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Analysis of Radio 2 BBM data, March 2009
By kkossow | April 17, 2009
Analysis of Radio 2 BBM data – Age 12+ Data only
[Editor's note: BBM is an organization that measures audience share for media companies.]
- Overall radio usage increases with age, from 7.2 hours/week for 12-17 age range, to 22.3 hours for those over 65 – i.e., the greatest market for radio overall is among those 50 years and older, well above the total market average
- Radio 2 results are poor, compared to the same period last year, prior to the “new 2″:
- 8 hours average/week, compared to 10.2 last year, for all listeners
- Overall reach (i.e., ever listen) has increased slightly, from 5.4% of total market to 5.8%
- In spite of higher reach, market share has declined to 3.1 % overall, from 3.4% last year.
- Share has increased marginally among the new “target” audience (35-49), from 1.7 last year, to 2.0 now. However, the greatest share, by far, is still over 50 years of age, although market share in both of these older groups has fallen off (50-64, from 4.4% to 3.6%, 65+ from 8.1% to 6.8%).
- Radio 2 overall share has fallen off Monday to Friday (3.3 % to 2.9%), on Saturday (4.6% to 4.2%), but is relatively stable on Sunday (3.8% to 3.7%)
- On a regional basis, compared to the same period last year, share has fallen significantly in Vancouver, where the share was the highest nationally (from 7.3% to 5.6%), as well as in Edmonton, Calgary, and slightly in Ottawa. Share in Winnipeg has increased somewhat, as has the small share in Toronto (from 1.9% to 2%.
- Most of the strongest programs on CBC 2 (i.e., those with shares well over the overall average of 3/1%) are still classical: Tempo (4%), Saturday afternoon at the Opera (6%), In Tune (5%), Choral Concert (4%), Sunday Afternoon in Concert (4%).
- The remaining segments that are significantly higher than the average are also those that are likely to appeal to an older crowd – Tonic (jazz – 4%), and Deep Roots (folk – %), and the Vinyl Café (steady at 6%). However, this data is listed by show titles, some of which did not exist last year. Analysis of the time periods reveal deep drops during periods where listeners used to be quite avid and loyal, particularly:
- 11 am -12 pm Saturday morning, previously Robert Harris’ I Hear Music (now Deep Roots), which has dropped from 6% to 4%
- 12-1:00 pm Saturday afternoon, previously Rick Phillips’ Off the Record (now Inside the Music), which has dropped from 5% to 3%;
- 12-1:00 Sunday (also now Inside the Music), dropped from 4% to 3%
- Radio 2 Morning (Tom Allen, who has been forced to play non-classical music) has dropped from 3% to 2%
- Radio 2 Drive, formerly featuring Juergen Goth, has dropped from 4% to 2%.
Although some of these programs are nominally “classical”, the presenters no longer have the gravitas that originally attracted Radio 2 listeners, and some of those have dropped off, even though there is a supposedly classical focus (i.e., In Tune, Inside the Music).
Analysis:
Clearly Radio 2 has dropped its commitment to the audience that is most responsible for radio listenership overall (50+), as well as deeply cutting into the radio listening of its most loyal audience (50+, and classical music listeners). In their quest for a younger audience, they have totally failed. Given that this younger audience is less likely to use the radio, overall because they have turned to new technologies (according to their own research), if Radio 2 is to exist, it must re-focus its efforts on preserving and enhancing the classical (and possibly “classic” non classical) focus of CBC 2.
Further, the CBC should utilize some independently conducted marketing research to help build a station that caters to this large and growing audience segment (over 50), with a variety of types of music that satisfy this group, and that also serve to support and nurture Canadian music talent (performing and composing).
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