The JNLR/Ipsos report, covering the period January to December 2024 shows that the Irish radio industry continues to enjoy solid growth with record levels of listenership reported for the period between January to June 2024.
The latest batch of listenership figures show that during this period 3.9m people listened to radio every week, growing by 105,000 listeners when compared to the same 12-month period previously (Jan-Dec ’23).
According to the Ipsos figures, the average weekday audience listening at any time between 7am to 7pm is now at 1,095,000, the highest recorded average audience ever.
The figures also show that 90% of all adults and 85% of 15–34-year-olds listen to radio every week. Daily listenership levels are also significant with the daily weekday audience now at 3.47m, up by 72,000 on the same period in 2023.
Some 69% of 15-34 year olds listen to radio each weekday, according to Ipsos while daily weekday listening levels for the hard to reach 15-24 year old cohort is also very impressive with 65% listening each weekday.
In addition, listening levels to local and regional radio continues to be very strong with over 2.2 million adults listening to their local or regional station every single weekday.
Ciaran Cunningham CEO Radiocentre Ireland said:
“It is clear that radio listening is booming in Ireland and today’s figures are a great reminder that Irish radio is a central part of people’s lives with brilliant content being consumed by millions of listeners every single day,” says Ciaran Cunningham, CEO, Radiocentre Ireland.
“All parts of the Irish population, from young to old are listening to radio in huge numbers because it is a key part of Irish daily life. Advertisers recognise the power of the medium with the latest Radiocentre Ireland revenue figures showing that for the January to June period, revenue to Irish radio operators came to €77.9 million, up 2% on the same period last year,” he adds.
With a strong showing from the independent radio stations around the country, the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) also welcomed the latest JNLR book.
“This is welcome proof of the strength of radio as a medium, which is highly trusted and valued by Irish listeners. Radio is free to access and has a unique connection to listeners. It is responsive, interactive, and flexible for advertisers and listeners. Radio delivers news and current affairs, music and entertainment, sports coverage, information and much more. Most importantly, it provides companionship to millions of listeners in Ireland,” says Michael Kelly, chief executive, IBI
Elsewhere, the latest JNLR was also welcomed by all the different commercial and semi-state broadcasting groups as well as the commercial sales houses representing them.
RTÉ
The latest JNLR listenership figures show that RTÉ’s radio services reach over 2m adults with RTÉ holding 18 of the top 20 radio programmes in Ireland.
According to the figures, RTÉ Radio 1 now reaches 1.3m listeners every week with gains of 24,000 listeners year-on-year. RTÉ 2FM has a weekly reach of 769,000, an increase of 29,000 listeners year-on-year. RTÉ lyric fm, meanwhile, now reaches 323,000 listeners every week.
“This is a great result for RTÉ positioning us as the most listened to radio group in Ireland and demonstrating the reach and relevance of our services to Irish audiences,” says Patricia Monahan, director of audio, RTÉ.
“We are privileged that so many people choose to engage with our stations and are particularly delighted to welcome an increase in 15 to 34-year-old listeners across all our services. RTÉ Radio 1 remains the most popular station in Ireland with audience gains throughout the day and weekend, 2fm is now the leading station for 15 to 34-year-olds and we will continue to deliver engaging and entertaining content for that audience as we bring our new 2FM schedule to air in the coming weeks. Meanwhile on lyric fm the combination of new voices and lyric fm stalwarts is clearly resonating with audience as it continues to grow.”
In terms of programming, the latest JNLR shows that Morning Ireland remains Ireland’s most listened to radio programme with 466,000 listeners, an increase of 1,000 book-on-book while Oliver Callan, who replaced Ryan Tubridy, has settled in well with 349,000 daily listeners, an 11,000 increase book-on-book.
Elsewhere other RTÉ 1 programmes also chalked up gains including Claire Byrne (+7,000), News at One which has 307,000 listeners (+5,000) and Liveline with Joe Duffy (+7,000). Brendan O’Connor on Saturday, meanwhile, gained 16,000 listeners while his Sunday show added 27,000 book-on-book.
