Has Radio 4’s ‘wokeness’ pushed listeners away? The BBC station has seen 1.2million individuals cease tuning in in simply 12 months after its makes an attempt to ‘modernise – whereas Radio 2 viewers figures drop after excessive profile presenter departures
In first quarter of the 12 months, Radio 4 posted its lowest listening figures in 16 yearsChannel shed 1.2million listeners in 12 months in response to measurement bodyIndustry sources say channel’s try to ‘modernise’ could flip off its viewers
BBC Radio 4 has suffered a drastic drop in viewers numbers whereas Radio 2 has misplaced listeners to new rivals, business figures revealed yesterday.
Within the first quarter of the 12 months Radio 4 posted its lowest listening figures in 16 years – having shed 1.2million listeners in 12 months – with the flagship At present programme getting what are considered its worst figures since 1999.
An business supply steered Radio 4’s makes an attempt to ‘modernise’ could also be turning off its core viewers, with reveals corresponding to At present perceived to be airing ‘woke’ content material. Radio 2, which has been hit by controversy over the departures of a string of older presenters, misplaced 121,000 weekly listeners.
However two rivals which can be concentrating on disaffected Radio 2 listeners – Growth Radio and Best Hits Radio, which poached Ken Bruce – each posted sturdy development.
Growth noticed its viewers develop by 119 per cent within the 12 months to 635,000 weekly listeners. The Best Hits Community loved a 27 per cent rise to five.3million weekly listeners.
The outcomes come from Rajar, the UK’s radio viewers measurement physique. Its figures present that Radio 4 general misplaced greater than 11 per cent of its viewers within the 12 months, falling from 10.6million within the first quarter of final 12 months to 9.4million in the identical interval this 12 months.
Within the first quarter of the 12 months Radio 4 posted its lowest listening figures in 16 years – having shed 1.2million listeners in 12 months
However two rivals which can be concentrating on disaffected Radio 2 listeners – Growth Radio and Best Hits Radio, which poached Ken Bruce – each posted sturdy development
This was its worst efficiency since 2007. The At present programme misplaced 792,000 listeners, or 12 per cent on the identical interval the 12 months earlier than. A senior business supply stated: ‘The At present programme has a extra “fashionable” really feel – and an editorial agenda which perhaps doesn’t sq. with its viewers, common age 59.
‘I hate the phrase “woke”, however some will see it in that territory.’
‘The agenda is more and more for individuals aside from those listening – all the time nasty landlord/hard-done-to tenant quite than a lot on the elevated stress on folks who’ve invested their pension in a property’
Radio 2’s listening figures have been additionally down amid controversy over a string of exits by older presenters, though it stays the nation’s hottest station.
In addition to the departure or Bruce, 72, station bosses additionally axed 68-year-old Steve Wright’s afternoon present, whereas Vanessa Feltz, 61 and Paul O’Grady, who died earlier this 12 months aged 67, had additionally each stop. Every time they have been changed with youthful presenters.
Within the new figures Radio 2 dropped from 14.58 million listeners from the identical interval the 12 months earlier than, to 14.46 million listeners within the first three months of the 12 months, down by 0.8 per cent.
Zoe Ball’s breakfast present on the station was additionally down 96,000 from the identical interval final 12 months, falling from 7.35 million to 7.26 million
Zoe Ball’s breakfast present on the station was additionally down 96,000 from the identical interval final 12 months, falling from 7.35 million to 7.26 million.
Different BBC stations additionally confirmed general decline on a 12 months earlier, with Radio 3 down almost six per cent to 1.9 million weekly listeners, whereas Radio 5 Reside dropped by 8.2 per cent to five.1 million.
Rajar partly modified its methodology in 2021, which it says needs to be thought of when evaluating with historic knowledge.
A BBC supply stated that on-demand listening for Radio 4 was up by greater than 15 per cent in a 12 months.
BBC chief content material officer, Charlotte Moore, final week stated: ‘For the BBC to thrive we’ve got to recognise that every one audiences are shifting decisively in the direction of digital and on-demand world.
‘On-line take up is now rising quickest amongst audiences who’ve historically been the most important customers of stay broadcast providers.’
