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Commercial radio has posted good year-on-year growth for the final

quarter of 2001, but BBC stations outperformed their commercial

rivals.

The total number of commercial radio listeners increased by more than

one million for the final quarter of 2001, compared with the same period

in 2000. The Rajar figures show that 31.88 million listeners tuned in to

commercial radio, compared with 30.87 million in 2000.

However, BBC radio is growing at a faster rate with the number of

listeners up 6 per cent year on year to 32.67 million, compared with 3.3

per cent in the commercial sector.

Strong performances in the commercial sector came from talkSPORT, which

overtook Virgin's AM listenership for the first time with a 12 per cent

year-on-year increase to 2.4 million listeners, and Classic FM, which

had another period of rapid growth with a 17 per cent increase to 6.7

million listeners. Virgin's national service was down 7 per cent to 2.39

million.

BBC national stations all experienced growth, with the exception of

Radio 3, which was static. Radio 2 posted the largest increase of 15 per

cent to 12.3 million listeners. Radio 5 grew by 13 per cent to 6.25

million.

The London breakfast show battle intensified with Kiss 100's Bam Bam

overtaking Radio 1's Sara Cox with 1.25 million listeners in London.

Capital's Chris Tarrant remains at the top of the commercial tree in

London with 1.96 million listeners.

The Chrysalis-owned Heart FM had a period of rapid growth, adding almost

400,000 listeners year on year to reach 1.71 million. Emap's Kiss 100 FM

grew its reach year on year by 9.5 per cent to 1.6 million.

Justin Sampson, the managing director of the Radio Advertising Bureau,

said: "Pronounced growth in radio listening outside of the traditional

breakfast peak period shows that this is a result of radio extending its

popularity at times of day traditionally associated with television."