RTÉ Radio
OVER 1 MILLION TUNE INTO RTÉ RADIO
Miriam’s debut attracts listeners to Saturday mornings, recording almost 300,000 listeners*
This Week joins Morning Ireland and News at One in Top 20 most popular programmes
Gerry Ryan fights back with 305,000 listeners
The big winners for RTÉ Radio in the latest JNLR/TNS mrbi listenership survey are RTÉ Radio 1’s Miriam O’Callaghan and Marian Finucane at weekends and Pat Kenny, Joe Duffy, Ryan Tubridy, Derek Mooney, Mary Wilson and Ronan Collins on weekday daytime radio. On RTÉ 2fm Gerry Ryan is fighting back with a gain of 3,000.
RTÉ retains all places in the Top 10 and RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2fm are the only national radio stations with a 7 day reach of over 1 million each. RTÉ Radio 1’s seven day reach is at 1,355,000 or 38% and RTÉ 2fm’s seven day reach is at 1,057,000 or 30%. RTÉ lyric fm sees gains on Saturdays with reach up to 3%.
Managing Director of RTÉ Radio, Clare Duignan says;
“There is no question – RTÉ Radio 1 is the No.1 and clear favourite with the Irish listening public. For the first time in years RTÉ Radio 1’s weekday reach has exceeded the 900,000 mark. This is undeniable proof of the unique power of RTÉ Radio 1, and listeners’ engagement with our news and current affairs, entertainment, sport, lifestyle and weekend programming.
RTÉ 2fm is fighting back, and no better man to lead that assault than Gerry Ryan. Gerry has gained an extra 3,000 listeners to bring him an audience of 305,000. RTÉ 2fm is up a point in Dublin to 13%, a significant achievement in this most competitive radio region. And RTÉ 2fm remains ahead of its nearest rival with 16% weekday reach. With 1,057,000 listeners tuning in weekly to RTÉ 2fm as opposed to 978,000 for Today FM, this means that RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2fm are now the only national stations with over one million listeners each.
RTÉ lyric fm has seen welcome success on Saturdays, up a point to 3%. This gain, alongside a strong performance in Dublin, puts the marginal loss of one point in its national weekday reach into the proper context. With over 274,000 listeners every week, the place of RTÉ lyric fm in the lives of its quarter of a million loyal listeners is not in doubt.
These latest figures now see more than 3 million people listening to radio every weekday. That RTÉ Radio has 18 of the Top 20 radio programmes nationally is testament to the quality of our output, the creativity of our production personnel, and the excellence of our top broadcasters. This is indicative, once again, of the central role of RTÉ Radio in Irish life.”
RTÉ Radio 1:
No. 1 station in Ireland with national weekday reach at 26% or 901,000 listeners
Miriam Meets (Saturdays) debuts, up 23,000 to 295,000 (+8%). Programme launched on 11 July 2009.
Sunday Miscellany/ Sunday Papers/ World Report, up 21,000 to 197,000 (+12%)
The Tubridy Show, up 13,000 to 352,000 (+4%), enters the Top 20 with 20 to 44 year olds
Marian Finucane, Sunday, up 11,000 to 333,000 (+3%) and Saturday, up 6,000 to 377,000 (+2%)
This Week enters Top 20 at 18 and is up 9,000 to 207,000 (+5%). This Week (18) joins RTÉ News and Current affairs staples, Morning Ireland and News At One, in the Top 20
The Business (Sundays, 10am to 11am), up 8,000 to 215,000 (+4%)
Sunday Sport, up 8,000 to 160,000 (+5%)
The Ronan Collins Show, up 7,000 to 229,000 (+3%)
Drivetime, up 7,000 to 256,000 (+3%) and remains Ireland’s most listened to drive time programme
Morning Ireland, up 6,000 to 467,000 (+1%)
Today with Pat Kenny, up 6,000 to 332,000 (+2%)
Liveline, up 45,000 to 423,000 (+12%), year on year
RTÉ 2fm:
RTÉ 2fm’s seven day reach is at 1,057,000 or 30%
Gerry Ryan Show fights back, retaining over 300,000 listeners, up 3,000 to 305,000 (+1%) and remains in top spot at No.1 with 20 to 44 year olds
Larry Gogan, Sunday, up 14,000 to 131,000 (+12%) and Saturday, up 10,000 to 147,000 (+7%)
The Electric Disco, up 19,000 to 63,000 (+43%), up 75% year on year
Ireland’s Biggest Jukebox with John Clarke, up 16,000 to 162,000 (+11%)
Mr Spring, up 5,000 to 13,000 (+63%)
Aidan Leonard, up 5,000 to 64,000 (+8%)
Dublin weekday reach, up from 12% to 13%
RTÉ lyric fm:
Saturday reach up to 3% or 92,000
Lyric Lunchtime Choice (Saturday), up 4,000 to 37,000 (+12%)
The Magic Carpet Ride (Saturday), up 4,000 to 32,000 (+14%)
Movies & Musicals, up 4,000 to 32,000 (+14%)
TOP 10 PROGRAMMES ATTACHED
Source: JNLR/TNS mrbi – 2009/3 v 2009/2. Book on Book unless otherwise stated.
Top 11 All-Week National Radio Programmes – Adults 15+
Timeblock Reach for National Commercial Stations
Oct08 – Sept09
Rank
Programme
Station
Time-slot
Period
Adults 15+ Prog Reach %
No. of Adults 15+ (000s)
1
Morning Ireland
RTÉ Radio 1
07:00-09:00
Mon-Fri
13%
467
2
Liveline with Joe Duffy
RTÉ Radio 1
13:45-15:00
Mon-Fri
12%
423
3
Marian Finucane
RTÉ Radio 1
11:00-13:00
Sat
11%
377
4
News at One
RTÉ Radio 1
13:00-13:45
Mon-Fri
10%
359
5
The Tubridy Show
RTÉ Radio 1
09:00-10:00
Mon-Fri
10%
352
6
Marian Finucane
RTÉ Radio 1
11:00-13:00
Sun
9%
333
7
Today with Pat Kenny
RTÉ Radio 1
10:00-12:00
Mon-Fri
9%
332
8
Gerry Ryan
RTÉ 2fm
09:00-12:00
Mon-Fri
9%
305
9
Playback
RTÉ Radio 1
10:00-11:00
Sat
8%
296
10
Miriam Meets / Dunphy
RTÉ Radio 1
09:00-10:00
Sat
8%
295
11
Drivetime
RTÉ Radio 1
16:30-19:00
Mon-Fri
7%
256
Date: Thursday, 12th November 2009
Ends
Further information:
Joseph Hoban, Communications Manager, RTÉ Radio, (01) 208 2399 / 086 812 8662, Email: joseph.hoban@rte.ie
Sarah Martin, Senior Press Officer, RTÉ Radio, (01) 208 2312 / 087 750 1850 or email sarah.martin@rte.ie
Sandra Byrne, Press Officer, RTÉ Radio, (01) 208 2506 / 087 249 3048 or email: sandra.byrne@rte.ie
Note to Editor:
*Please note: The book on book figures for Saturday, 9am to 10am, on RTÉ Radio 1 include both Conversations with Eamon Dunphy and Miriam meets… Miriam meets began broadcasting on Saturday, 11 July 2009.