RTE's weekend radio stations suffer decrease in audience figures

RTÉ radio stations have suffered further audience losses according to figures covering weekend listening patterns released yesterday…

RTÉ radio stations have suffered further audience losses according to figures covering weekend listening patterns released yesterday.

The JNLR figures show Today FM gaining ground in several prominent time slots, including the Sunday morning talk shows. Last Tuesday the weekday figures also delivered bad news for several of RTÉ's leading programmes.

With a new director-general, Mr Cathal Goan, taking over, changes are expected to some parts of RTÉ's radio schedule, with 2FM already undergoing a major transformation.

While RTÉ remains the dominant player at weekends, the figures show Today FM gaining ground, particularly in current affairs and sport. All stations are having to cope with a reducing listenership for radio generally.

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While 2 FM and RTÉ Radio One recorded overall losses in listenership, the classical station Lyric FM managed to hold its position, suggesting that listeners are more willing to select the station at weekends.

RTÉ One had a 16 per cent listenership figure for Saturdays between July 2002 and July 2003, down 1 per cent. The listenership figure for Sunday was 14 per cent (down 2 per cent).

In the key area of sport Today FM has managed to pass out RTÉ Radio One with its premiership programme. While RTÉ's Saturday Sport show attracted 111,000 listeners, Today FM's Premiership Live managed to draw 119,000 listeners.

In relation to the influential Sunday morning talk shows, RTÉ's the Sunday Show - hosted by Mr Tom McGurk - remains the dominant programme with 132,000 listeners. However, this was down sharply from July 2002 when the figure stood at 168,000.

Today FM's equivalent show Sunday Supplement with journalist Sam Smyth, trails the RTÉ show, but it did increase its audience by 2,000 to 60,000.

On Saturdays there were also some losses for RTÉ's flagship Saturday View, which dropped 7,000 listeners to 155,000.

Newstalk 106's performance at the weekend was flat with most of its shows failing to record more than a 2 per cent listenership figure.

Mr Willie O'Reilly, chief executive of Today FM, said "these results reinforce the success of our strong weekend line up, with programmes such as Martin King's Saturday morning show, the Premiership Live, Tim Kelly and the Sunday show with Sam Smyth growing year on year. It is tough out there, but we're doing well".