Category: Wales
Date: 03.08.2006
Printable version
91Èȱ¬ Radio Wales and 91Èȱ¬ Radio Cymru are attracting tens of thousands of new
listeners according to Rajar audience figures released today.
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Radio Wales has strengthened its position as Wales's most popular home-grown
station.
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Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) results show that it has increased the number of listeners tuning
in each week to 469,000 - 90,000 more than this time last year.
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The Radio Wales audience is also listening for longer than ever before.
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Today, each Radio Wales listener tunes in for almost 12 hours each week,
giving the station a share of 10.4% - an all-time high since new Rajar
methodology was introduced in 1999.
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Radio Wales's weekday programmes are going from strength to strength.
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In the
competitive breakfast market, the flagship Good Morning Wales daily news
programme has gained 20,000 new listeners since last year while popular
presenters such as Roy Noble - who takes over at 9.00am each weekday -
continue to build big audiences.
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Sali
Collins, Editor, Radio Wales, said: "I'm delighted. It's a great set of figures for 91Èȱ¬ Radio Wales and Good Morning
Wales in particular.
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"This now gives us a good basis for the future."
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Radio Cymru has also made impressive gains - growing by 20,000 listeners
since the last quarter - and now attracts 175,000 listeners each week.
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The Welsh-language station now reaches 31% of the fluent Welsh-speaking
population, with each listener tuning in for 13 hours a week.
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Radio Cymru also proves a popular breakfast choice, with the morning Post
Cyntaf programme attracting the most listeners during the week.
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In north-west
Wales Radio Cymru has more listeners than any other station.
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Aled Glynne Davies, Editor, Radio Cymru, said: "It's great news that Radio
Cymru is reaching more and more listeners in a world of increasing choice.
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"It's
also important that this, the only Welsh language radio station, continues to
appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners.
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"Our presenters are popular, our
programmes are popular and this is great news for our hard-working production
teams across Wales."
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Keith Jones, Head of Welsh Programmes at 91Èȱ¬ Wales, paid tribute to Aled Glynne
Davies who has decided to hand over the reins of Radio Cymru
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He said: "Aled's drive and enthusiasm has ensured that Radio Cymru has broadened its
appeal to listeners of all ages and interests.
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"These latest figures
show that the service is well regarded across Wales and is attracting a large
and diverse audience.
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"Thanks to Aled, these are solid foundations on which the
new Editor, Sian Gwynedd can build."
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KS2
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