U105 has been celebrating after recording another increase in the length of time people listen to the Wireless-owned Northern Ireland station.
Independent measurement system RAJAR published the quarterly results on August 1. Those showed that the total hours listeners each week has risen by 7% in the core greater Belfast area while the average hours have risen quarter on quarter and year in year to 10.2 per week.
No commercial station in NI has a higher average listen per week than U105.
Right across Northern Ireland, the station’s 215,000 listeners tune in for almost 2m hours each and every week via FM, DAB, online, apps and smart speaker.
U105 Station Manager Peter McVerry said the station continues to go from strength to strength.
“Everyone here at U105 is delighted at these figures and very grateful that so many people right across Northern Ireland chose to spend so much of their time with us.
“Radio, audio and digital media is such a competitive and rapidly evolving space these days with people’s lifestyle habits, working patterns and consumption happens changing.
“Our connection with our listeners, regardless of the platform and the time of day, is so crucial and it is heartening for the team here at U105 to get that confirmation. The fact that no commercial station has higher average hours each week than U105 shows that those who listen to the station love it.”
U105 prides itself on involvement with the local community and is a partner for a host of initiatives in its broadcast area.
Later this month U105 will host the stage at Mela, Northern Ireland’s largest celebration of multicultural music, dance and food in Botanic Gardens, a partnership that has been running for 15 years.
The station is also a partner with Road Safe NI, organisers of the Northern Ireland Road Safety Awards. That event, and the partnership with U105, celebrates a decade this year with a special ceremony at the prestigious Belfast Castle, honouring emergency service workers and those in the public and private sector working to lessen the injuries and fatalities on Northern Ireland’s roads.
In September, the station has teamed up with Business in the Community as media partner for the Responsible Business Awards, highlighting companies across NI making positive efforts to impact People, Place and Planet.
Also next month, the station is partnering with the NI Chamber of Commerce for the Festival of Business at St George’s Market when over 800 delegates will get together for networking and key-note speeches.
As well as working with the NI Chamber of Commerce, the station has also partnered this year with the Derry Chamber and the Newry Chamber to promote their annual awards as the station continues to focus on growing listenership right across Northern Ireland.
Media regulator Ofcom published its annual Media Nations Report last week and it showed radio continues to reach the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland. Indeed listening has increased from 2023 levels: more than nine in ten adults (95%) now tune in for an average of 21 hours 42 mins each week. Local radio remains particularly strong in Northern Ireland, accounting for nearly two-thirds (62.2%) of total radio listening compared to 32.8% across the UK as a whole.
