The top ten radio programmes in Ireland are all produced by RTÉ, according to annual research figures released this afternoon. The most popular show, Morning Ireland, has increased its listenership by 5,000, giving it a total audience of 485,000 each day.
The programme is to increase its airtime to two hours, with an earlier start at 7am each day from 19 March. The Director of Radio, Helen Shaw, said that people were going about their work earlier each day and they needed news and traffic information to suit their new circumstances.
The Managing Editor of News said that the increased airtime was a vote of confidence in the programme. Michael Good added that it was important that RTÉ was expanding its news service in this way at a time when it was cutting back in other areas.
News at One has also increased its audience figures, which are up by 2,000 on the last survey. It now has a listenership of 324,000 each day.
Lyric FM now has an audience reach of 122,000 listeners daily. This is the highest figure since it first went on air in May 1999. The audience for Today with Pat Kenny remains constant at 345,000.
Although Five Seven Live has dropped 13,000 listeners, it has 43,000 more than its independent counterpart, The Last Word on Today FM. Tony Fenton, who broadcasts at the same time on 2FM, outstrips The Last Word by 35,000.
Gerry Ryan's audience remains stable at 13%, representing 391,000 listeners. All other programmes in the top ten increased their figures: Marian Finucane, Liveline with Joe Duffy, Gareth O'Callaghan, Larry Gogan and John Creedon.
