BBC Radio 1 Breakfast slumps to lowest ratings on record

BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show is pulling in the lowest number of listeners since records began, according to the latest listenership statistics from radio ratings body Rajar.

In the third quarter of this year, covering July to September, the number of listeners dipped below the 5m mark for the first time since Rajar records began in 1992 and almost certainly the first time since Radio 1 began broadcasting in 1967, the BBC reports.

Host Nick Grimshaw was brought in “to attract younger listeners and shed older listeners, who were more likely to listen to traditional radio,” says The Guardian - and he appears to have succeeded in at least half of his remit. The new listening figures represent a drop of more than 2 million from 2012, when he took over the slot from Chris Moyles.

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The morning slot traditionally reaches a large audience, catching workers, parents and students at breakfast, on their commute or on the school run.

Radio 2’s breakfast show, hosted by Chris Evans, remains the most popular programme on air, attracting an average of 9.4 million listeners. More than 7 million tune in to Radio 4’s morning Today programme, while Kiss is the most popular commercial station for breakfast listeners.

Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper said the statistics reflected the fact that Radio 1’s younger demographic consume less traditional radio than past generations rather than any drop in the Breakfast Show’s quality or popularity.

“Radio 1 continues to be the most relevant youth brand in the UK today,” Cooper said, pointing to the station’s 9.4 social media followers and 5 million subscribers on Youtube.

Despite the prevalence of digital entertainment, tuning in to favourite radio programmes remains a staple pastime for the vast majority of the UK. Rajar reports that 90% of Brits over 15 listen to the radio every week, with the average consumer taking in 21.3 hours per week.