Radio listenership figures 2023.

[mark_in_manc]

Originally Posted by fetteler

I really like listening to the radio, always have, it's my favourite medium. Since I 'grew up' and stopped listening to stuff like Radio 1 back in the 1980's Radio 3 has been a constant in my life - yes, other stations for bits and pieces but Radio 3 is the one which I have on 90% of the time. Sublime.

I'm going to guess that many of you here will not agree with me.

Steve.

I like R3 Steve - though I do struggle a bit with opera!

The thing about R4 I don't understand, is that I liked it as it was (OK, I avoided 'Today' (too confrontational for my personal taste, but each to their own) and 'the Archers' (not really a soap fan) but you can't please all the people all of the time) all through my 20s, and 30s, and half of my 40s - until it began to change. So I can't have been the youth they thought they were changing it for, when they changed it!

Why wouldn't a 20-something find Alastair Cooke, or his modern-day equivalent, fascinating? I certainly did - but 'expert' pieces by older people who are good at long-form programmes with no background music - seem to be very much out of favour. I have an 18-yr-old daughter who likes that kind of thing and finds it online...

[jamesperrett]

I was probably part of those figures - though I actually listened to very little radio during the survey period. I had a knock on the door one day and I thought it was a dodgy salesman but it turned out he was from RAJAR and looking for people to take the survey.

Afterwards, they tried to recruit me for an extended survey but that involved having an app active on my phone which I didn't fancy.

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by mark_in_manc

programmes with no background music -

That annoys me. So much spoken material, news etc has music running in the background with the midrange and treble drastically cut, so all you get is bumping and thumping noises under people speaking.

As the surveys they do say that most people do most of their radio listening while driving, it has people like me trying to decide whether the thumping is via the radio or the precursor to another monumentally big bill.

For people with limited hearing, it also eats into the dynamic range they need in order to follow what is being said.

So, I've stopped listening. The BBC has stopped playing the types of music I enjoy, so I'm one of the group they've chosen to sacrifice in the hope of attracting other people. With their listening figures dropping, but commercial stations going up, they seem to be scoring a lot of home goals.

David

[Cruisin Marine]

Those Rajar figures have to be taken with a big pinch of salt as those diaries they give to people to fill in must amount to 10 parts of bugga' all of the radio listenership.
I shall refrain from talking about the BBC, I would get banned if I did.

[fetteler]

Originally Posted by mark_in_manc

I like R3 Steve - though I do struggle a bit with opera!

The thing about R4 I don't understand, is that I liked it as it was (OK, I avoided 'Today' (too confrontational for my personal taste, but each to their own) and 'the Archers' (not really a soap fan) but you can't please all the people all of the time) all through my 20s, and 30s, and half of my 40s - until it began to change. So I can't have been the youth they thought they were changing it for, when they changed it!

Why wouldn't a 20-something find Alastair Cooke, or his modern-day equivalent, fascinating? I certainly did - but 'expert' pieces by older people who are good at long-form programmes with no background music - seem to be very much out of favour. I have an 18-yr-old daughter who likes that kind of thing and finds it online...

Those are excellent points Mark. I used to love Alistair Cooke's pieces and these days like to listen to 'From our own correspondent', these kind of programmes give a much needed perspective to current affairs.
FWIW I struggle with opera too !

Steve.

[Cobaltblue]

As I think we all have the gist about falling listenership and the ever shifting tides of content, Its time to close this thread.

Cheers

Mike T