BBC RADIO 4

Inquisitive speech radio to make sense of your world

BBC · RAJAR code 1903 · Quarterly — 3-month rolling sample · National

Headline figures · MAR 2026

View quarter

Weekly reach

9.15m

▲ 227k vs prev. quarter

% reach

16.0%

▲ 1.0% vs prev. quarter

Total hours

108.1m

▲ 3.5m vs prev. quarter

Average hours

11.8

▲ 0.1 vs prev. quarter

Market share

10.7%

▲ 0.4% vs prev. quarter

TSA population 58.25m · unweighted sample 33,250

Weekly reach over time

All adults 15+, ’000s

Source: RAJAR — BBC RADIO 4 TSA, MAR 2026 (Q) · WEEKS 01 2026 - 13 2026 (5th JANUARY '26 - 5th APRIL '26)

Total hours over time

All adults 15+, ’000s of hours

Source: RAJAR — BBC RADIO 4 TSA, MAR 2026 (Q) · WEEKS 01 2026 - 13 2026 (5th JANUARY '26 - 5th APRIL '26)

Market share over time

Share of all-radio hours within the station’s TSA

Source: RAJAR — BBC RADIO 4 TSA, MAR 2026 (Q) · WEEKS 01 2026 - 13 2026 (5th JANUARY '26 - 5th APRIL '26)

Audience profile · MAR 2026

By age	Reach	% reach	Avg hrs	% of audience
ALL ADULTS 15+	9.15m	16.0%	11.8	100.0%
ADULTS 15-24	425k	5.0%	4.2	4.6%
ADULTS 25-34	422k	4.0%	4.7	4.6%
ADULTS 35-44	817k	9.0%	5.1	8.9%
ADULTS 45-54	1.14m	13.0%	8.5	12.5%
ADULTS 55-64	2.02m	22.0%	11.6	22.1%
ADULTS 65-74	2.46m	30.0%	13.8	26.9%
ADULTS 75+	1.86m	35.0%	17.7	20.4%
ADULTS 15-34	847k	5.0%	4.5	9.3%
ADULTS 15-44	1.66m	6.0%	4.8	18.2%

Men	Reach	% reach	Avg hrs	% of audience
ALL MEN 15+	4.58m	16.0%	10.3	50.1%
MEN 15-24	226k	5.0%	4.5	2.5%
MEN 25-34	217k	5.0%	4.2	2.4%
MEN 35-44	482k	11.0%	5.7	5.3%
MEN 45-54	625k	15.0%	7.7	6.8%
MEN 55-64	1.06m	24.0%	10.5	11.6%
MEN 65-74	1.10m	29.0%	12.9	12.0%
MEN 75+	874k	36.0%	14.3	9.6%

Women	Reach	% reach	Avg hrs	% of audience
ALL WOMEN 15+	4.56m	15.0%	13.3	49.9%
WOMEN 15-24	199k	5.0%	4.0	2.2%
WOMEN 25-34	205k	4.0%	5.2	2.2%
WOMEN 35-44	335k	7.0%	4.4	3.7%
WOMEN 45-54	515k	12.0%	9.5	5.6%
WOMEN 55-64	959k	21.0%	12.9	10.5%
WOMEN 65-74	1.36m	31.0%	14.5	14.9%
WOMEN 75+	990k	35.0%	20.7	10.8%

By social grade	Reach	% reach	Avg hrs	% of audience
ABC1 ADULTS	6.53m	20.0%	11.4	71.4%
C2DE ADULTS	2.62m	10.0%	12.8	28.6%
ABC1 MEN	3.26m	21.0%	10.2	35.6%
ABC1 WOMEN	3.27m	19.0%	12.7	35.7%
C2DE MEN	1.32m	10.0%	10.7	14.5%
C2DE WOMEN	1.29m	10.0%	15.0	14.1%

Reach, % reach and average hours per demographic. “% of audience” is the demographic’s share of the station’s total weekly reach.

Source: RAJAR — BBC RADIO 4 TSA, MAR 2026 (Q) · WEEKS 01 2026 - 13 2026 (5th JANUARY '26 - 5th APRIL '26)

Listening by daypart · MAR 2026

Monday–Friday	Share	Reach
06.00-06.00 ▸	10.8%	8.59m
06.00-09.00 ▸	16.8%	5.67m
06.00-12.00 ▸	11.7%	6.81m
06.00-18.00 ▸	10.1%	8.00m
06.00-24.00 ▸	10.5%	8.49m
09.00-12.00 ▸	7.6%	4.79m
12.00-15.00 ▸	7.8%	4.58m
15.00-18.00 ▸	8.6%	4.51m
18.00-21.00 ▸	12.5%	4.06m
21.00-24.00 ▸	15.4%	2.05m
24.00-06.00 ▸	16.4%	1.50m

