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News UK
February 3, 2022
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- talkRADIO delivers record reach (542k) and listening hours (4.6m) – up a massive 20.5% and 34% respectively on the previous quarter
- talkSPORT network increases to 3.1 million listeners with 17.6m listening hours and strong performances across the weekend
- The Virgin Radio UK network reaches 2.16 million listeners, with hours up at 11.8m, while the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky returns to one million-plus listeners
- Times Radio grows its quality audience, with ABC1 now 71% of total audience while hard-to-reach AB’s account for 43% of listeners
The latest round of RAJAR results – for the period between 20th September 2021 and 19th December 2021- sees record reach and hours again for News UK’s portfolio of national radio stations, including talkRADIO, talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK and Times Radio.
Together they have delivered 6,067,000 unique listeners, tuning in for over 38.9m hours a week.
News UK Broadcasting CEO, Scott Taunton said: “Another round of record results for News UK Broadcasting’s national radio stations is testament to the brilliant work of our teams, delivering best-in-class radio to millions every week. talkSPORT’s superb GameDay coverage, coupled with a wide range of sports rights means the network has secured itself as the destination for live sport on the radio. Virgin Radio UK – home to both Chris Evans and Graham Norton – delivered record listening hours.
“Times Radio is undoubtedly the unrivalled home of high quality news and current affairs. Our highly-engaged listeners are listening for longer; and with 71% ABC1 make up, Times Radio offers an unparalleled route to reach a high value and hard-to reach-audience. Meanwhile talkRADIO continues to drive both record reach & listening hours and innovation; gaining more and more viewers across its growing video platforms. With TalkTV coming this spring, we will continue to innovate, driving consumer choice across the UK and introducing a new voice in news and current affairs, led by the inimitable Piers Morgan.”
News and opinion station talkRADIO delivers another set of stellar results, with reach up 20.5% quarter-on-quarter to 542k listeners and hours up 34% q-o-q to 4.6m each week. The home of common sense continues to attract audiences across radio, while its polished visualisation is driving more and more people to watch via social channels including YouTube and its growing connected TV platforms.
The talkSPORT network increases its audience, recording 3.1m listeners, tuning in for 17.6m hours weekly. Throughout the period, talkSPORT has broadcast the biggest fixtures from the Premier League through its GameDay coverage and major events from across the world of sport including Fury v Wilder 3, Rugby’s Autumn Nations Series and World Championship Darts from Ally Pally.
talkSPORT has continued to welcome big guests across the schedule including Harry Kane, Jack Wilshere, Patrice Evra, Noel Gallagher, Christian Horner and Jimmy Carr, whilst campaigning to raise funds and awareness for good causes through initiatives such as Football Shirt Friday, in partnership with the Bobby Moore Fund to support Cancer Research UK. Looking ahead, the network has lots more live sport coming up, including major boxing from Khan v Brook and Eubank Jnr v Williams, England’s Test series against the West Indies, Autumn Nations Series rugby and, from November, the Football World Cup in Qatar.
The Virgin Radio network, which also includes Virgin Radio UK, Virgin Radio Anthems UK, Virgin Radio Chilled UK and Virgin Radio Groove UK, has recorded 2.16m listeners. Across the period the Virgin Radio Network has delivered a record 11.8m listening hours.
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky delivers more than one million listeners from Monday to Friday, making it the UK’s #1 digital only commercial breakfast show, while The Graham Norton Show with Waitrose is the destination for the weekend.
Times Radio today reports its second RAJAR result with a weekly reach of 502k listeners, consuming 3.1m listening hours following its impressive first RAJAR last period. Average weekly listening has risen from 5.5 hours per week per listener to 6.2 hours per week – demonstrating growing loyalty to the station. Separate internal connected listening data (covering online, apps, smart speakers) continues to show growth on the previous quarter.
It is also continuing to establish itself as the premium commercial news provider on the radio. 71% of the Times Radio audience is ABC1, and hard-to-reach ABs account for 43% of listeners (up from 39% in the previous quarter) – the biggest proportion of AB listening across any UK national commercial radio station.
Times Radio has continued to broadcast breaking news and analysis from across the political spectrum, from in-depth coverage of the party conferences to the landmark COP26 summit. Presenters from Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell to Matt Chorley, Mariella Frostrup to John Pienaar, Phil Williams, Carol Walker and many more are now engaging loyal listeners for longer. Dominic O’Connell recently joined the station as Business Correspondent, while former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, joins the station from February 18 to present the Friday afternoon show.
RAJAR also reported results for Northern Ireland radio station U105. The station continues to serve its loyal audiences, reaching 209k listeners who listen to 2.1m hours weekly.