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Growing number 'tuned to digital' More tune in to Moyles and Wogan
(about 3 hours later)
More people are switching to digital radio, according to industry ratings body Rajar. Audiences for BBC breakfast DJs Chris Moyles and Terry Wogan are continuing to rise, according to the latest figures from radio industry body Rajar.
It says nearly a third of people now listen through a digital receiver at least once a week and sales of digital radios rose by 40% over the past year. Wogan, known to his Radio 2 fans as the Togmeister, now has 8.1m listeners, while Radio 1's Moyles has 7.72m.
In the first three months of the year, 18% of all listening was via a digital receiver, mostly through DAB. Radio 2 is still the UK's most popular station, with 13.63m listeners.
The figures come amid warnings over the medium's future and the closure of two digital stations earlier this year. Rajar revealed that nearly one third of radio audiences use digital radio once a week, and that sales of DAB receivers rose by 40% over the last year.
In its research, Rajar also found between January and March, sales of DAB radios rose by 22% and listening grew by 10%. Partly because of digital listening, BBC radio notched up a new listening record.
The rise helped BBC Radio achieve record audience levels. AUDIENCE FIGURES JAN-MAR 2008 Radio 1 - 11.06m (10.54m)Radio 2 - 13.63m (13.25m)Radio 3 - 1.79m (1.90m)Radio 4 - 9.56m (9.63m)5 Live - 6.02m (5.87m)Classic FM - 5.62m (6.03m)Virgin - 2.70m (2.44m) Source: Rajar Figures in brackets are for the same period in 2007
It attracted 34 million listeners a week, with 10 million tuning in via DAB - the main digital radio platform, digital TV or the internet. In the first three months of this year, 34.22 million people tuned in to one of the corporation's stations each week - up from 33.46 million in the same period last year.
BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said Rajar's latest figures may help to quell doubts within the industry about the medium. The most competitive radio market is in London, where Jamie Theakston and Harriet Scott's breakfast show on Heart FM remains number one with 893,000 listeners.
They beat Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan on rival station Capital, despite a blaze of publicity for the former Big Breakfast presenters.
Capital - for many years London's leading radio station, has now slipped to fourth in the battle of the city's stations, having been beaten by easy listening station Magic in first place - which claims 1.92 million listeners each week - Heart, and dance station Kiss.
Digital doubts
In the first three months of the year, 18% of all listening was via a digital receiver, mostly through DAB sets.
BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said Rajar's latest figures may help to quell doubts within the industry about digital radio.
GCap Media, the firm which owns Classic FM and local stations such as London's Capital and BRMB in Birmingham, has announced plans to close two digital stations.GCap Media, the firm which owns Classic FM and local stations such as London's Capital and BRMB in Birmingham, has announced plans to close two digital stations.
One of the stations, Planet Rock - which Rajar says has 563,000 listeners each week - has stayed on air while talks continue to sell the station.
And earlier this week, the BBC's director of audio and music, Jenny Abramsky warned that radio would die if there was not concerted action to enhance digital broadcasting.And earlier this week, the BBC's director of audio and music, Jenny Abramsky warned that radio would die if there was not concerted action to enhance digital broadcasting.
The Rajar figures are compiled on behalf of both the BBC and the commercial stations.