Commercial radio grows in Newcastle

Reach and time spent listening to commercial radio in Newcastle has increased according to analysis by Commercial Radio industry body FARB.

People in Newcastle (aged 10+) listen for eighteen hours and eight minutes a week to commercial radio according to Newcastle’s Survey 2 results – up from seventeen hours and fifty-four minutes in the same timeframe last year.

Reach has also increased from 78 per cent in Survey 2 – up from 77.4% compared to the same timeframe last year.

FARB CEO Joan Warner said the increase in listening time and reach in Survey 2 built on strong results recorded in Survey 1 this year. “Commercial radio continues to perform well in Newcastle with time spent listening and reach increasing across many age groups in the latest survey.”

The survey results, based on ACNielsen ratings between 5 May and 1 June, 2002, show strong growth in the youth market with reach increasing for the 18-24 year old listeners to over 82 per cent – an increase of more than five per cent compared to Survey 2 in 2001.

Time spent listening to commercial radio also increased for the 18-24 year olds by 44 minutes to a total of nvarchar(15)een hours 26 minutes a week compared to eighteen hours and 42 minutes in the same survey last year.

Warner said commercial radio “continues to be Newcastle’s most popular form of radio with a 68 per cent total share of all radio listening.” Survey 3 results for Newcastle are due to be released 24th August 2002.