The latest RAMS results are a positive diagnosis of the good health of the South African radio sector. So says Jacaranda 94.2 CEO Alan Kahn, who adds that the recent addition of three new stations into the mix means it's ‘game on' when it comes to attracting, servicing and retaining listeners and advertisers alike.
“We welcome the competition because in the long-term it will bring about increased listener numbers and advertising opportunities for all the players in the market. The inclusion of the three new stations in the latest RAMS results also signifies a maturing of the SA radio market and a healthy diversification of the available listening and advertising opportunities and I want to congratulate the new stations that have shown positive growth.”
The provinces that have shown the healthiest diversification of listener spread are the North-West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Khan concedes that newly-formed radio stations within the Limpopo Province have shown considerable growth but it is not yet clear whether this led to a loss of listenership for Jacaranda RMFM.
“It is possible that listeners in the affected area are experimenting with that station, thus causing the fluctuation in listenership,” he says. However, Khan is quick to admit that “the new station is eating away at the 16-24 male market in Limpopo, a market that is not necessarily the core Jacaranda target audience.”
The figures indicate a shift of listeners to community stations in the LSM 1-4 group in the rural areas of the three provinces but Khan stresses that this was expected and that these figures have had no impact on Jacaranda 94.2's core listener base. Interestingly, the figures also show that Jacaranda 94.2 is still dominant in the more wealthy urban areas of these provinces.
“Our strength stems from our in-depth understanding of the mindset of the Gauteng, North-West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga markets, garnered from more than a decade of interacting with them on a daily basis. That said, we are certainly not resting on our laurels and we have already started to place additional focus on the demand for Jacaranda 94.2 and Jacaranda RMfm in the relevant areas, especially amongst our advertisers,” asserts Khan.
