October 2011 radio stats show stability

This new database was behind most of the overall shifts seen in listening on a provincial basis, but has not influenced listening levels in total.

Overall Listening Levels

Across the week, overall listening levels are unchanged over RAMS Aug 11:

• Past 7 days (p7d): 88.6% of all adults aged 15+ (growth in the Western Cape and North West, and declines in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga)
  
• Average Monday to Friday: 69.0% (growth in the Western Cape, but declines in the Eastern Cape)
  
• Saturday: 65.9% (growth in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with declines in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga)
  
• Sunday: 65.1% (declines in the Eastern Cape)

AMPS Jun 11, released in September 2011, shows that more people are listening to radio on their cellphones and online than in AMPS Dec 10. Listening to radio on TV audio channels remains a tiny percentage - only 0.6%.

Provincial radio attracts weekend audiences

Listening in Gauteng is stable, although weekend listening is stronger than it was a year ago: from 60.8% to 64.5% on Saturdays, and from 60.6% to 63.7% on Sundays. Total weekly listening in the province is 88.6%.

Saturday listening has increased in KwaZulu-Natal, with levels up from 66.3% previously to 69.1% currently. Weekly listening remained stable, but is higher than it was a year ago, up from 88.4% in RAMS Oct 10 to 91.4% currently. Weekend listening is also significantly stronger now than a year ago.

The Western Cape has shown significant growth over RAMS Aug 11 across all periods with the exception of Sunday.

• Weekly listening in the Western Cape: UP from 79.0% to 83.0%
  
• Average M-F: UP from 59.8% to 64.2%
  
• Saturday listening: UP from 51.9% to 56.4%

Time spent listening (TSL) is stable, having lost only one minute over the previous survey. Daily TSL is 3h40 per day, with the large urban sector's listening down by a minute (to 3h31), while the small urban/rural listener tunes in for two minutes less per day (now 3h48). Daily time spent listening is currently nine minutes less than it was in RAMS Oct 2010. Across the week, TSL is 25h42, an hour less than it was in the year previous.

Commercial radio loses audiences

Figures for commercial radio reflected in this article are as a percentage on a national basis. 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)'. Results reflect all adults aged 15+.

Six commercial/PBS stations showed statistically significant changes over the previous RAMS release.

Only Capricorn FM grew its audience. Across the week, the station's national reach has increased to 4.5%, from 3.5% in RAMS Aug 11. Capricorn FM's weekly audience is now over the 1.5-million mark, with gains coming through primarily from rural areas, Limpopo and in the LSM 5 market. On an average Monday to Friday, the station's reach rose from 1.5% previously, to 2.0% in the current release, with a total audience of 675 000. Gains can be tracked back to rural areas, Limpopo, males, and the 35-49 age group.

All other significant changes over RAMS Aug 11 were negative:

• Jacaranda 94.2 lost audience in KwaZulu-Natal and LSM 8, which contributed to the decline of its reach, from 6.5% (p7d) previously to 5.8%.
  
• Ligwalagwala FM's weekly reach is down from 4.6% to 3.6%, with declines coming from cities and large towns, rural areas, the 15-34 age group, and LSM 6.
  
• Phalaphala FM's average Monday to Friday reach across SA declined from 1.9% to 1.4%, with losses in rural areas, Limpopo, amongst males, in the 35+ age group, and in LSM 1-6.
  
• Thobela FM's national reach across the week dropped from 9.1% to 7.9%, with audience attrition in rural areas, Mpumalanga, the North West and amongst females. The station's Monday to Friday reach is also down over RAMS Aug 11, from 5.1% to 4.5%, with declines seen in small towns, villages and rural areas, Mpumalanga, and amongst females.
  
• Umhlobo Wenene FM's weekly reach dropped from 12.1% to 11.3%, a decline seen in small towns, villages and rural areas, the Free State and Mpumalanga.

A number of stations show audience levels that are improved over the year previous or that have yet to return to levels seen in RAMS Oct 10.

Community Radio

Figures for community radio are shown as a percentage on a provincial basis. Only stations showing statistically significant audience changes are reported on here.

Community radio, like the medium in general, has remained stable over the previous RAMS release, although its current levels are significantly better than they were in RAMS Oct 10.

Across the week, community radio reaches 24.9% of South Africa's adults (15+), up from 23.1% a year ago. This brings community radio's total audience up to 8,480-million, an increase of 626 000.

Average Monday to Friday reach is also significantly higher, at 12.8% (compared to 11.8% in RAMS Oct 10). The sector has benefited from more listeners in the North West and in LSM 2 and 3.

Eight community stations showed significantly changed reach into their respective provinces over RAMS Aug 11:

• Alex fm: UP from 0.3% to 0.7% (p7d)
  
• Alfred Nzo Community Radio 98.3/93.8 fm: UP from 6.2% to 8.2% (p7d)
  
• MOKOPANE FM 100.0 AM: UP from 0.6% to 2.2% (p7d)
  
• Newcastle Community Radio: DOWN from 2.6% to 1.6% (p7d)
  
• SEKHUKHUNE COMMUNITY RADIO (SKFM): UP from 1.5% to 4.0% (p7d)
  
• Soshanguve Community Radio: UP from 0.8% to 1.5% (p7d)
  
• Unitra Community Radio (UCR-FM): DOWN from 7.4% to 5.0% (p7d)
  
• Vaaltar FM (VTR FM): UP from 3.6% to 7.5% (p7d)

A number of community stations show p7d audience levels that are either improved over the year previous, or that have yet to return to levels seen in RAMS Oct 10.

The final instalment 2011 RAMS will be released on 1 December 2011.