BBC Radio 2 loses nearly half a million listeners since weekday relaunch
BBC Radio 2 suffers hit as rivals gain traction
- Radio 2 has lost nearly half a million listeners since its new weekday schedule launched, with its weekly audience falling to 12.62 million for April to June, the lowest total since autumn 2021.
- The station's flagship breakfast show, now presented by Scott Mills, also saw a dip in listeners to 6.22 million, although it retains its position as the UK's most popular national radio breakfast programme.
- Despite the overall decline, Radio 2 maintains its status as the UK's most listened-to single radio station, with Vernon Kay's mid-morning show attracting the largest audience across all UK radio programmes.
- The BBC's overall share of radio listening time in the UK has decreased to 42.1 per cent, down from 48.1 per cent three years ago.
- While commercial network Greatest Hits saw a drop in listeners, some smaller news-based stations like Times Radio and GB News reported year-on-year increases in their audience figures.