BBC Radio 2 lost over a million listeners in the second quarter of 2023, the first full quarter without long-serving presenter Ken Bruce, who moved to Greatest Hits Radio (GHR) in March. The latest Rajar figures show Radio 2's audience fell from 14.5 million to 13.5 million, a drop of about 7%, though it remains the UK's most listened-to station by a comfortable margin.
Ken Bruce's new mid-morning show on GHR attracted nearly three million listeners in his first three months, up 1.25 million from his predecessor Mark Goodier. However, this is significantly lower than the audience he commanded on Radio 2, where his programme was the most popular in the UK. Bruce said he was 'delighted' with the figures, adding that the show 'wouldn't be what it is without its listeners'.
Zoe Ball's Radio 2 breakfast show lost 533,000 listeners compared with the previous quarter, bringing her audience to 6.7 million, but it remained the most popular breakfast programme in the country. Vernon Kay, who took over Bruce's mid-morning slot in May, will have his first full quarter's figures in the next Rajar release.
Greatest Hits Radio now has nearly six million listeners overall, with former Radio 2 presenter Simon Mayo attracting 2.3 million for his drivetime show. Parent company Bauer announced that Bruce will front a new GHR spin-off station dedicated to 1960s music.
Radio 4 continued its decline, losing 428,000 listeners compared with the previous quarter, dropping from 10.2 million to 8.9 million over the year. The Today programme lost 266,000 listeners, while 5 Live Breakfast dropped by 27,000. A BBC spokesman said Today 'remains one of the most listened to breakfast radio programmes'.
BBC Radio 1 saw a slight increase to 7.7 million listeners, but Greg James's breakfast show dipped slightly. BBC Local Radio stations collectively increased their audience from 7.38 million to 7.65 million, despite significant upheaval and job cuts. The BBC Sounds app recorded a 50% increase in usage year-on-year, with 582 million plays.
