature a third stage–Mote Park, Lydiard Park, Bangor and Carlisle Airport.
Tickets for each Big Weekend are given away free of charge, making it the largest free ticketed music festival in Europe.
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend was replaced by a larger festival in 2012, named 'Radio 1's Hackney Weekend', with a crowd capacity of 100,000. The Hackney Weekend took place over the weekend of 23–24 June 2012 in Hackney Marshes, Hackney, London. The event was to celebrate the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in London and had artists such as Rihanna, Jay-Z and Florence and the Machine.

Radio 1 Switch Live
The first ever BBC Switch Live was held on 12 October 2008 at the Hammersmith Apollo. With performances from McFly, Fall Out Boy, Ne-Yo, Miley Cyrus, Basshunter, N-Dubz and George Sampson. The event was hosted by Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw, Kelly Osbourne, Fearne Cotton, Greg James and Thomas Deacon. The event was strictly for 14 to 17 years only and was recorded for BBC Switch's show Sound which was shown on BBC Two and was presented by Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw.

Other events
On 18 July 2008, Radio 1 broadcast live from BCM Square, Magaluf, Mallorca as part of their Summer Season 2008. The broadcast started at 4:00 pm with Greg James and Judge Jules presenting. Then from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm it was back to the London Studio with Pete Tong, and from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm it was Kissy Sell Out standing in for Annie Mac with Annie Mac's Mash Up. Then at 11:00 pm it was back to Mallorca for Dave Pearce's Dance Anthems. At 1:00 am Judge Jules was back to end the night in the BCM Night Club.
During the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011, Radio 1 ended each day of the festival from Monday 15 to Thursday 18 August with the Fun & Filth Cabaret. Scott Mills presented his show from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm live from the BBC Bubble in Edinburgh, as did Nick Grimshaw with his show at 10:00 pm. Mills and Grimshaw then hosted the cabaret between 11:00 pm and midnight.


FACTS
- 11,091 thousand listeners - 21%
- 1.5 hours per head
- 6.9 hours listened per listener
- Avg audience = 31.9 yr old
- target audience = 15-29 yr old
- breakfast show most dort after slot.

RATINGS

Weekly reach - BBC Radio
Reach in thousands
                                          Mar 10 Dec 10 Mar 11
All BBC                                 34,877 34,505 35,074
All BBC Network Radio  31,318 31,128 31,889
Radio 1                                 11,737 11,421 11,825
Radio 2                                 14,569 13,943 14,537
Radio 3                                  2,025 2,216 2,258
Radio 4                                 10,029 10,319 10,829
Radio 5 Live                          6,481 7,093 6,653
Radio 5 Live (inc Sports Extra) 6,563 7,212 6,750
BBC Local/Regional (inc Nations) 9,987 9,836 10,197

Weekly reach - BBC Digital Radio
Reach in thousands
                               Mar 10 Dec 10 Mar 11
5 Live Sports Extra        685            751  799
BBC 6 Music                1,023   1,137 1,297
1Xtra                         663            816  892
BBC Radio 7               1,049            941 1,159
BBC World Service      1,288          1,459 1,790
BBC Asian Network UK 357 477 500

Weekly share - BBC Radio
 
                                       Mar 10 Dec 10 Mar 11
All BBC                               56.5% 55.3% 55%
All BBC Network Radio       47.2% 46.4% 46.2%
Radio 1                                 9.5% 8.8% 8.7%
Radio 2                               17.2% 16.2% 16%
Radio 3                                 1.2% 1.2% 1.3%
Radio 4                               12.2% 12.1% 12.3%
Radio 5 Live                          4.6% 5.3% 4.5%
Radio 5 Live (inc Sports Extra) 4.7% 5.5% 4.7%
BBC Local/Regional (inc Nations) 9.3% 8.9% 8.8%