Vernon Kay loses 1.3million of Ken Bruce’s BBC Radio 2 listeners as 6 Music ratings soar
Vernon Kay’s show on BBC Radio 2 has 1.3million fewer listeners than when his predecessor Ken Bruce occupied same the slot, while 6 Music’s ratings continue to soar.
Bruce, one of Radio 2’s longest-serving DJs, left the station back in March and joined Greatest Hits Radio the following month. Kay has since permanently replaced him on the mid-morning programme.
New figures shared by radio industry body Rajar have revealed that Kay is currently pulling in 6.9million listeners – 1.3million fewer than Bruce did on Radio 2 (via BBC News).
But the numbers do, however, mean Kay has the most popular radio show in the UK.
The latest set of audience figures from Rajar – which are published four times a year – span June to September 2023. They are the first to cover a full three-month period for Kay, who presented his first show in May.
Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer, said: “Radio 2 continues to be the country’s most popular station and I’m delighted with the flying start Vernon Kay has made to mid-mornings as the UK’s biggest radio show, bringing his warmth, energy and charisma to listeners up and down the country.”
Radio 2 controller Helen Thomas added that she was “proud that Radio 2 remains the UK’s most listened to radio station”.
The station registered 13.5million weekly listeners – one million down on the same period in 2022.
According to Rajar, Bruce – who took his much-loved PopMaster quiz to Greatest Hits Radio – has increased the audience for his new show on the station to 3.7million.
In its previous update, the ratings body found that Radio 2 had lost a million listeners following Bruce’s exit.
Meanwhile, the latest audience figures from Rajar show that BBC 6 Music – a digital-only alternative station – has a weekly audience of 2.8million (via Music Week). This figure is up 11.7 per cent year-on-year, and is an increase of 3.1 per cent on the previous quarter.
6 Music remains the biggest digital radio station, and is home to shows hosted by the likes of Lauren Laverne, Huey Morgan and Elbow‘s Guy Garvey. Laverne’s breakfast programme currently has 1.4million listeners.
In May 2022, 6 Music posted record listening figures in the first quarter of its 20th year of operation.
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Tom Skinner
NME
