Radio1 ratings slump to all-time low

Radio 1 has seen its ratings slump to the lowest ever in its history.

The number of people who tune to the BBC station each week has fallen below 10 million for the first time. But today's figures from Rajar, which measures radio audiences, show Radio2 is prospering.

Radio1, which targets the more youthful, saw its weekly audience fall to 9,870,000 for the three months up to June, down almost half a million on the previous three months.

In the last year, 656,000 listeners have deserted the station. Radio1 now has an average audience share of 7.6 per cent, compared to 8.3 per cent a year ago.

The BBC's other stations are faring better. Radio2, a success story thanks to shows such as Terry Wogan's breakfast programme, saw its average weekly audience share rise to 16.3 per cent from 15.7 per cent three months ago, and it boasts 13,025,000 listeners each week.

Radio4's audience share is 11.4 per cent, up slightly on last year but down from 11.8 per cent three months ago. It has 9,695,000 people tuning in each week.

In London, Capital Radio's weekly audience was 25 per cent, up two per cent on three months ago. Chris Tarrant, who is to quit his breakfast show in November, pulled in 75,000 more listeners to record a figure of 1,577,000 for his programme.