UK RAJAR Figures Unwrapped: BBC Stations Dip as Commercial Rivals Shift Momentum

RAJAR’s latest quarterly listening figures for Q4 2025 have landed, offering another snapshot of the UK audio landscape and the people shaping it.

While familiar names remain dominant, the data shows a challenging period for several BBC music stations and mixed fortunes across the commercial sector.

RAJAR, which stands for Radio Joint Audience Research, is the organisation responsible for measuring radio audiences across the UK. Owned jointly by the BBC and the commercial radio industry, it collects listening data each quarter using surveys and diaries completed by participants nationwide. The results provide a shared currency for broadcasters, advertisers and agencies, helping them understand audience behaviour, assess performance and shape commissioning, scheduling and commercial decisions across the audio sector.

For anyone tracking careers, talent moves and audience strategy across radio, it is a reminder of how competitive the industry remains.

A difficult quarter for BBC music brands

BBC music networks broadly experienced a downturn, with BBC Radio 6 Music posting the most notable slide. The UK’s largest digital-only station saw weekly reach fall 14% year on year to 2.4 million listeners.

BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 also dipped, by 6% and 7% respectively, while BBC Asian Network, 1Xtra and Radio 3 recorded smaller decreases.

Despite that, Radio 1 leadership pointed to strategic wins in youth engagement. Head of BBC Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones said the station had strengthened its position with younger audiences and continued to prioritise new music and emerging talent. He highlighted Greg James’ performance in breakfast as central to maintaining its relevance in the youth space.

Radio 2 remained the UK’s biggest station overall, attracting 12.7 million weekly listeners. The year on year comparison followed a particularly strong Q4 in 2024 driven by Zoe Ball’s departure from the breakfast slot, which inflated that benchmark. Quarter on quarter, the drop was modest at 1%, and average listening hours climbed to 11.02, a four year high.

Breakfast host Scott Mills reached a weekly audience of 6.5 million, his strongest performance since taking over in early 2025, while Vernon Kay delivered 6.7 million listeners and retained the title of biggest show in UK radio. Meanwhile, network programming continued to generate buzz, including the launch of a new Piano Room series featuring Pulp.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, credited audience loyalty and high-profile initiatives such as Sara Cox’s marathon fundraising challenge for Children in Need. She emphasised the strength of listening hours and the sustained scale of the breakfast and mid-morning shows as key indicators of the station’s continued dominance.

Commercial radio stakes its claims

Outside the BBC, Global highlighted Heart as the UK’s largest radio brand with 12.7 million listeners, though its main network slipped 6% to 9.48 million. Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden retained its position as the biggest commercial breakfast show, drawing 4.1 million listeners.

Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark and Siân Welby posted gains in reach, hours and share, ending the quarter on 2.8 million weekly listeners. The Capital XTRA brand also strengthened, reaching 1.9 million listeners, while Radio X’s main network declined 7% year on year to 1.97 million.

Bauer’s mixed picture and KISS momentum

Bauer Media Audio UK reported contrasting results. The Greatest Hits Radio Network reached 6.9 million listeners overall, plus 1.4 million tuning into its decade themed spin offs. However, the flagship station itself fell sharply, down 20% year on year and 5% quarter on quarter to 5.9 million.

The Hits Radio Network dropped 5% to 6.78 million, and Absolute Radio decreased 9% to 1.94 million. Dave Berry’s Absolute Radio Breakfast Show recorded 2.2 million listeners, also down 6%.

In contrast, the KISS portfolio delivered more upbeat signals. The main KISS station climbed nearly 19% year on year to 1.29 million, and KISS Xtra rose 49% to 284,000. Kisstory R&B reached 613,000 listeners, up 12% quarter on quarter, although Kisstory itself declined 21% to 1.7 million.

Leadership framed these results as momentum building around younger audiences and talent development. Bauer’s director of audio Gary Stein pointed to the growth of KISS and the launch of its new breakfast show fronted by Tyler West and Chloe Burrows as the start of a new phase for the brand. West had already driven audience gains in drivetime before transitioning to the morning slot.

Why it matters

Behind every figure sits a reminder that radio is as much about people as platforms. Presenters, producers, schedulers and commissioners are continuously responding to shifting listening habits, funding pressures and brand priorities.

For emerging professionals, this quarter’s results underline the importance of adaptability and audience insight. Declines at established networks coexist with growth in niche formats and youth-focused brands, highlighting where innovation and opportunity can take root.

As Q4 figures close out another year in audio, the balance of power across broadcasters remains fluid. What stays constant is the industry’s reliance on talent, storytelling and strategic thinking to win and keep listeners.