James Cridland

The biggest radio stations in the US

BBC Sounds from the BBC Annual report

This is Radioland, my radio newsletter.

How is BBC Sounds doing within the UK? The BBC’s Annual Reports and Accounts were published for 2024/25. BBC Sounds reported a 2% increase in weekly active users (to 4.8mn - 15.3% of the total audience of BBC Radio). However, listeners have skewed older - last year, 45% were aged under 55, this year, only 42% are. Total time spent listening to the BBC Sounds app remained static, at 17.3mn hours a week. Total plays did increase, by 8%: 61% of those plays are for live radio.

The BBC report also helpfully splits down BBC Sounds plays for “live speech” (32%), “live music” (29%), “on-demand speech” (32%) and “on-demand music” (6%). If you compare BBC Radio total listening hours on a speech/music basis, you discover that, for live radio, speech is 47.3% and music is 52.7%. That seems to show that live music radio is listened-to online, though less-so than off-air (it should be said that much of live music radio contains lots of speech content); but that music radio really doesn’t work on-demand. Speech radio, though, is different (and that’s good news, since broadcasters normally hold the rights for their speech). I’m quite pleased to see this data - it confirms some of my hunches about consumption.

All this is academic for those of us outside the UK, for whom the BBC Sounds app goes away tomorrow.

The “FAQ” page, which is where you’ll find the links to BBC domestic radio, was tweaked on Jul 9 to split the stations into national and local; and again on Jul 11 to move the list of BBC radio stations to the top of the page where they’re a little more obvious.

Of interest, “BBC Live News” is a stream/station containing live audio from the BBC’s domestic news output from both TV and radio. This has never been available internationally on the BBC Sounds app - and following the link currently just opens the BBC Sounds app on the front page. Remove the BBC Sounds app, though, and it plays fine through the web. So, oddly, ex-pats gain a channel which is quite a decent one. Here’s a programme schedule for Sunday Jul 20 and Monday Jul 21 (though the programme schedule pages go away tomorrow for international users).

I look forward to not writing as much about BBC Sounds in future weeks.

RCS

More universal radio chat

Radioland reader John writes from the US about my universal radio idea:

“A better idea, IMO, would be for those regulating the radio industry to settle on one digital standard for all — be that DAB+, DRM, etc. — rather than leave it to the inmates to run the asylum. Then manufacturers would know what kind of radio to build, for one thing. It seemed to work in Europe where there are a wealth of DAB manufacturers and radios on offer at all price points. Here, allowing a company to exact tribute for the “benefit” of using their very flawed technology and then making it the designated format has left us with precious few HD radios outside of cars where Sirius/XM’s equally flawed alternative seems to be king.

I see where John’s coming from. However, the benefit of DAB is the single-frequency-network system, where the system is designed to use multiple transmitters on the same frequency. It’s perfect for national broadcasters like the BBC or NRK. The US system is nothing like that, though, with fierce local broadcasters who rarely even share transmitter masts, let alone share more than that. The “in band on channel” system works well for the US system; while a system based on collaboration and co-siting transmission facilities works well for the European system. Each have their own benefits, in other words.

However, there’s no doubt that the European experience of all countries adopting DAB (to greater or lesser degrees), and then making it easier for auto manufacturers to know what to manufacture, has been a significant benefit for the radio industry.

Radioland reader William writes from the UK:

So, is this thing going to have plenty of single button presets? I think this is probably what I like most about my Pure Tempus 1S (which, incidentally, can’t be upgraded to DAB+) and my pocket Roberts Sports DAB 5: being able to just feel for the buttons without even needing to look at the radio - never mind use a touch screen or rely on speech recognition - whether in bed, out and about, or whatever - and the minimal latency. That and radio that works in the old fashioned way and doesn’t need the internet. Also I think you need to make sure it’s got a swappable lithium battery pack or can just take AAs, so either way, people can carry spares.

Entirely agree about radio not needing the internet - and a battery compartment. The XHDATA receiver I have has a swappable lithium battery, and charges using USB-C. In terms of presets, the last time I asked RAJAR how many radio stations most normal people listen to, I remember the answer being something like four. But assuming that a travel radio has at least ten numbered buttons (to type in frequencies), I think we can assume at least ten presets. Possibly more.

Radioland reader Paul writes from France:

While I share your wish for a true “world receiver,” I doubt it will ever come to market. Manufacturers could easily make one, but frankly, it’s not really in their interest!

I’m not sure why. One device that sells everywhere… what’s not to like?

Want to supercharge your radio show? Here’s a £1 week-long trial of Show Prep - from a world class radio consultant and the best show-prep writer in the UK. Great for UK stations, or for English-language stations everywhere, too. (ad)

Where I am speaking next

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