Best audience figures in four years for Orion Media

From a press release to news@media.info
Posted 4 February 2016, 12.01am gmt

The latest radio audience figures, published by RAJAR today, indicate further growth for the Orion group as its radio brands surge ahead.

Having delivered consistent and impressive growth in audience figures in the last twelve months, Free Radio and Gem are now both market leading commercial brands.

Orion’s stations now reach 1.3 million people in the Midlands each week, an increase of 16% year on year and the highest figures for four years*.

Total listening rises to 9.7 million hours each week, an increase of 15% in the last year.

Orion Chief Executive Adrian Serle said:

"This is the fourth consecutive occasion where we have produced increases in audiences across our Free and Gem brands and with 9.7 million hours, our highest audience figures for the group in four years.”

Serle added “These are well-targeted, powerful brands of clarity and consistency, that have now comfortably established a market-leading position across the strategically important and prosperous Midlands regions. I am immensely proud of the work the teams have done in the last 12 months, and that they still recognise there is more growth to come."

The Free Radio brand now cements itself as the dominant commercial radio brand in the West Midlands**, with the latest figures indicating that Free is the Number 1 commercial radio brand in reach, hours and market share. 816,000 listeners now tune into Free Radio (AM&FM) each week, an increase of 23% year on year. It is the highest ever reach since the stations re-branded to Free in 2012. Total listening grows by 29% year on year, the best figures since September 2014.

Free Radio FM delivers its highest ever reach since rebrand in 2012 and now claims the position as most listened to commercial station in the West Midlands***. 722,000 listeners now tune in each week, an increase of 21% in the last 12 months. Total listening grows by 28% year on year, the best figures since September 2014.

Free Radio FM (Birmingham and the Black Country) delivers its best reach figures since June 2013, with 401,000 listeners now tuning in each week, an increase of 28% in the last year. Total listening also grows by 7% year on year****.

Elsewhere, Free Radio FM (Coventry & Warwickshire)***** posts its best ever reach figures since the rebrand in 2012, with 138,000 listeners tuning in each week, an increase of 39% year on year. Total listening has almost doubled - rising by 91% in the last twelve months

Free Radio 80s has generated its highest audience reach since its launch in September 2012**.

Gem 106, the home of multi award-winning breakfast show Sam & Amy, captures the position as Number 1 most listened-to commercial station in the East Midlands** . Almost half a million listeners (496,000) now tune in each week, an increase of 7% year on year. It is the highest reach for the station since December 2013.

In the year that Gem becomes the new official radio station for the Motorpoint Arena, the station can also now claim to be Number 1 most listened to commercial station in Nottinghamshire~.

All figures Rajar, 6 months ended December 2015
Total Orion Midlands TSA
Free Radio (West Midlands) TSA
Free Radio FM (West Midlands) TSA
**Free Radio FM (Birmingham & Black Country)
***Free Radio (Coventry & Warks)
**Gem 106 (East Midlands) TSA
~ Capital East Midlands Nottinghamshire TSA