THE Aberdeen-based commercial radio station, Northsound 2, has enjoyed an average 40 per cent rise in its audience reach since this time last year- according to the latest audited figures.
Says RAJAR, the station reached an average 42,000 listeners during the first three months of last year, with the figure rising to an average 59,000 during the first quarter of this year, ie a 40.5 per cent rise.
‘Reach’ is defined as an adult, aged at least 15, having tuned into a station for at least five minutes during an average week.
And for Northsound 2, its reach between the last three months of last year and the first three of this was up 7.3 per cent.
However, it was less happy for the commercial radio station, Real Radio Scotland, which saw its year-on-year figure drops by 27.4 per cent and its quarter-on-quarter one also fall, this time by 13.7 per cent.
Happier news was for another Aberdeen station, Original 106: year-on-year up six per cent; quarter-on-quarter up 26.2 per cent.
Other significant changes? Radio Borders (owned, like Northsound, Bauer Media Scotland), down 17.5 per cent year-on-year and down 7.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Tay FM (also part of Bauer) was up 11.3 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively, while 96.3 Real Radio XS was down 14.7 per cent and 17.1 per cent, also respectively.
In a media statement issued by Bauer Media Scotland (Radios Border, Forth, Clyde, Tay, Northsound and Moray Firth and West Sound), managing director, Graham Bryce, is quoted, as saying: “Once more, we are proud to stand out as the number one radio broadcaster in Scotland with the most listened to stations in every market.
“More than 41 per cent of the adult population in Scotland tune in to a Bauer Media station each week and are connected to our locally tailored content that they can consume via web, social, digital radio as well as AM and FM broadcast.
“In the highly competitive and fiercely contested central belt Radio Clyde and Radio Forth are the dominant force with more than a million listeners tuning in each week.
“Not only are our audiences strong on traditional broadcast formats, but we are happily monitoring significant growth in engagement via Apps on Facebook, Twitter and on station websites, all allowing for greater connection with audiences and helping us tell compelling stories across multiple platforms.
“Our radio station brands are deeply rooted in the local communities that they serve. This connection, coupled with a unique content offering, distinctly different to our competitors, and specifically targeted at local audiences, offers an exceptional advertising proposition for commercial partners and the most engaging offering for audiences.”
BBC Radio Scotland, meanwhile, experienced only a little change, year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter. Year-on-year, its reach fell by 0.9 per cent, while the difference between the final quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year was a rise of 0.4 per cent.
In other words, an average 1,007,000 during the first quarter of last year, an average 994,000 during the final quarter of last year and an average 998,000 during the first three months of this year.
Between the first quarter of last year and the first of this year, the station’s share of its available aged 15-plus audience remained fixed at 8.9 per cent.
In a BBC Radio Scotland media release, head, Jeff Zycinski, is quoted, as saying: ‘This is another strong and steady set of figures for BBC Radio Scotland. Once again, we’re edging so close to a million listeners a week. Credit must go to our staff and the independent production companies who consistently deliver high quality programming across a range of genres.”
He added: “We have been getting good feedback for our most recent changes – Janice Forsyth’s new afternoon Culture Studio and Tom Morton’s new weekend shows, Through Midnight.”
At Dundee-based Wave 102, programme controller, Alistair Smith, said: ”We are really pleased to see these figures showing our commitment to truly local radio being produced onsite with our team of dedicated presenters. We are trying to bring the listeners as good an alternative choice in the market place as we can, concentrating on the best choice of music for our target audience along with fun and interaction. We changed our breakfast offering from January of this year – with 26 year-old Gary Elwin taking the reins of the Breakfast Show, when Dave Price moved to the midday slot – and both shows are bedding in well, with new ideas from Gary being well received, and Dave’s rapport and dry wit showing results already.”
He was reacting to a 9.4 per cent year-on-year increase, albeit that RAJAR originally had it down as 7.4 per cent.
The figures in full, are as follows, for Q1 2012-Q1 2013 (in brackets Q4 2011-Q4 2012)
Radio Borders down 17.5 per cent (down 13.6 per cent )
Capital Scotland down 2.1 per cent (down 6.4 per cent)
Central FM up 9.8 per cent (up 22.4 per cent)
Clyde 1 up 16.2 per cent (up 12 per cent)
Clyde 2 down 7.1 per cent (up 22 per cent)
Forth 2 down 6.6 per cent (down 12.4 per cent)
Forth One up 1.7 per cent (up 1.5 per cent)
Kingdom FM up 6.4 per cent (up 4.8 per cent)
Moray Firth Radio down 12.6 per cent (down 13.6 per cent)
Northsound 1 up 11 per cent (up 3.8 per cent)
Northsound 2 up 40.5 per cent (up 27.9 per cent)
Original 106 up six per cent (down 17.6 per cent)
Real Radio Scotland down 27.4 per cent (down 16.1 per cent)
96.3 Real XS Glasgow down 14.7 per cent ( up 37.3 per cent)
Smooth Radio Glasgow down 4.1 per cent (down 6.1 per cent)
Tay AM up 4.2 per cent (up 10.6 per cent)
Tay FM up 11.3 per cent (down three per cent)
Wave 102 up 9.4 per cent (up 3.7 per cent)
West Sound down 5.3 per cent (down 4.8 per cent)
