#RAJAR - BBC Radio Manchester hits three year high

From a press release to news@media.info
Posted 28 October 2015, 8.01pm edt

BBC Radio Manchester has recorded its highest listener figures for three years.

The station reached 239,000 listeners throughout the summer months, according to the latest figures from RAJAR. It saw both its reach and share grow.

It comes after Radio Manchester made a number of major changes to its schedule. This including introducing new mid-morning presenter Mike Sweeney, re-launching the Breakfast Show with Alison Butterworth and Phil Trow, bringing in Stephanie Hirst to host a Saturday night music programme and Richard Searling to present a Northern Soul show plus moving Allan Beswick back to his roots with a late night phone in.

Kate Squire, managing editor of BBC Radio Manchester, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve continued to grow our audience for the fifth quarter in a row. We operate in a very competitive market so it is fantastic people in Greater Manchester are increasingly enjoying our mix of great music and the biggest local personalities plus local news and sport.

“I know our audience love having Manchester legends like Mike Sweeney and Becky Want on our station and I’m pleased we’ve been able to introduce new names like Steph Hirst and Richard Searling too.

“We’re busy planning our Children in Need auction now, which takes place on November 6, and I’m looking forward to our ambitious series of outside broadcasts from the Christmas markets in Bolton, Ashton-under-Lyne, Altrincham and Manchester in the coming months.”

Ed: Stephanie Hirst joined the station in July; though these figures are half-yearly (ie calculated over the last six months).