Commercial radio has gained audience share from the BBC, with BBC radio losing approximately 750,000 listeners over the last year. In contrast, commercial radio stations have experienced a 2% rise in listenership during the same period.
Radio 1 recorded a decrease of 579,000 weekly listeners, falling from an average of 7.48 million between April and June of the previous year to 6.9 million in the same quarter this year. The station recently underwent a significant presenter shake-up, dropping six long-standing DJs to make way for new talent, a move whose impact on listenership figures remains to be seen. The Radio 1 Breakfast Show, hosted by Greg James, also saw a decline of 144,000 listeners in the last three months, though it continues to be the most-listened-to breakfast show among younger audiences.
Commercial stations have benefited from the recruitment of well-known BBC presenters, including Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo. The Greatest Hits station, now featuring former Radio 2 veterans Bruce, Mayo, and Zoe Ball, reported an increase of 54,000 weekly listeners in the last quarter. Subsidiary stations such as Greatest Hits 60s and Greatest Hits 80s, as well as Capital's spin-off stations, have also seen audience growth.
BBC's Radio 2 lost just over a quarter of a million listeners, a 2% decrease compared to the previous year. Despite this, it remains the UK's most-listened-to radio station, with Vernon Kay's mid-morning program attracting 6.8 million listeners. Radio 4 also experienced a drop, with its flagship Today program losing 54,000 listeners since March.
However, BBC's new station launches, such as Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 1 Dance, have seen their audiences increase. The latest figures were released by radio research group RAJAR and cover the period before the announced DJ cull at Radio 1.