RAJAR: BBC Asian Network triumphs
The BBC Asian Network has double reason to celebrate after latest audience figures showed the station had grown its listenership over the past three months and from a year ago in the same period.
The station has added 33,000 new listeners during Quarter 2 of 2013 (April – June), taking its audience up to 587,000 listeners. If compared to a year ago, in the same period, the station has grown its audience by 40,000 new listeners.
The BBC Asian Network has done well recently with a slew of events up and down the country and programmes on-air bringing in new listeners to the station. Overall, the station has managed to sustain its listenership over the past 18 months. In the last quarter, the station was being listened to 5.5 hours per day, down from 5.8 hours in the previous quarter.
Overview of BBC Asian Network National
This time last year: 547,000
As it stands now: 587,000
Difference: + 40,000
Sunrise Radio National shed 67,000 listeners during the past three months, from a reach of 492,000 to 425,000 as it stands now. Its listening hours stood at 6.4 hours, down from 7 hours. Sunrise Radio has lost 22,000 listeners over the past twelve months.
Overview of Sunrise Radio National
This time last year: 447,000
As it stands now: 425,000
Difference: – 22,000
Local
Sunrise Radio in Greater London suffered a hefty loss with 54,000 viewers departing from the station. It could only muster in 295,000 listeners during the quarter in question, that’s down by 15.2%. Year-on-year basis, Sunrise Radio has lost 72,000 listeners. The station is being listened to less too with listening hours down from 7.6 hours to 6.8 hours.
Overview of Sunrise Radio London
This time last year: 367,000
As it stands now: 295,000
Difference: – 72,000
The now multi-language station, Kismat Radio, which has increased its Punjabi output, increased its audience slightly from 89,000 to 100,000 listeners – an increase of 11,000 new listeners. The station is being listened to for 7.3 hours. Total number of hours the station was being listened to in the area was 735,000 – an increase of 77.1%.
Overview of Kismat Radio
This time last year: 92,000
As it stands now: 100,000
Difference: + 8,000
Buzz Radio, which targets the younger Asian crowd in London, could only manage to add 2,000 new listeners from 60,000 in Q1 to 62,000 in Q2 of 2013. The station’s total hours stood at 4.5. Over the past year, the station has lost 55,000 listeners. Total number of hours the station was being listened to in the area was 278,000 – an increase of 59.8%.
Overview of Buzz Radio
This time last year: 117,000
As it stands now: 62,000
Difference: – 55,000
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.
