29.10.2026

United Kingdom

Deegan: RAJAR Q3/2026: Specific beats wallpaper

The good news is that UK radio is well placed to compete on choice, because DAB and the internet have given it room to. Digital now accounts for 76.4% of radio listening hours, up from 73.8% a year ago, and both routes are growing. DAB carries 43.1% of all listening (up from 41.6%) and reaches 61.7% of adults every week. Streaming through apps, websites and smart speakers has 30.8% (up from 29.7%), and smart speakers alone account for nearly one hour in five. Between them they’ve made the spin-offs, the specialist stations and the long tail possible. A decade station or a classical chill-out service wouldn’t have had anywhere to live on FM.

(Matt Deegan: Matt on Audio) Read more