We love radio. It’s a persuasive medium which reaches the heart as well as the head.

The latest RAJAR figures have been published for the previous quarter – here are the key facts, (thanks to Markettiers4DC for sharing their insight).

49.2 million adults, that’s 90% of the UK adult population, are tuning in each week, listening to an average of 21 hours of live radio each.

Digital listening now accounts for 48.7% of all listening in the UK and we predict it will become the majority within the next 6 months.

There’s been a huge spike in listenership for BBC Radio London, which registered a staggering 88.7% increase in audience figures quarter on quarter. A potential reason for this could be the major news events that occurred in London during this quarter of measurement, which highlights the importance of local radio for news, information and reassurance.

BBC Radio Merseyside and BBC Radio Wales have also registering a 10% and 9.4% increase in audience respectively. And LBC Network, talkRADIO and JAZZ FM, all achieved impressive audience gains.

What’s also interesting is that the data shows that 44% of 15-24-year-olds who use social media claim to receive regular updates about their favourite radio station or presenter, which suggests radio is still hugely relevant for this important audience. As well as youngsters, 31% of adults claim to follow the same pattern.

Radio is a powerful medium for education PR stories and can reach teachers, head teachers and parents. If you want to know more about how radio can communicate your message get in touch for a chat.