Just suppose that what the BBC claims about its “talent” salary levels is true: that many big names have to be paid at market rates in a highly competitive fight for audiences. Results, results. Then apply this to the latest quarterly radio listening figures (as officially monitored by Rajar).
Radio 4 has its biggest audience since records began in 1999, with 11.55 million people tuning in every week, while the Today programme was attracting a record 7.66 million (7.13 million last quarter and 7.34 million last year). That sounds like a few extra pence for John Humphrys on his £649,999 salary – though he was last reported giving some of that back. But what about disc jockey world?
It’s a tale of two channels. Radio 1 added nearly half a million listeners, which leaves it with 9.59 million, compared with 9.1 million last quarter and 9.46 million last year. The Nick Grimshaw breakfast show has a weekly audience of 5.50 million, up from 5.14 million last quarter and 5.43 million last year. Nick’s agent could claim a top-up on his £399,999.
But Radio 2 is sliding south. Its weekly audience – 14.88 million – is down from 15.02 million last quarter and 15.30 million last year. Its audience share of 16.8% has drooped from 18.1% last quarter and 17.2% last year. And the Chris Evans breakfast show rated only 9.01 million listeners a week compared to 9.38 million in the last quarter and 9.47 million last year.
Evans, remember, is the golden old boy of the talent league, on £2,249,999 max. But if his show is going down, not up, on a station performing similarly, maybe finding a little extra to appease the irate women of Radio 4 may not be so difficult after all.
