Retailers News South Africa

Radio shows stable results in final RAMS

As 2011 draws to a close, the South African Advertising Research Foundation's (SAARF) final RAMS release for the year shows a medium that continues to demonstrate its stability and reliability, with stations maintaining their audiences at unchanged levels.
Radio shows stable results in final RAMS

Total listening

Listening levels are unchanged over the October RAMS release. Sunday afternoon listening is higher now than it was in the year previous, while weekend early-evening listening is lower than a year ago. Neither movement is a significant change however. These are the only differences to be found in overall listening.

  • Past-7-day listening (p7d): 88.5% of all adults aged 15+
  • Average Monday to Friday: 68.8%
  • Saturday listening: 65.7%
  • Sunday listening: 64.9%

Time spent listening

Looking back over 2010's RAMS releases, time spent listening has come down by eight minutes per day, a loss of an hour's worth of listening across the week. Where TSL was 3h47 per day in RAMS December 2010, it is now down to 3h39, with a loss of one minute over the previous RAMS release. Most of this loss has come from the small urban/rural segment, although listening to music (not radio) on other devices, such as iPods, could also be a factor.

  • Daily TSL: 3h39
  • Weekly TSL: 25h30

Station figures

There were no significant listenership changes over the previous RAMS release. Discernible differences in listening were only seen when looking back across the year, comparing current station audience levels with those of RAMS December 2010.

Stations showing higher reach than the year previous

StationRAMS Dec 10RAMS Dec 11
Commercial/PBS stations
BRFM (average M-F)0.10%0.20%
Good Hope FM (p7d)1.80%2.20%
Good Hope FM (average M-F)0.80%1.10%
METRO FM (p7d)16.20%17.60%
Munghana Lonene FM (p7d)2.80%3.40%
Radio 2000 (p7d)2.10%2.70%
Radio 2000 (average M-F)0.70%1.00%
Ukhozi FM (p7d)18.10%19.60%
Ukhozi FM (average M-F)11.20%12.00%
Community Radio
Total community radio (p7d)23.10%24.80%
Total community radio (ave. M-F)11.60%12.70%
Alfred Nzo Community Radio 98.3/93.8 fm5.50%8.20%
Inkonjani FM4.20%5.80%
Izwi loMzansi 98.0fm1.90%3.50%
KASIE FM 97.11.40%2.50%
KHANYA Community Radio1.20%2.70%
Motheo FM7.70%13.90%
Radio 786/VOC6.20%8.90%
Radio Namakwaland 93.4 Fm0.80%1.80%
Radio West Coast 92.3 fm0.70%1.50%
SEKGOSESE COMMUNITY RADIO2.70%4.80%
SEKHUKHUNE COMMUNITY RADIO (SKFM)0.20%4.00%
Umgungundlovu FM (U107.6 FM)0.00%0.80%
Vaaltar FM (VTR FM)2.00%7.60%

Stations showing lower reach than the year previous

StationRAMS Dec 10RAMS Dec 11
Commercial/PBS stations
Classic 102.7 (p7d)0.60%0.40%
Ikwekwezi FM (average M-F)2.50%1.90%
Ligwalagwala FM (p7d)4.20%3.50%
Ligwalagwala FM (average M-F)2.50%2.10%
Phalaphala FM (average M-F)1.90%1.40%
Thobela FM (p7d)8.80%7.90%
Thobela FM (average M-F)5.10%4.50%
Umhlobo Wenene FM (p7d)12.20%11.20%
Umhlobo Wenene FM (ave M-F)7.80%7.00%
Community radio
Eden Fm4.90%3.30%
Univen Community Radio 99.8 FM6.10%3.80%

Figures for commercial radio reflected here are percentaged on a national basis, while community radio figures are percentaged on a provincial basis. Only stations showing statistically significant audience changes are reported here. For a full list of audience figures, go to www.saarf.co.za and click on RAMS (radio). Results reflect all adults aged 15+.

The results of the first RAMS study for 2012 will be released in mid-February.

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