PRESS RELEASE - Embargoed until 00.01 Thursday 2nd August 2012  UK celebrates YoY growth  Record audience figures for Smooth in NW and Wales and Scotland remain their country’s biggest commercial stations

National station Smooth Radio has recorded year-on-year growth in both reach and total hours. The latest audience research out today (Thursday) shows that 3.26 million adults tune into the station each week – 50,000 more than a year ago. They consume a total of 25.5 million hours of programming – 1.2 million more than this time last year. Each week more than a million listeners tune into Simon Bates’ iconic Golden Hour which broadcasts from 9-10am every weekday on Smooth Radio. The feature has seen strong audience growth over the past year and now attracts 1.038 million listeners a week. Around the UK the Smooth brand is celebrating some great results. In the North West and Glasgow the station has recorded record audience reach of 886,000 and 300,000 listeners a week respectively. Real Radio and sister brand Real Radio XS attract a total of almost 2.6 million weekly listeners across the UK. In Scotland and Wales, Real Radio remains their country’s biggest commercial radio station. Together the Smooth and Real stations attract a total of almost 5.5 million listeners a week – 1 in 10 of the UK adult population – who enjoy 46.5 million hours of the stations’ award winning programming. Digital listening to Smooth and Real stations has increased year-on-year with almost 1.58 million adults tuning into the stations via a digital platform each week – that’s 137,00 more than a year ago and close to a third (29%) of the total audience. Group Programme Director John Simons said: “As people contend with the ever increasing pressures of daily life, Smooth Radio is providing an oasis of calm to more and more people. The growth pattern for the station continues upwards and it’s particularly pleasing to see the huge increase in total hours over the last year – a clear indication that the audience likes what it hears.”

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS North West

Smooth Radio is celebrating increases in listeners and total time spent listening. A record 886,000 adults now tune-in to the station each week – 26,000 more than a year ago. They listen for over 7.2 million hours a week. Sister station Real Radio is pulling in 446,000 adult listeners a week, while ’s Real Radio XS has seen a healthy increase in audience both QoQ and YoY to give it a new record total of 160,000 listeners a week. Across the North West more than 1.3 million adults tune-in to a Real or Smooth Radio station each week. That’s an impressive 1 in 4 (25%) of all adults in the region.

East and West Midlands

Across the East and West Midlands 677,000 adults tune-in to Smooth Radio each week and they are listening for longer. The average listener each consumes 10.5 hours of Smooth Radio a week – 1.5 hours more than a year ago – to give the station a healthy total of 7.1 million hours of listening each week, 270,000 more than this time last year.

Scotland

Smooth Radio is celebrating another record breaking reach in Scotland. The station has recorded an all-time high weekly audience of 300,000 adult listeners - up 51,000 YoY. Total listening hours are also up 586,000 YoY to 2.48 million a week. Sister station Real Radio is attracting more listeners than any other commercial radio station in the central belt, with 599,000 adults tuning in for 5.71 million hours every week. Real Radio still remains Scotland’s No.1 commercial radio station. Classic rock station Real XS in Glasgow has recorded a record reach of 74,000 adult listeners each week, up 7,000 YoY. 836,000 adults now tune into Smooth or Real in Scotland each week for a total of 8.59 million hours – up 687,000 YoY.

North East

Smooth Radio in the North East has reported a reach of 390,000 adult listeners each week, up 16,000 YoY. Listeners now tune into the station for a total of 3.33 million hours each week - up 574,000 on this time last year. At sister station Real Radio the key daytime shows, from breakfast to drivetime, have all recorded increases in the all-important audience market share in Q2. Across the North East a total of 586,000 listeners now tune into Smooth or Real Radio each week.

Wales

Real Radio Wales’ audience is now nudging half a million listeners a week (497,000) - an increase of 26,000 YoY. Listeners across the country now tune in for almost 4.5 million hours per week. Since Real Radio’s extension into the north of the country 18 months ago, growth has been extremely strong. In the north reach has virtually doubled YoY and total hours have increased 151% over the same period. Needless to say, Real Radio remains Wales’ biggest radio station.

Yorkshire

In Q1 2012 Real Radio Yorkshire celebrated its highest reach since Q2 2006 and the station is delighted to have added more listeners in Q2. The station now attracts 388,000 listeners to tune-in each week – up 28,000 on the year.

Source: RAJAR/Ipsos-MORI/RSMB, period ending 24th June 2012, all stations and groups results are reported on their specified reporting period and TSA. Ends Further Information: Alison Halstead, Head of Communications - 07966 243435