Day: 24 October 2012

A slight word of caution before looking at these figures. In comparing this year to last, it has to be remembered that the sample size of the survey increased to reflect our changing population. In the 2011-3 survey, the estimated universe was 3.511m whereas the estimated universe in the latest survey (2012-3) is 3.608m and extra 97,000 listening people.

This has a tendency to slightly confuse the comparisons at times. Stations may have the same number of listeners, in volume terms, but could have declined in their percentage reach– all simple mathematics.

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The overall figures for any station will only reflect the individual programmes they broadcast. Throughout the day stations will have different audience levels depending on what the population is doing and for some stations what the competition is at.

As you can see for the chart below that looks at all adults listening to all radio, its ramps up very rapidly in the morning and then tails off as the day drifts by. 

Without going into a super analysis of each quarter hour segment, I’ll highlight the program slots for each of the four main National radio stations and sincere apologies to Lyric as time caught up here.  If I get a chance to look at this retrospectively, I will.  

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If the national picture is more or less static, then at least the Dublin figures adds a tinge of excitement into the mix. With thirteen stations vying for position, the competition is fairly intense. Like the national figures it’s dominated by RTE1 with a 28% reach, but that top slot is, every quarter, being chipped away at by FM104, who now stand at a 24% reach in the City.

Whereas some years back the fight (light weights at the time) was between FM014, 98FM, Q102 and Spin with RTE1 looking on. FM104 now look like they have pulled away from that scrap as they look to take on the current title holder RTE1. 

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Finally, a take on the demographics of the national listening. Below is a chart which looked at the demographics in a slightly different way. There’s enough analysis of the figures via the radio stations to make your eyes glaze over aka “we’re the fastest growing station in Ireland and we reach 12 people”.

Below are “propensities” – they show a particular demographics leaning towards or away from a station above or beyond the national average. Say the population universe for AB’s is 12% and a stations profile of AB’s is 14%, then that station has a higher propensity to attract AB’s. It’s not the straight take on we have X thousand listeners or we reach y% of 50 year olds etc, but it may show up strengths and weaknesses and a stations demographic makeup.

My colour coding is based on a index pivoting around 100. Above 110 is in green indicating that the station (or demographic) has a predilection towards that demographic (or station).