The latest Joint National Listenership Report (JNLR) figures for the period January to December 2023 shows that the daily radio audience hit 3.4 million listeners, growing by 193,000 listeners compared to 2022 daily listenership levels. Radiocentre Ireland says that 91 per cent of Irish adults and 87 per cent of 15–34-year-olds listen to radio every week. The daily weekday audience was 3.4 million, an increase of 193,000 listeners.
Weekday audiences for 15–34-year-olds also increased with 71 per cent of this age group tuned in, an uplift of 59,000 listeners compared to the 2022 period surveyed by Ipsos B&A. Local and regional radio continues to be strong with 2.2m adults listening to such stations weekdays. The average adult is listening to radio for over four hours a day. As the Irish Audio Report recently indicated, live radio dominates with a 74 per cent market share.
Listening
Music streaming has a 12 per cent share of listening, while YouTube music and podcasts command a seven point and three point share respectively. The study shows that 5.9 per cent of adult listening is now through a smart speaker while listening via a mobile device accounts for 3.3 per cent overall. The rate increases to 6.5 per cent of all listening through a smart speaker and 8.4 per cent through a mobile device for 15 to 34-year-olds.
Radiocentre Ireland recently released figures which showed that total revenue for Irish radio last year amounted to €164m, up four points on 2022. In 2021, radio revenue came to €145m. Ciarán Cunningham, chief executive, Radiocentre Ireland, said that the almost €20m increase over two years showed the quality of the medium and its importance to advertisers, and the hard work and investment stations put in right around the country.
Gains made by Pat Kenny’s weekday morning show allowed Newstalk to achieve its highest ever market share of eight per cent. The slot now has 216,000 listeners, up 11,000 on the last survey and rise of as much as 42,000 year-on-year. The report also indicated that while RTÉ Radio 1’s Nine O’Clock Show lost 4,000 listeners in the final quarter of last year, the show’s audience remained 12,000 higher than it was a year earlier.
Pictured is Sarah McInerney, co-host of RTÉ Radio 1’s evening Drivetime show
