Rajars: Heart ends Magic’s three-year run at the top
Heart 106.2 has ended Magic 105.4’s three-year run as London’s biggest commercial radio station, according to audience listening figures.
Global Radio’s Heart registered 1.88 million listeners in the three months to 31 December, down 0.6% on the previous quarter but up 4.8% on the same period in 2008.
Bauer Media’s Magic dropped 9.4% on the previous quarter and 8.8% year on year to 1.82 million listeners, leaving the station in third place.
Capital, leapfrogged Magic to take second spot in terms of audience reach, registering a 12.5% year on year increase.
Despite, losing out in terms of reach, Magic increased its share of the market to 6.1%, beating Heart, on 5.3%, and Capita onl 4.9%.
Ashley Tabor, Global founder and group CEO, described the result as a “landmark” for Global. The privately owned radio group acquired Capital as part of its £375m acquisition of Gcap Media in 2008 and is now the biggest commercial radio group in the UK.
At breakfast, Capital’s breakfast show, hosted by Johnny Vaughan and Lisa Snowdon, retained the top spot among London’s commercial radio breakfast shows.
The pair, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, registered 1.2 million listeners in the quarter, up from 1 million in the previous three months. Heart’s Jamie Theakston and Harriet Scott remain in second place with 790,000 listeners, while Neil Fox is in third with 782,000.
