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Following last week's RAJAR the story being leapt upon is Grimshaw's fall from grace. Radio 1's new(ish) Breakfast host saw a terrific drop in listeners seeing it fall to its 2003 levels, the station overall has lost 1.3 million in the past 12 months. Having been tasked by the BBC Trust to reduce the average age of the listener, further insight to sadden the R1 team is that the only demographic to grow audience was the 55+ age bracket from 1.3% to 1.6%.

RAJAR have published the quarterly radio listening figures. LIstening via DAB is ever increasing, up again to 34.3% of all radio listening.

Red Apple Creative are proud to have produced a series of three radio commercials for Liberon's first UK radio campaign. Talksport listeners will have heard this on air since the start of April.

Red Apple Creative are proud to have produced a series of three commercial for Liberon's first UK radio campaign. Listeners to Talksport will have heard this since the start of April. 

Red Apple Creative are proud to have created a series of three commercials for Liberon's first UK radio camapign. Listeners to Talksport will have heard these on air from the start of April. The lovely soundscape behind this one has us wishing hard for the start of Spring!

It was a thrill to hear Russell Brand return to radio last week as he took to XFM alongside some of his old team.

XFM have always enjoyed great relationships with comedians and edgy presenters and Brand fits both of these descriptions. After a long hiatus from UK radio following the Sachsgate 'scandal' it seemed a brave step for XFM to push ahead with this as a live show, but true radio and Brand's comic brilliance thrive in the adrenaline fuelled spontaneity that only exists within a live show.

The way that radio is measured intrigues me. RAJAR is the official body for measuring both commercial and BBC radio in the UK. The current method involves residents from selected postcodes within licensed transmission areas being solicited to complete diaries that follow their radio listening over a set time period. This information is collated and upscaled to give the average of listeners and hours listened for each station within that area.

For such progressive times it seems an archaic system, but research into other methods has so far proved unreliable.

Every time a blanket of snow sweeps the country our inner child escapes. Reminders of a youthful era when you'd tune into local radio in the morning to hear your school's name called out as a closure for the day. I remember the privilege I felt in my early radio career when I was informed of the SNOWDAY password that schools had to provide when calling with their closure notice so that mischevious pupils didn't attempt sabotage!

Even in this digital age with Twitter being the fastest way to update people there really is nothing like radio to reflect the mood of the country at a time of collective disruption.

We’ve been asked a number of times for our opinion on the 2Day radio call.

No one could have predicted the terribly sad outcome for Jacintha Saldanha.

Especially the presenters at 2Day, who did not expect their call to be put through and initially became the source of envy amongst other presenters who wish they’d scored the scoop and then pity for the burden of their responsibility in this sad circumstance.

Whilst there has been widespread shock followed by condemnation for the presenters from 2Day it’s been somewhat overlooked that pranks are a very strong part of  ‘entertainment’ seen in broadcasting and many more grotesque pranks have continue to gain popularity this week.

It's RAJAR day, which for  non-radio people means very little. RAJAR is the quarterly measurement of radio listening and on the publishing of results soon follows the craftily spun press releases. Nobody is ever a loser, there are gains in share where there are losses in reach or gains in year on year where there are losses on quarter. 

But amongst the usual big stories about who's leading London commercially and will Chris Evans ever emulate Terry Wogan's successful audience highs - is the news of Absolute Radio's drive in digital listening

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) celebrated 20 years of championing the UK commercial radio industry this week. For anyone who's encountered the RAB whether at an event or online can not miss their incredible wealth of research and information on this sector. 

It was at their birthday event that they chose to launch the latest tools for the trade. 

In the shadows of the Sony award hangovers from earlier this week come the Spring Rajar results for UK radio. And a second cause for celebration amongst the industry it seems.

Why good casting is so important.

Those of you with young children will most probably be aware of the programme for pre-schoolers on Cbeebies, Waybaloo. This cheery collection of crack induced characters are familiar for their yoga moves and more sedate programming than some of the other offerings on the channel.

So it was with much surprise a few weeks ago when a narrator was introduced for the first time. Even more surprising was the negative reaction from the parents that the narrator was none other than Dave Lamb of Come Dine With Me fame. He is very possibly one of the most in demand voices in UK radio commercial casting and for good reason.l

Great news from the Radio Advertising Bureau as they announce Clare Bowen's appointment to the newly created position of Head of Creative Development.