Bauer Media Audio Ireland
As Ireland’s largest radio group, the latest JNLR was also welcomed by Bauer Media Audio Ireland which reported a strong performance across all key metrics and radio brands.
According to the JNLR, Bauer Media Audio Ireland now has a prime-time market share of 29%. a combined weekly reach of over 2.2m (+27,000) and a combined daily reach of 1.5m (+26,000 ) across its portfolio of national, regional and local stations which includes Today FM, Newstalk, 98FM, SPIN1038, SPIN South West, Cork’s Red FM, iRadio and Beat.
“We’re delighted that the latest JNLR latest results show us consolidating our position as the largest radio group in Ireland across the key audience metrics, as we continue to expand our reach,” says Chris Doyle, CEO of the group.
“Thanks to the hugely talented teams across Bauer for their dedication and drive. We have huge ambitions for 2025, and we look forward to exciting and entertaining audiences, creating great audio that people want to spend time with,” he adds.
Some of the key highlights for Bauer saw Today FM maintain its position as the No. 1 commercial radio station in Ireland with a weekly listening audience of 953,000. Across Ireland, Newstalk’s national market share stands at a robust 8.4%. Now the second most listened to radio station in the country every day with 512,000 listeners (+4,000 BoB) and a weekly reach of 871,000 (+10,000 BoB), Newstalk has seen both its daily and weekly reach increase by over 30,000 (32,000 respectively) compared to this time last year.
In addition, Newstalk’s The Pat Kenny Show retains its dominance as the most popular show on commercial radio according to the latest JNLR results, attracting 237,000 listeners daily.
Elsewhere Today FM’s The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show is still the biggest breakfast show on commercial radio with a morning audience of over 200,000 (202,000) while Ray Foley’s afternoon audience increases by 1,000 YoY to 164,000. The Last Word with Matt Cooper, meanwhile, retained its audience reach of 167,000 in this book, on the back of comprehensive US and Ireland election coverage.
Wireless
With stations like Dublin’s Q102,FM104, Galway Bay FM and Cork’s 98FM and C103, the latest JNLR was a good one for Wireless with weekly listeners growing to 792,000.
Dublin’s Q102 added 23,000 listeners last year to stand at 192,000 weekly, while FM104, delivered 258,000 weekly listeners. In Cork, the combined Cork’s 96fm and C103 offering drew 218,000 listeners, while Limerick’s Live 95 and LMFM grew to 93,000 and 119,000 weekly listeners respectively.
“The latest JNLR figures released today show the strength of our local radio stations, and their importance to our listening communities, something that was again highlighted during the recent Storm Eowyn. We’re delighted to build on this strength with further investments to entertain and engage audiences across our network,” says Sean Barry, managing director of Wireless Ireland.
IRS+
Meanwhile, IRS+, which represents 15 commercial stations around the country, has also reported significant growth with a year-on-year increase of 68,000 listeners, bringing its total weekly reach to 1.35m listeners.
According to the latest JNLR, its daily audience has increased by 53,000 listeners year-on-year while it maintains a consistent market share of 21%.
In Dublin specifically, IRS+ weekly reach has increased by 67,000 year-on-year while Radio Nova’s weekly reach has risen by 53,000, with Sunshine 106.8 adding 20,000 listeners. IRS+ share in Dublin has also increased to 17.4%.
Peter Smyth, CEO of IRS+, commented on these impressive results:
“We’re incredibly proud to see such strong growth across our stations, particularly in Dublin,” says Peter Smyth, CEO of IRS+.
“The increase in both our weekly and daily reach, along with the loyalty of our listeners, is a clear indication of the deep connection we’ve built with our audiences. Sunshine 106.8 and Radio Nova continue to lead the way, and these results reflect the hard work and dedication of our teams. As we continue to innovate and evolve in radio advertising, these achievements reinforce the important role local radio plays in the lives of our listeners. We’re excited to continue building on this momentum and delivering even greater value for our advertisers and audiences in the years ahead.”
