Thursday, 9 November: The latest JNLR listenership figures for the twelve months to the end of September have been released which show further growth since the last set of results. Almost 3.8 million Irish Adults now listen to the radio every week, reinforcing its power and popularity.
Building on a hugely successful 12 months, Today FM continues to thrive in this latest survey with a daily reach of 515,000 (+15,000 BoB) and a weekly reach that now stands at 959,000 (+21,000 BoB), inching closer to the 1million mark. While Today FM’s market share dipped slightly to 9.6% (-.1% BoB) in this report, the station still commands the largest audience on independent radio.
The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show (06:00 – 09:00) grows in popularity and appeal once again with the breakfast icon adding a further 4,000 listeners bringing his audience to an impressive 225,000. Ian Dempsey recently celebrated 25 years with Today FM and his latest figures are testament to the impact The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show continues to have.
Meanwhile, Today FM’s Dave Moore sees his show helped by the previous incarnation of weekdays 0900-1200, Dermot & Dave, reach an all-time high for this daypart with 227,000 listeners, an increase of 11,000 since the last report.
This latest result is a glowing endorsement of Dave Moore on Today FM, which kicked off in August, during the surveying period. Dave Moore is proving a hit with national audiences with his inimitable Bad Jokes, the hugely popular radio gameshow Music Master and entertaining chats with a raft of stars including Jack Whitehall, Vogue Williams and Bryan Adams. Clearly thrilled with today’s results, Dave Moore said: “I’m just so grateful that so many people tuned into my new show, I’m absolutely loving it and the listeners are such a huge part of it all. We’re only getting started!”
Pamela Joyce achieved an audience of 142,000 (-3,000 BoB). Ray Foley in the afternoons (14:00 – 16:30) now has an audience of 164,000, which, remains the most successful show in that timeslot on Today FM. In the past 12 months alone, Ray Foley has grown listenership by 15,000.
The Last Word with Matt Cooper (16:30-19:00) has plenty of reason to celebrate with its latest figures putting Today FM’s drive time listenership at 182,000 (+7,000 BoB). Of today’s figures, Matt Cooper said: “With so much happening in the world right now, it’s our job to bring as much of this as we can to our listeners, every day. Thankfully more and more people seem to like the way we do it.”
Weekends on Today FM also have a great story to tell, led by Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis, who won new audiences on both her Saturday and Sunday shows. Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis now reaches a Saturday morning audience of 192,000 (+7,000 BoB) while on Sunday, the audience increased to 166,000 (+9,000 BoB). Commenting on her success, Alison Curtis said: “I could not be prouder that so many people have decided to include me in their weekly lives. We all know how busy weekends can be with matches, park runs, swimming lessons, shopping, hens & stags and weddings! Which makes me so glad to be a part of their Saturdays and Sundays”.
Commenting on the figures, Fyona Smith, Managing Editor Today FM said: “Today FM’s latest ratings are a clear indication of our team’s ability to entertain and connect with our audience nationally. It’s wonderful to see their efforts recognised. Thank you to everyone who listens, you are the real number 1’s here! These exceptional results, reinforce our commitment to continuing to reach new heights, together”.
James Brownlow, Managing Editor, Music & Entertainment at Bauer Media Audio Ireland commented: “This is a brilliant set of results for Bauer. Our teams work so hard to deliver in-class content and it is great to see their efforts being recognised. Congratulations to the Today FM team for a truly magnificent set of figures, in touch of the million mark and dominating audiences as they have in the last year is a fantastic accomplishment. Along with significant growth or market leading positions from our other brands across Ireland has contributed to outstanding growth for Bauer Media in this survey.”