Digital radio gets audience boost

It says ownership of DAB digital radio sets has more than doubled since this time last year.

People are also using TV, the internet and mobile phones to listen to digital radio stations.

Rajar's latest audience figures also show Radio 2's Terry Wogan has lost more than 300,000 listeners compared with the same period in 2005.

However, he is still the UK's most popular DJ, with 7.7 million people tuning in to his breakfast show every week.

BBC ratings success

BBC digital radio made large gains - rock music station 6 Music now has 359,000 listeners, and comedy channel BBC7 has 621,000.

AUDIENCE FIGURES

• Radio 1 - 9.7 million
• Radio 2 - 12.9 million
• Radio 3 - 2 million
• Radio 4 - 9.2 million
• Five Live - 6.1 million
• Classic FM - 5.7 million
• Virgin (AM/FM) - 2.4 million

Sports fans gave a boost to Five Live and sister station Five Live Sports Extra, which both gained new listeners. Their combined audience is now 6.2 million.

Jenny Abramsky, Director BBC Radio and Music, said: "I'm pleased to see Radio Five Live and Sports Extra being rewarded for their unrivalled range of live commentary".

Radio 1's audience has fallen by 223,000 to 9.7million over the last year.

London breakfast battle

Commercial radio stations now have their lowest share of the radio market for a decade, reaching 42% of radio listeners compared to the BBC's 55%

The most competitive radio market is in London, where Lauren Laverne, who hosts Xfm's breakfast show, recorded ratings of 340,000 - an increase of 82,000 on this time last year.

But London's favourite presenter is still Johnny Vaughan on Xfm's sister station Capital Radio. The former Big Breakfast host is just shy of having 1 million weekly listeners.

The Rajar figures are compiled on behalf of both the BBC and the commercial stations.

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