Much ado is being made of the latest listening figures, which have suggested that the percentage of those aged between 15 and 44 who turn on the radio at least once a week has fallen still further, down now to 13.8 million, or just 21 per cent of the population. Are we losing the listening habit? How worried should BBC Radio be, asked Roger Bolton on Radio 4’s Feedback (produced by Will Yates). He pointed out that while BBC Radio 5 Live is suffering a loss of audience, as is Radio 4’s flagship Today programme, other non-BBC talk-radio stations such as LBC are booming.
Roger Mosey, a former editor of the Today programme, replied that the BBC can’t compete with the opinion-led talk-shows, as hosted by characters like Nigel Farage and broadcast on LBC, and their headline-hungry attitude. At the same time, stations like Radio 1 now have to face off the massive appeal of Love Island on TV and the new ubiquity of Spotify.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in