BBC local radio listening figures fall with a 17% drop
There’s calls for more resources to be put into local radio after regional BBC stations witnessed audience figures plummet in the last two years.
The average weekly audience for BBC’s local and regional stations has fallen by 20% in the past two years, from 9.2 million in the third quarter of 2021 to 7.3 million in the same period for 2023, according to data from research body Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR).
The data shows that eight BBC local radio stations lost over a quarter of listeners in the last two years, with BBC Radio Kent experiencing the biggest drop of 41%. In the North East, BBC Radio Newcastle’s audience fell by 17% in the last two years.
A total of 206,000 people tuned into the station in the third quarter of 2023 compared to 247,000 people who listened to the station in the same period in 2021.
Cllr Paula Maines, cabinet member for a Resilient City at Newcastle City Council[1], said: “Local radio plays an important role in entertaining and informing local people and so any drop in listenership figures is not a good thing.
“Local news is integral to keep people informed so they can take part in local democracy, its brings people together and is especially valued by people who live alone and may be their sole form of company.”
Despite the drop in listeners in Newcastle, the average amount of time people spent listening to the station has stayed the same. Listeners spent an average of one hours listening to BBC[2] Radio Newcastle in the three months to September this year. That’s equal to the one hours in the same period of 2021.
The figures come amid controversial BBC plans to make cuts to local radio services to make savings in the face of high inflation and a licence fee freeze. It would see local radio stations share more content and transmit fewer programmes unique to their areas.
Journalists at the BBC have taken strike action in protest against the proposals, which also include shifting some World Service TV and radio broadcast services to digital. In its recent annual plan, the BBC stated its savings target has increased by 40% to £400 million.
Employees at BBC Newcastle were among those to take strike action, chanting “no ifs, no buts, no local radio cuts,” outside of the Pink Palace on Barrack Road earlier this year. And an article published on ChronicleLive in July[3] also urged people to contact their local MP and ask them to write to the Government about the proposals.
Cllr Maines added: “I was never in favour of sharing local radio programmes as this waters down local identity and there were warnings that this shift to digital would hasten the demise of local radio.
“Personally, I’d like to see the BBC put more resources into local radio – not less. I hope these figures will force a rethink in the Corporation’s approach.”
Elsewhere in the North East the figures for BBC Radio Tees were more positive. It was one of only six stations to see an increase in listeners, with audiences growing by 10% in the last two years.
BBC Radio Oxford, and BBC Radio Wiltshire/Swindon have also grown by 10%. While BBC Radio Derby’s audience has grown by 13%, and BBC Radio Somerset’s by 16%. BBC Three Counties Radio has seen an audience growth of 3%.
The BBC World Service has experienced an ever sharper drop in listeners, with its average weekly audience down 33% from 1.4 million in July-September 2021 to 940,000 in the same period in 2023.
A BBC spokesperson said the figures are “consistent” with those in the first quarter of the year but acknowledged the “dip” over the summer months, adding: “We’re determined to grow the impact of local radio across the country and we’ll be looking in detail at the listening changes over the last period.
“Alongside our commitment to local radio, we’re also growing our digital offering. For example, online traffic to BBC Local news stories in England is up by 21% over the last three months compared to the same period last year.”
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References
- ^ Newcastle City Council (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ BBC (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ an article published on ChronicleLive in July (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
- ^ Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community (chat.whatsapp.com)
- ^ privacy notice (www.reachplc.com)
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