Saturday	Share	Reach
06.00-09.00 ▸	20.0%	2.75m
06.00-12.00 ▸	12.7%	3.80m
06.00-18.00 ▸	10.1%	4.64m
06.00-24.00 ▸	10.0%	4.92m
06.00-06.00 ▸	10.4%	5.02m
09.00-12.00 ▸	9.0%	2.48m
12.00-15.00 ▸	8.4%	1.96m
15.00-18.00 ▸	6.1%	1.25m
18.00-21.00 ▸	8.1%	959k
21.00-24.00 ▸	13.0%	829k
24.00-06.00 ▸	17.0%	636k

Sunday	Share	Reach
06.00-09.00 ▸	18.4%	2.18m
06.00-12.00 ▸	13.2%	3.58m
06.00-18.00 ▸	10.0%	4.42m
06.00-24.00 ▸	10.4%	4.83m
06.00-06.00 ▸	10.8%	4.95m
09.00-12.00 ▸	10.8%	2.55m
12.00-15.00 ▸	8.0%	1.92m
15.00-18.00 ▸	5.8%	1.14m
18.00-21.00 ▸	10.1%	1.13m
21.00-24.00 ▸	17.9%	901k
24.00-06.00 ▸	16.4%	735k

Share of listening and weekly reach in each time band, all adults 15+. RAJAR aligns daypart boundaries to each station’s own schedule, so the bands are not comparable between stations.

Source: RAJAR — BBC RADIO 4 TSA, MAR 2026 (Q) · WEEKS 01 2026 - 13 2026 (5th JANUARY '26 - 5th APRIL '26)

