This article is from page 7 of the 2008-05-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 7 JPG
CLARE FM’s listenership figures have fallen by two percent, the latest JNLR figures reveal.
According to the figures from April 2007 to March 2008, Clare FM had a listenership reach of 40 per cent, which was a decline of two per cent.
The market share, which indicates how long listeners tune in for, 1s also reduced. It dropped marginally by 0.7 per cent, to 37 per cent. The weekly reach figures, of 65 per cent, remained the same. The figures re- leased last week were compared with the figures for January to December 2007.
In terms of listenership, the Ennis- based station is ranked 10th out of 16 local stations around the country. It is behind neighbouring stations Lim- erick’s Live 95 FM (59 per cent) and Tipp FM (44 per cent), but is ahead Galway Bay FM (39 per cent).
Clare FM is ranked eight out of the 16 stations, in relation to mar- ket share. According to the sta- tion’s Chief Executive Officer Liam O’Shea, the latest figures are not an accurate reflection of listenership.
“IT am not disappointed. These are very competitive times. These fig- ures come out every three months. If you compare with the same 12 month period last week, it is not a true reflection of the year. If you compare the two 12-month periods,
it is exactly the same as it was this time last year,” said Mr O’Shea.
He insisted he was not disappointed with the reduction in market share.
“Minus 0.7 per cent is a disappoint- ment? Absolutely not. You are deal- ing with a market place that there 1s a lot of competition,” he said. “We are very happy with our market share. Compared to this time last year, we are two per cent up,’ he said.
“We had a change of programme controller last June. We changed our programming in January. Morning Focus has changed time (from 10am start to Yam start), there 1s a new show from llam to lpm and there is a new double breakfast show. We are happy with how they are going.”
“We are not down, compared to an- ybody else. There’s nobody gaining against us,” he added. “Listenership in county Clare, to any radio station, is one of the lowest in the country.”
He said when he took up his post at the helm of Clare FM ten years ago, the listenership figure was the same as it is now. It did top 60 per cent at one stage, but Mr O’Shea said, “that day is gone.”
The latest listenership figures were published, just weeks after the sale of Clare FM to Radio Kerry appeared to have fallen through. Discussions on the proposed multi-million euro sale had been ongoing for months, but sources in the radio industry now believe the sale will not go-ahead.