GMG Radio celebrates REAL success

Real Radio Scotland is celebrating today after achieving an unrivalled 31% reach for UK commercial radio across its Central Belt listening market, according to the latest audience research.

The Guardian Media Group Radio owned station increased its reach by 38,000 on the quarter to a new all time record of 809,000 adult listeners a week and is just short of pulling in 10 million hours a week (9.8 million) - which would all but match that of 95.8 Capital FM in London.

GMG Radio’s portfolio of Real, Century FM, smooth and Rock Radio stations have held their 4.7% share of the UK market in the face of a decline in all radio listening this quarter.

Other success stories for the group include Century FM in both the Northwest and Northeast of England which have posted excellent increases in both reach and hours, earning them the accolade of being the biggest commercial radio station in their respective regions.

In the Northwest, Century now attracts 765,000 adults each week - an increase of 47,000 (q on q) and 6.8 million hours of listening, almost 1.2 million more hours than last quarter. Its sister station in the Northeast has increased its reach to 516,000 adults and its total hours to 3.8 million each week.

GMG Radio’s three Real, smooth and Rock stations north of the border now command almost a quarter of all radio listening in the Central Belt with their impressive 24.1% share of the market. This equates to 962,000 adult listeners tuning in for a total of 12.3 million hours each week.

GMG Radio Chief Executive John Myers said: "Overall this has been a solid performance from our stations. We are attracting 4.8 million of radio’s loyalist listeners to tune in for 48 million hours each week. Special congratulations must go to Real Radio Scotland this quarter who have achieved a reach that most stations can only dream of these days."

Elsewhere, Real Radio in Yorkshire has added over 300,000 hours a week (now 3.5 million) and increased its weekly reach to 325,000 - which is no doubt a promising sign for the new Daryl Denham breakfast show.

This is the first time that Total smooth radio has released audience figures that are pure smooth Network results. There is already realignment towards the more commercially desirable audience we have set out to target. The Network now reaches almost 2.2 million adults a week, who each tune in for an average of 8.5 hours a week. Total smooth radio commands over 18 million listening hours across the UK.

smooth radio in the East Midlands has seen steady growth this quarter with a weekly reach for the frequency of 257,000 adults and a quarterly increase in hours of 260,000 which now sees its listeners tuning in for a total of 2.5 million hours a week – proving that listeners like the sound of the newly branded station aimed at the 40+ market.

Source: RAJAR/Ipsos MORI/RSMB
- New RAJAR specifications introduced in Q2 2007. Please use caution when comparing data across this latest and preceding data periods.
- Audience figures relating to Total GMG Radio, Total smooth radio, smooth radio (London), smooth radio (North West) and Century FM (North West) are based on three months ended September 2007 within their respective Total Survey Areas.
All other audience figures are based on six months ended September 2007 within their respective Total Survey Areas.

Published on 25/10/2007

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