RAJAR: BBC A Network gets biggest ever audience

PLEASE NOTE: During this quarter – Sunrise Radio Group stations were still known as Sunrise Radio, Buzz Asia (Sunrise Radio 2) and Kismat Radio (Sunrise Radio 3). Sunrise Radio and Kismat Radio were not in administration during this period.

The BBC Asian Network has attracted the biggest ever audience in latest official data provided by RAJAR for Q4/13.

BizAsia can confirm that the national radio station delivered 668,000 listeners in the three months up to 15th December 2013 – that’s a rise of 113,000 new listeners during this quarter. The biggest ever increase for the station. BBC Asian Network is also being listened to longer for 6.8 hours. The station has also added a massive 215,000 new listeners since this time last year.

No doubt the station will be celebrating the news of its latest RAJAR results with most of the weekday line-up clicking well with listeners.

A BBC spokesperson told BizAsia, “The RAJAR results for the Asian Network are absolutely fantastic. The record weekly reach figure for the station shows that our programmes and journalism are having a real impact on our audiences. It�۪s a testament to the hard work our team has been putting in to deliver some real stand-out moments of the highest quality.”

The station has dislodged Sunrise Radio from the top spot, which was number one in the previous quarter.

Overview of BBC Asian Network National
This time last year: 453,000
As it stands now: 668,000
Difference: + 215,000

Sunrise Radio (National) has also been able to retain most of its listenership over the past six months. It was down 35,000 listeners from 556,000 in the sampled quarter. Its weekly reach now stands at 521,000 listeners. Despite news about tax issues, uncertainty surrounding the station and pulling out of the West Midlands and Scotland areas, it still recorded a loyal listenership.

Encouraging news for the station was that over the past year, Sunrise Radio has added an impressive 160,000 new listeners. It’s listening hours were also up from 7 hours in the quarter before to 7.6 hours in the latest quarter.

Overview of Sunrise Radio National
This time last year: 361,000
As it stands now: 521,000
Difference: + 160,000

Local

Similarly, Sunrise Radio in Greater London benefited from the coverage of uncertainty surrounding the station with an additional 55,000 new listeners. It’s weekly reach was up to 470,000 in Q4/2013. Its listening hours climbed further from 6.7 hours to a high of 8.4 hours. Over a year, Sunrise Radio in Greater London has added a huge 243,000 listeners.

Overview of Sunrise Radio London
This time last year: 227,000
As it stands now: 470,000
Difference: + 243,000

Kismat Radio was up slightly with its audience growing from 84,000 to 88,000 listeners. A small increase of 4,000 listeners. Its listening hours dropped tremendously from 7.3 hours to just 1.8 hours – most probably due to its scattered language shows.

Overview of Kismat Radio
This time last year: 69,000
As it stands now: 88,000
Difference: + 19,000

Buzz Radio (now Sunrise Radio) pipped sister station, Kismat Radio by getting a bigger weekly reach. It was up from 77,000 to 109,000 listeners. The station�۪s listening hours stayed more-or-less similar with 7.3 hours – down from 7.9 hours. Over the past year, Buzz Radio has grown with just 21,000 new listeners.

Overview of Buzz Radio
This time last year: 88,000
As it stands now: 109,000
Difference: + 21,000

Other UK based Asian radio stations such as Radio XL in Birmingham, Sabras Radio in Leicester, Asian Sound in Manchester and other digital and community Asian radio stations do not subscribe to RAJAR.