With a sample size of 25 861, the large urban sample covers fieldwork done from end-October to mid-March 2010, and the small urban/rural sample stretches from July-December 2009.
Radio listening has remained stable over the past two releases, but the medium has yet to recover to the levels seen a year ago, when radio listening was significantly higher across the week.
The small urban/rural data used for this release covers July - December 2009 period which was released with AMPS 2009AB in March this year. It will be refreshed again in October 2010. The third RAMS release of 2010 is scheduled for 15 June 2010.
The following stations showed higher listening levels when compared to the year previous (April 2009 - April 2010):
Time spent listening (TSL) increased by three minutes per day over February 2010, bringing the levels in line with December 2009 survey.
While the general trend in the radio sector has been one of decline, with the majority of individual station shifts being downward, five commercial/PBS stations managed to grow their audiences over the previous RAMS release.
| Station | Increase over previour release | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| RAMS Feb 10-Apr 10 | RAMS Apr 09-Apr 10 | |
| BRFM | Weekly audience is up from 0.3% to 0.5%, with listeners in total up from 104 000 to 154 000. These gains were seen in East London, females and the 35+ age group. The station also grew its average Monday to Friday audience, from 0.1% to 0.2%. | |
| Capricorn FM | Grew weekly audience from 3.9% to 4.5% currently, boosting its numbers from 1,277-million to 1,457-million, with more female listeners and listeners in the 15-34 age group tuning in. | Average Monday-Friday listening levels are not where they were before however, remaining significantly down from 2.7% to 2.2% currently (despite gains in LSM® 4). |
| Lesedi FM | Up from 3,353-million listeners to 3,602-million, with a reach of 11.1% (up from 10.3%). Gains were seen in the North West and in LSM® 8. | |
| Munghana Lonene FM | Weekly audience grew from 3.9% to 3.6% (1,154-million listeners), with gains on the Reef and in LSM® 5. | Average Monday to Friday audiences however still significantly down from 2.4% to 2.0% currently), despite gains in LSM® 5. |
| Phalaphala FM | Improved on both its weekly and average Monday-Friday audience. Weekly listening rose from 1.8% to 2.4%, growing audience numbers from 601 000 to 765 000. Gains came from rural areas, Limpopo and female listeners. While average Monday-Friday figures are still significantly down on the year previous, weekday reach has nonetheless improved over the previous survey, from 1.0% to 1.3%, with gains in LSM® 4. |
Community radio is improving its weekly reach over RAMS February 2010 - from 22.6% to 23.7% and from 7,340-million listeners to 7,713-million now. The sector is also significantly up on the year previous (22.4%). Gains came from the small urban/rural component, the North West province, females and the 15-24 age group. Community radio is also up across weekdays, from 10.8% previously to 11.7%, with gains in the small urban/rural component, the Eastern Cape and North West, females, the 15-24 age groups and in LSM® 2 and 6.
| Station | Increase over previous release |
|---|---|
| RAMS Feb 10-Apr 10 | |
| Radio West Coast 92.3fm | up from 0.5% to 1.1% (34 000 listeners) |
| Imbokodo 96.8 FM | up from 0.5% to 1.3% (88 000 listeners) |
| Maputaland Community Radio 107.6 FM | up from 1.1% to 2.0% (130 000 listeners) |
| Mafikeng Community Radio | up from 1.4% to 6.8% (145 000 listeners) |
| Moutse Community Radio | up from 1.8% to 3.5% (85 000 listeners) |
| Motheo FM | up from 5.7% to 8.3% (171 000 listeners) |
| Vukani Community Radio | up from 1.9% to 3.3% (161 000 listeners) |
| Station | Declines over previous release | Year-on year declines |
|---|---|---|
| RAMS Feb 10-Apr 10 | RAMS Apr 09-Apr 10 | |
| 94.2 Jacaranda FM | Down from 7.0% to 6.1% across the week. Losses were seen in small urban/rural areas, in Limpopo, amongst males, and in the 15-24 age group. There were gains in LSM® 5. | Down from 7.3% to 6.1% (p7d). Also down on an average Monday-Friday from 3.2% to 2.7%. |
| 94.5 Kfm | Declines from Monday to Friday from 2.1% to 1.7%. There are lower levels of listeners from small towns/villages and the Western Cape. Also declines in LSM® 6+ and 15-34s. | Down on an average Monday-Friday from 2.3% to 1.7%. |
| 94.7 Highveld Stereo | Stable | From 4.4% to 3.8% across the week, and from 2.5% to 1.9% on weekdays. |
| Barberton Community Radio | Stable | Down from 5.5% to 3.0% (p7d). |
| East Coast Radio | Stable | Down from 6.0% to 5.2% (p7d) and from 3.5% to 2.8% (average Monday-Friday). |
| Gagasi 99.5FM | Stable | Average Monday-Friday audiences down from 3.5% to 2.8%. |
| Heart 104.9 FM | Stable | Down from 1.1% to 0.8% during weekdays. |
| Jozi FM | Stable | Down from 8.2% to 6.5% (p7d) |
| Ligwalagwala FM | Stable | Declined from 2.8% to 2.3% (average Monday-Friday) |
| METRO FM | Stable | Down from 17.0% to 15.4% (p7d) and from 6.8% to 5.8% (average Monday-Friday) |
| Motsweding FM | Stable | Declined from 5.6% to 5.0% across weekdays. |
| QwaQwa Radio | Down from 10.9% to 7.8% (p7d) | Stable |
| Radio Mafisa 93.4 FM | Stable | Down from 10.0% to 6.0% (p7d). |
| RMFM | Stable | Listenership is down across the week from 1.8% to 1.0%. |
| Also down on weekdays from 0.5% to 0.3%. | ||
| RSG | Stable | Down from 6.0% to 5.1% (p7d) and from 3.8% to 3.1% (average Monday-Friday). |
| Thobela FM | Stable | Down from 9.6% to 8.6% (p7d) and from 5.6% to 4.6% on an average Monday-Friday. |
| Ukhozi FM | Stable | Listenership has dropped from 20.7% to 18.6% across the week. Listening is also down on an average Monday-Friday, from 13.4% to 11.4%. |
| Umhlobo Wenene FM | Stable | Declined from 14.9% to 13.0% but with gains in LSM® 5 (p7d), and from 9.9% to 8.6% during weekdays. |
For more, go to www.saarf.co.za and also download the latest RAMS release from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) South Africa site (www.rab.co.za).
