Rajars: Radio 2 loses a million listeners as Ken Bruce boosts Greatest Hits Radio

BBC Radio 2 mislaid a cardinal listeners successful its archetypal 4th without Ken Bruce, aft helium near the presumption to articulation Greatest Hits Radio (GHR).

In his archetypal 3 months, Bruce attracted conscionable beneath 3 cardinal listeners to his GHR mid-morning show.

That is astir 1.25 cardinal much than the show's erstwhile big Mark Goodier.

However, it is simply a overmuch little assemblage than Bruce attracted connected Radio 2, wherever his was the astir fashionable vigor programme successful the UK.

The latest figures from vigor manufacture assemblage Rajar bespeak a hard 4th for Radio 2, which mislaid much than a cardinal listeners betwixt April and June pursuing Bruce's exit successful March.

Zoe Ball mislaid 533,000 listeners compared with the erstwhile quarter, bringing her assemblage down to 6.7 million, but her programme remained the astir fashionable meal amusement successful the UK.

The 2nd 4th of the twelvemonth saw Bruce's erstwhile Radio 2 mid-morning amusement hosted by stand-in presenter Gary Davies for 7 weeks, earlier his imperishable replacement Vernon Kay took implicit the slot.

Kay presented his archetypal amusement connected 15 May - which was fractional mode done the assemblage measuring play for manufacture assemblage Rajar.

That means the vigor manufacture volition not get a existent practice of Kay's figures until the adjacent 4th - which volition bespeak a afloat 3 months for him successful the role.

The alteration successful assemblage for BBC Radio 2 constitutes a nonaccomplishment of astir 7% for the presumption connected the erstwhile quarter.

Radio 2 brag Helen Thomas said: "Radio 2 remains the UK's astir fashionable vigor presumption with 13.5 cardinal loyal listeners who tune successful each week to the champion euphony from the past 7 decades, presented by immoderate of the country's astir loved presenters.

"Congratulations to the superb Zoe Ball who continues to big the astir listened to Breakfast Show successful the country," she added.

The past twelvemonth has seen respective large names connected Radio 2 either permission oregon person their fig of programmes reduced - including Bruce, Steve Wright, Vanessa Feltz and Craig Charles.

Greatest Hits Radio present has astir 6 cardinal listeners overall, with its drivetime big Simon Mayo, different erstwhile Radio 2 presenter, attracting 2.3 cardinal listeners.

In a statement, Bruce commented: "I've ever said that it's not truly astir the numbers and it's not, for maine astatine least, but I'm delighted to perceive today's quality for the squad present astatine my caller home, Greatest Hits Radio.

"My archetypal 4 months person flown by and I've loved each infinitesimal of it - and there's overmuch much to come. [The show] wouldn't beryllium what it is without its listeners truthful your institution is ever overmuch appreciated."

On Thursday, genitor institution Bauer announced Bruce would beforehand a caller GHR spin-off presumption dedicated to euphony from the 1960s.

Bruce besides precocious launched a TV adaptation of his fashionable quiz PopMaster, which helium took with him from Radio 2 to GHR.

The Scottish presenter's GHR amusement is presently being investigated by Ofcom implicit the station's run calling for offenders to beryllium prevented from refusing to be sentencing hearings.

Elsewhere, Radio 4 continued its caller decline, with a nonaccomplishment of a further 428,000 compared with the erstwhile quarter. Over the people of a year, the presumption has dropped from 10.2 cardinal listeners to 8.9 million.

BBC Radio 1 was up slightly, to 7.7 million, but determination was a flimsy driblet for meal big Greg James, whose mean play assemblage was 3.9 million.

BBC Radio 4's Today programme mislaid 266,000 listeners connected the erstwhile quarter, portion 5 Live Breakfast dropped by 27,000.

There was amended quality for BBC Local Radio stations, which jointly accrued their full assemblage from 7.38 to 7.65 million, despite a play of important upheaval and occupation cuts.

The corp besides said its BBC Sounds app enjoyed a surge successful listening - with a astir 50% summation successful usage connected past year, and a grounds 582 cardinal plays to its programmes, podcasts and euphony mixes.