Compared to other national stations · MAR 2026

Station	Reach	% reach	Hours	Avg hrs	Share
BBC RADIO 2	12.57m	22.0%	133.1m	10.6	13.2%
BBC RADIO 4 this station	9.15m	16.0%	108.1m	11.8	10.7%
BBC RADIO 1	7.03m	12.0%	44.9m	6.4	4.5%
GREATEST HITS RADIO	5.74m	10.0%	54.8m	9.5	5.4%
BBC RADIO 5 LIVE	5.36m	9.0%	32.3m	6.0	3.2%
CLASSIC FM	4.17m	7.0%	33.4m	8.0	3.3%
HITS RADIO	3.80m	7.0%	16.8m	4.4	1.7%
TALKSPORT	3.29m	6.0%	22.2m	6.8	2.2%
LBC (UK)	2.88m	5.0%	27.8m	9.7	2.8%
BBC 6 MUSIC	2.65m	5.0%	24.6m	9.3	2.4%
MAGIC	2.16m	4.0%	11.0m	5.1	1.1%
BBC RADIO 3	2.06m	4.0%	16.1m	7.8	1.6%
ABSOLUTE RADIO	2.01m	3.0%	13.2m	6.6	1.3%
KISSTORY	1.82m	3.0%	8.5m	4.7	0.8%
GOLD RADIO UK	1.61m	3.0%	11.9m	7.4	1.2%
HEART 80S	1.60m	3.0%	7.0m	4.4	0.7%
BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA	1.59m	3.0%	12.1m	7.6	1.2%
CAPITAL XTRA (UK)	1.50m	3.0%	6.3m	4.2	0.6%
KISS	1.48m	3.0%	6.2m	4.2	0.6%
ABSOLUTE 80S	1.45m	2.0%	8.2m	5.7	0.8%
PLANET ROCK	1.13m	2.0%	9.3m	8.3	0.9%
BBC WORLD SERVICE	1.09m	2.0%	5.2m	4.8	0.5%
LBC NEWS (UK)	1.08m	2.0%	3.0m	2.8	0.3%
VIRGIN RADIO	1.04m	2.0%	6.4m	6.1	0.6%
HEART DANCE	987k	2.0%	4.4m	4.4	0.4%
HEART 90S	959k	2.0%	3.3m	3.5	0.3%
HEART 00S	931k	2.0%	3.9m	4.2	0.4%
CAPITAL DANCE	908k	2.0%	4.6m	5.0	0.5%
BBC RADIO 5 SPORTS EXTRA	907k	2.0%	2.1m	2.3	0.2%
ABSOLUTE RADIO 90S	828k	1.0%	3.1m	3.7	0.3%
ABSOLUTE CLASSIC ROCK	769k	1.0%	4.2m	5.4	0.4%
BBC RADIO 1XTRA	743k	1.0%	3.8m	5.0	0.4%
GB NEWS RADIO	676k	1.0%	4.4m	6.4	0.4%
BOOM RADIO	636k	1.0%	9.3m	14.6	0.9%
CAPITAL ANTHEMS	626k	1.0%	1.7m	2.8	0.2%
KISSTORY R&B	623k	1.0%	2.1m	3.4	0.2%
SMOOTH 80S	617k	1.0%	3.0m	4.9	0.3%
TIMES RADIO	604k	1.0%	5.0m	8.2	0.5%
GREATEST HITS RADIO 80S	585k	1.0%	2.8m	4.8	0.3%
HEART 70S	581k	1.0%	2.2m	3.7	0.2%
KERRANG!	569k	1.0%	3.0m	5.3	0.3%
TALK (WAS TALKRADIO)	560k	1.0%	6.1m	10.9	0.6%
TALKSPORT2	549k	1.0%	1.6m	3.0	0.2%
ABSOLUTE RADIO COUNTRY	521k	1.0%	4.0m	7.6	0.4%
ABSOLUTE RADIO 00S	515k	1.0%	2.0m	4.0	0.2%
BBC ASIAN NETWORK UK	513k	1.0%	3.4m	6.7	0.3%
SMOOTH RELAX	513k	1.0%	2.5m	4.8	0.2%
GREATEST HITS RADIO 70S	506k	1.0%	2.5m	4.9	0.2%
CAPITAL XTRA RELOADED	494k	1.0%	1.9m	3.8	0.2%
HEAT	476k	1.0%	1.5m	3.1	0.1%
MAGIC SOUL	467k	1.0%	2.7m	5.8	0.3%
BBC RADIO 1 DANCE	437k	1.0%	1.7m	3.8	0.2%
MELLOW MAGIC	431k	1.0%	1.6m	3.7	0.2%
HITS RADIO 90S	427k	1.0%	1.2m	2.9	0.1%
BBC RADIO 1 ANTHEMS	417k	1.0%	1.5m	3.6	0.1%
JAZZ FM	416k	1.0%	1.8m	4.4	0.2%
GREATEST HITS RADIO 60S	415k	1.0%	2.6m	6.3	0.3%
SMOOTH CHILL	395k	1.0%	1.7m	4.3	0.2%
BBC RADIO 3 UNWIND	388k	1.0%	2.3m	6.0	0.2%
CLASSIC FM CALM	386k	1.0%	2.4m	6.2	0.2%
SMOOTH COUNTRY	375k	1.0%	1.8m	4.9	0.2%
HITS RADIO 00S	357k	1.0%	928k	2.6	0.1%
HEART 10S	356k	1.0%	688k	1.9	0.1%
VIRGIN RADIO CHILLED	348k	1.0%	576k	1.7	0.1%
HITS RADIO PRIDE	341k	1.0%	652k	1.9	0.1%
VIRGIN RADIO LEGENDS (WAS VIRGIN RADIO ANTHEMS)	336k	1.0%	743k	2.2	0.1%
SMOOTH 70S	304k	1.0%	936k	3.1	0.1%
MAGIC MUSICALS	303k	1.0%	1.7m	5.6	0.2%
VIRGIN RADIO 80S	277k	0.0%	445k	1.6	0.0%
HITS RADIO CHILLED	275k	0.0%	747k	2.7	0.1%
ABSOLUTE RADIO 70S	259k	0.0%	732k	2.8	0.1%
ABSOLUTE RADIO 10S	259k	0.0%	572k	2.2	0.1%
KISS XTRA	236k	0.0%	563k	2.4	0.1%
RADIO X CLASSIC ROCK	221k	0.0%	1.9m	8.7	0.2%
CAPITAL CHILL	214k	0.0%	1.0m	4.7	0.1%
CLASSIC FM MOVIES	203k	0.0%	1.2m	6.0	0.1%
SMOOTH SOUL	202k	0.0%	770k	3.8	0.1%
HEART LOVE	201k	0.0%	598k	3.0	0.1%
NATION 80S	191k	0.0%	566k	3.0	0.1%
HEART MUSICALS	175k	0.0%	350k	2.0	0.0%
RADIO X CHILLED	151k	0.0%	268k	1.8	0.0%
RADIO X 90S	146k	0.0%	627k	4.3	0.1%
RADIO X 00S	143k	0.0%	437k	3.1	0.0%
MAGIC CLASSICAL	136k	0.0%	1.0m	7.5	0.1%
NATION 70S	132k	0.0%	308k	2.3	0.0%
NATION 90S	124k	0.0%	227k	1.8	0.0%
COUNTRYLINE RADIO (WAS CHRIS COUNTRY RADIO)	82k	0.0%	463k	5.7	0.0%
BOOM LIGHT	80k	0.0%	616k	7.7	0.1%

National stations side by side, all adults 15+ — BBC RADIO 4 is highlighted in the row marked with the cross-station subject indicator.

Source: RAJAR — BBC RADIO 4 TSA, MAR 2026 (Q) · WEEKS 01 2026 - 13 2026 (5th JANUARY '26 - 5th APRIL '26)