RTÉ Radio 1 has recorded further weekend growth in the latest Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures, with Brendan O'Connor continuing to post major gains year on year.
The Brendan O’Connor Show now has 419,000 listeners on Saturdays, up 7,000 since the last book and 77,000 year on year. On Sundays, the show reaches 427,000 listeners, an increase of 18,000 since the last report and 88,000 compared with the same period last year.
Playback, The Business, Sunday with Miriam and Sunday Miscellany have all recorded further growth since the previous book. Playback has climbed to 355,000 listeners, up 4,000 since the last report and 37,000 year on year, while The Business now has 359,000 listeners, up 8,000 since the previous book and 22,000 year on year. Sunday with Miriam has added 20,000 listeners since the last report to reach 337,000, and Sunday Miscellany is up 18,000 to 318,000.
Read more:
RTÉ Radio 1 to launch new weekday schedule this Monday
Across the week, RTÉ’s radio services hold a 29% share of the national audience, maintaining their position as Ireland’s most-listened-to network. RTÉ continues to dominate the Irish radio landscape, holding 18 of the top 20 programmes and the entire top ten.
RTÉ Radio 1 remains the country’s most popular station with a weekly reach of 1,376,000 listeners. While that is slightly down on the previous figure of 1.4 million, the station continues to hold the number one position and remains the only station in Ireland reaching more than one million listeners each week. Its share among adults aged 35 to 54 now stands at 13.6%, compared with 14% in the previous report.
Morning Ireland remains Ireland’s most-listened-to radio programme with 471,000 listeners, an increase of 2,000 on the last report. Today with Claire Byrne is unchanged at 354,000 listeners, while Oliver Callan’s mid-morning show now has 347,000 listeners, a small drop from 354,000 last time but up 9,000 year on year. News at One stands at 284,000, compared with 298,000 previously. Liveline, which recorded 299,000 listeners in the last book, now stands at 279,000 following the departure of long-time host Joe Duffy. There has been a rotating roster of presenters keeping the seat warm before Kieran Cuddihy joins the station next week.
Drivetime, presented by Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra, has seen an increase to 222,000 listeners compared with 217,000 in the previous survey, while The Ray D’Arcy Show reached 181,000, down slightly from 182,000 during the reporting period of July, August and September.
Tara Campbell, Head of RTÉ Radio 1, said the figures demonstrate the station’s ongoing strength ahead of its new weekday schedule. "As Radio 1 embarks on an exciting new chapter, it’s great to see that we’re building from a position of strength as the biggest station in the country. This book has shown big increases across Saturday and Sunday mornings in particular, with Brendan O’Connor, The Business, Playback, Sunday with Miriam and Sunday Miscellany all featuring strongly in the top ten."
RTÉ lyric fm has also achieved record growth, reaching 336,000 listeners weekly compared with 329,000 in the previous book, and recording its highest ever share at 3%. Marty in the Morning now has 73,000 listeners, down slightly from 75,000 in the previous survey but up 5,000 year on year. Lorcan Murray’s Classic Drive has grown to 70,000 listeners, up from 64,000 in the previous book, while Aedín Gormley’s Movies and Musicals has increased by 17,000 year on year to 71,000.
Sinéad Wylde, Head of RTÉ lyric fm, said the results reflected a growing and loyal community of listeners. "Having been awarded IMRO Music Station of the Year and now reaching a 3% share, we can see that the diverse mix of music, arts and culture we feature each day is reaching and connecting with new audiences."
RTÉ 2FM reaches 653,000 weekly listeners, down from 677,000 in the last survey, but has increased its share among 15 to 34-year-olds to 10.4%, up from 10.3%. 2FM Breakfast has 131,000 listeners, compared with 139,000 previously. The Laura Fox Show has grown slightly to 125,000 listeners from 122,000 in the last book, while The Tracy Clifford Show has edged up from 110,000 to 111,000. 2FM Drive with Doireann Garrihy now has 124,000 listeners, down slightly from 125,000.
At weekends, Demi Isaac and Mikey O’Reilly’s show has increased to 135,000 listeners on Saturdays, up 8,000 since the last report, and 106,000 on Sundays. Weekend Drive with Emma Power and Graham Smyth has also shown strong gains, rising to 109,000 listeners on Saturdays, up 23,000 year on year, and 84,000 on Sundays, up 21,000.
Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said the latest survey reflects a period of stability following significant schedule changes earlier in the year. "We are very happy with how our new schedule is performing. Demi and Mikey have really hit the ground running, and it’s great to see positive momentum for Laura Fox, Tracy Clifford and our weekend line-up. 2FM continues to deliver for younger audiences, which is a vital part of RTÉ’s public service remit."
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta has also recorded gains, with weekend listenership up by 19,000 on Saturdays and 16,000 on Sundays compared with the previous survey.
Patricia Monahan, Director of Audio at RTÉ, said the results highlight the continued strength of RTÉ’s audio output. "Ireland’s biggest conversation is set to go from strength to strength as we prepare to launch a brand-new weekday daytime schedule on RTÉ Radio 1. The growth at weekends is phenomenal and demonstrates how integral radio is to the listening lives of the nation."
Outside RTÉ, the commercial radio sector also reported a mix of gains and declines in the latest figures.
At Newstalk, The Anton Savage Show delivered record highs, reaching 146,000 listeners on Saturdays, up 14,000 year on year, and 129,000 on Sundays, up 4,000. The Hard Shoulder dropped 14,000 to 151,000 listeners in this book, while The Pat Kenny Show remains one of the most popular programmes on commercial radio with 196,000 listeners, though that is 20,000 lower than in the previous book. Newstalk has confirmed that Kenny will move to the weekend early next year with Claire Byrne taking over his weekday slot.
Newstalk Breakfast with Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman attracts 161,000 listeners, down 4,000 since the last report. Lunchtime Live with Andrea Gilligan has 118,000 listeners, down 8,000 book-on-book, and Moncrieff stands at 97,000, a decrease of 8,000 year on year.
Today FM’s daily listenership now exceeds the half-million mark, reaching 503,000 listeners, an increase of 4,000 since the last report. The station’s market share has risen to 8.8%, up 0.4 points. The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show remains the most-listened-to programme on commercial radio with 218,000 listeners, up 5,000 since the previous book.
In Cork, Red FM continues to lead the market with a 20.4% share, down 0.4 points book-on-book. The station’s weekly reach now stands at 167,000, a drop of 7,000, while daily reach is 136,000, down 4,000.
The Neil Prendeville Show retains its number-one position in Cork with 79,000 listeners, up 1,000 since the previous survey, while Red FM Breakfast with KC holds steady year on year with 50,000 listeners.
