The third instalment of SAARF's Radio Audience Measurement Survey, RAMS June 2010, shows listening levels that are comparable with the February and April 2010 release, with neither the medium in total nor any individual stations showing significant changes in audience over the previous period.
This indicates that though the 2010 FIFA World Cup may well be driving up radio listenership now that the tournament is in full swing, the build-up to the first-ever African World Cup did not help to swell radio audiences.
Radio still down
As a whole however, radio is still significantly down on the year previous, as was the case in the April 2010 release. Listening levels for June 2010 are currently markedly lower than they were in the same period last year.
- Total radio listening is stable over the previous two periods, Feb and April 2010, with an upward trend emerging. Listening is down however, on June 2009.
- Past 7 day listening (p7d): 87.4% (from 91.0% in RAMS June 2009), with gains over RAMS April 2010 in Gauteng audiences, and specifically audiences in Joburg and Soweto
- Average Monday-Friday: 69.1% (down from 74.2% in the year previous), with gains in Joburg listeners over the previous period
- Saturday: 65.0% (from 67.8% in RAMS June 2010), with gains in Joburg and Soweto, and in LSM 8 listeners over RAMS April 2010
- Sunday: 65.0% (down from 66.8% in the year previous), with growth in Joburg and Soweto audiences over the previous period
In the June release, time spent listening (TSL) remains comparable with the April release, with only one minute of listening time being gained per day. Compared to June 2009 however, TSL is 22 minutes less per day.
- TSL per day: 3h 47m (down from 4h 09m in the year previous)
- TSL per week: 26h 30m (down from 29h 06m in RAMS June 2009)
Individual station changes
Only stations showing statistically significant audience changes are reported on here.
For a full list of audience figures, please visit www.saarf.co.za, and click on "RAMS (radio)".
No station showed a significant change, either up or down, over RAMS April 2010. On a long-term level, any significant audience change over June 2009 has been a negative one.
Exceptions
- North West FM's weekly and weekday audiences are significantly improved over the year previous, although both these audiences have held steady across the first two RAMS releases of 2010. Weekly audience levels rose from 1.2% in June 2009 to 2.1% currently, while the average Monday to Friday audience is up from 0.6% in the year previous to 0.9% currently.
- Radio 2000 is also looking stronger than it was a year ago. In June 2009, the station's weekly reach was 1.6%, which is up significantly to 2.5% in the current release. The station's weekday penetration is up from 0.5% in the year previous to 0.9%. As with North West FM however, Radio 2000's audience has remained stable across the previous two RAMS releases for this year.
- The stations that make up the Varsity Radio Network have contributed to improved audience levels over June 2009. Past 7-day listening grew from 1.1% to 1.4% currently, and average Monday to Friday listening rose from 0.4% to 0.6%.
In the community radio sector, seven stations grew their audiences over the previous year.
- In Gauteng, TUT Top Stereo 93.6 grew its weekly audience from 0.3% in June 2009 to 0.7% currently, with an audience of 48 :000.
- In the Western Cape, Eden FM continues its strong upward trend, extending its reach into the province from 3.4% in the year previous to 5.6% currently (past 7 days). Its audience is now at 177 :000 in total.
- In the Eastern Cape, two stations' growth over June 2009 contributed to stronger levels overall for the province on an annual basis. Alfred Nzo Community Radio 98.3/93.8 fm grew its weekly reach from 0.7% to 6.4% (314 000 listeners), and Bay fm's weekly reach rose from 1.0% to 1.9% (92 000 listeners).
- In KwaZulu-Natal, overall listening to community radio is significantly improved over June 2009, thanks to weekly audience increases from Izwi loMzansi 98.0 fm (from 1.7% to 2.7%, 179 :000 listeners), Icora FM (from 2.2% to 3.3%, 219 000 listeners) and Radio Khwezi (from 2.0% to 3.5%, 235 000 listeners).
- While no individual community stations in the North West province showed significant year-on-year gains, the sector in total grew its weekly reach from 19.6% in June 2009 to 25.7% in the current release.
Radio declines
Several commercial and PBS radio stations are still significantly down compared to the listening levels they enjoyed a year ago. All however, are stable over April 2010.
| Station | Year-on-year declines | | | RAMS June 09-June 10 | |
| Past 7 days | Average Monday-Friday |
| 94.2 Jacaranda FM | 7.1% to 6.2% | 3.2% to 2.7% |
| 94.5 Kfm | 3.8% to 3.3% (Over April 2010, there were gains in LSM 9 listeners but declines in LSM 10 and the Cape Town fringe.) | 2.2% to 1.7% (There were declines in LSM 10 listeners over the previous period.) |
| Capricorn FM | Stable | 2.7% to 2.2% |
| East Coast Radio | 5.9% to 5.2% | 3.3% to 2.8% |
| Gagasi 99.5FM | Stable | 3.5% to 2.6% |
| Heart 104.9 FM | 1.9% to 1.5% | 1.1% to 0.8% |
| LIGWALAGWALA FM | Stable | 2.8% to 2.2% |
| METRO FM | 17.1% to 16.0% (The station however grew its Joburg and Soweto audiences over the previous period.) | 6.8% to 6.0% (Joburg and Soweto audiences grew over the previous RAMS release.) |
| M-POWER FM | 0.4% to 0.2% | Stable |
| Munghana Lonene FM | Stable | 2.4% to 2.0% |
| Phalaphala FM | Stable | 1.8% to 1.2% |
| RMFM | 1.8% to 1.0% | 0.5% to 0.3% |
| THOBELA FM | 9.5% to 8.5% | 5.6% to 4.7% |
| Ukhozi FM | 20.6% to 18.6% | 13.3% to 11.3% |
| Umhlobo Wenene FM | 15.2% to 13.1% | 9.9% to 8.7% |
The large urban sample covers fieldwork done from mid-January to early May 2010, and the small urban/rural sample covers July-December 2009. The sample size: 25 693.
