The dominance of local radio stations over their national rivals is continuing, according to the latest Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) figures released today.
The weekday reach for RTE Radio One and Today FM was down a point in 2005 to 25 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. Lyric FM and 2 FM remained unchanged at 3 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.
RTE put a positive spin on the figures, though, noting that its weekend programming was holding up well with 18 of the most listened programmes at the weekend coming from the RTE schedule.
John Clarke head of RTÉ 2fm, said: "The continued growth in listenership enjoyed by RTÉ's weekend programmes reflects their quality and we are delighted that so many of them now feature in the Top 20."
But local stations continued their remarkable progress since licensed local stations began broadcasting 16 years ago. The latest figures show a one percentage point increase to 57 per cent.
The star performer remains Highland Radio in Co Denegal, which has a listenership figure of 71 per cent (+3). Ocean FM, which controversially displaced NWR FM in 2004 as licensee for the North West, was up two points at 62 per cent.
Limerick's Live 95 FM and Galway Bay FM also showed significant improvements.
In the competitive Dublin market relative newcomers Spin 1038 (11 per cent) and Newstalk 106 (7 per cent) holding their own in a market where only Q102 - formerly Lite FM - posted an increase in weekday reach up one point to 13 per cent.
Q102 chief executive Scott Williams said: "When we launched Q102 two years ago we promised to create a radio station that every grown up in Dublin could listen to and we are achieving that goal with our great music, competitions and feel good approach to radio."
In Cork, Red FM and Cork 96 FM both recorded gains in the region of one percentage point.
The State's only regional station Beat Fm, which serves the South East, recorded a small drop after an making impressive impact since it began broadcasting in July 2003.