The latest Joint National Listenership Report (JNLR) shows that Bauer Media Audio Ireland is the most popular commercial radio group in Ireland with a massive 1.73 million listeners each week and over 1 million listeners daily.
The latest results, the first for Bauer Media Audio Ireland since it entered the market earlier this year, show a strong performance and impressive audience growth across its station portfolio of Today FM, Newstalk, 98FM, SPIN 1038 and SPIN South West.
Bauer stations now account for 20.6% of all listening in Ireland and Bauer is the Number 1 group for listening share in the key demographics of 15-34-year-olds, 20-44-year-olds and 25-54-year-olds.
While all stations within its portfolio have reason to celebrate, there were some record highs with Today FM achieving its strongest results in 7 years with a weekly reach of 911,000 (+34,000) and 8.9% prime-time Market Share. Recording huge increases across its main prime-time programmes, Today FM is now Ireland’s Number 1 commercial station and the second largest radio station in Ireland with 200,000 more weekly listeners and 60% greater listening share than RTÉ2FM.
Newstalk has registered a record national prime-time Market Share figure of 7.1% and seen strong growth across its morning and early afternoon schedule with all time-high results from key programmes. Newstalk also cemented its place in Dublin as the second most listened to station with an all-time high prime-time Market Share figure of 12%.
These results have seen the SPIN radio brand set the benchmark as the pre-eminent youth radio brand in Ireland. SPIN 1038 is now the Number 1 Music station in Dublin after overtaking FM104 on daily reach for the first time. The station also achieved an all-time high Market Share figure of 7.5%.
SPIN South West saw strong market Share growth (+ 2.4%) to 12.2% and is the Number 1 station in the region, ahead of RTÉ Radio 1 on daily reach.
98FM delivered a strong performance after recent schedule changes seeing its weekly reach grow (+ 8,000) and is now entertaining over 200,000 Dubliners each week.
Commenting on the latest JNLR, Bauer Media Audio Ireland CEO Simon Myciunka said:
Our stations have flourished over the past year. Our audiences rely on us as a source of trusted news and information, but they also come to us to be entertained, for escapism and light relief. Our music and entertainment stations have shown they have what it takes to entertain and engage and the growth in Newstalk demonstrates the strong appetite for an alternative talk radio product to RTÉ Radio 1
We are delighted with today’s results. None of this would be possible without huge effort. Well done to the team of people who bring passion to their work and create great audio content that audiences love. It’s a very proud day for all at Bauer Media Audio Ireland.”
Bauer Media Audio Ireland CEO Simon Myciunka