Bumper RAJAR results for BBC Radio 3 after a record-breaking summer of music
– RAJAR reach for quarter three over 2 million
– More hours spent listening to Radio 3 than at any other time in the station’s history
– Highest ever figure for average hours listened
– Year-on-year audience increase for new Saturday shows with Tom Service and Jools Holland, as well as gains for extended Breakfast and Essential Classics
With its new schedule and an ambitious season of BBC Proms, Radio 3 delighted over 2 million people and scored a record number of hours spent listening to the station: the highest in Radio 3’s history.
Broadcasts of all 90 Proms, from the Berlin Philharmonic and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra to the BBC’s own ensembles, thrilled listeners with eight weeks of world-class music making, live from the Royal Albert Hall and venues across the UK. Listeners to the Proms on BBC Sounds was up +12% on last year, building on record-breaking digital performance and an average main evening attendance of 96% at the Royal Albert Hall.
During this quarter, Radio 3 saw its highest ever figure of average hours per listener – and the station’s new schedule, introduced from April, has seen significant year-on-year gains. Saturday Morning with Tom Service delivered year-on-year audience growth of 45%, and Jools Holland’s new Earlier… saw Radio 3’s lunchtime listenership grow by 44%.During the week, Radio 3 Breakfast with Petroc Trelawny and Essential Classics with Georgia Mann – both extended as part of the recent schedule changes – increased their audience by 18% and 17% respectively, and the drivetime programmeIn Tune presented by Sean Rafferty and Katie Derham grew by 29%.
Sam Jackson, Controller BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms said:
“It’s heartening to see these record-breaking RAJAR results, with more hours spent listening to Radio 3 than at any other time in the station’s history. The success of our new schedule, combined with a compelling BBC Proms season, demonstrably attracted high audiences this summer – and we’re especially delighted that our new weekend shows fronted by Tom Service and Jools Holland have seen significant year-on-year growth, alongside double-digit percentage increases for programmes ranging from Breakfast, to Essential Classics, to Record Review. As well as driving new audiences to Radio 3, we’re especially pleased that this quarter has seen the highest ever figure for average hours listened: another record-breaking moment, showing that the BBC is the place audiences are flocking for the highest-quality, distinctive classical music content.”
New programmes from April 2024 include Music Map with Sara Mohr-Pietsch; a daily jazz show ‘Round Midnight with Soweto Kinch; Earlier… with Jools Holland and Saturday Breakfast with Tom Service. Breakfast (Petroc Trelawny), Essential Classics (Georgia Mann), Private Passions (Michael Berkeley) and Composer of the Week (Donald Macleod and Kate Molleson) were extended in duration, and a new three-hour weekday programme Classical Live produced and presented from Salford showcases the best of classical music from across the UK and beyond. Radio 3 also relaunched Friday Night is Music Night, a new home for the BBC Concert Orchestra to explore repertoire ranging from the golden age of light music to the best in film and TV scores. Guest presenters on Saturday’s Music Matters have included Nicola Benedetti, Clemency Burton-Hill, Richard Morrison and Clive Myrie.
From April 2025 Petroc Trelawny joins Katie Derham to present In Tune and Tom McKinney presents weekday Breakfast live from Salford.
If you change the programming of what the Third Programme was set up to do in 1946 – renamed Radio 3 in the early 1970s – to a schedule of very different, more ‘popular’ character, then the number of listeners will naturally increase. Radio 3 today is not fit to be considered in the same manner as the Third Programme – its entire broadcasting ethos has changed beyond recognition. Friends of mine, who live on the Continent, cannot believe it when I send details of ‘next week’s programming’ – ‘what has happened to the BBC?’ was one horrified comment earlier this year.
It was the Third Programme that led the way after the War, in a hugely admired and successful attempt to return to intellectual creative pursuits after the wilful destruction of Europe by Nazi Germany, the BBC being responsible for the introduction of such programming virtually across Europe. Today ? – forget it: you’re talking to ignoramuses. I would not be so sad if it were not the case that such programming as the Third Programme/Radio 3 used to broadcast was available elsewhere, but I know that Sam Smith is not the creative equal at the Proms of Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Palestrina, William Byrd, Franz Liszt or Thomas Tallis – no matter what our current Minister of Culture may say.
I like it
Like R3, Jim, or like what RM-W says?
Radio 3 is now a worthless clone of classic FM that eejit has buried Composer of the week and CD review the only things I ever listen to, the schedule is now full of blather and fillers.