A record 3.93 million listeners have propelled Mediacorp’s dominance in the audio landscape to new heights, as the national media network, which owns nine out of Singapore’s top 10 radio stations, continues to claim a lion’s share (84.2%) of the radio market. With 88.1% of adults tuning in weekly, time spent listening has also climbed to almost 10 hours weekly. This is accompanied by unprecedented engagement rates and followings on social media platforms.

These findings are based on the latest Nielsen Radio Survey conducted from March to May 2024, which tracked radio listenership via diary recordings by 2010 adults aged 15 and above, with the results weighted by age, sex and race to be representative of the Singapore population.

As the leading radio network, Mediacorp’s radio stations are consistently the top choice among key audience segments across gender, age, race, and occupation.

• Five stations achieved all-time highs in listenership. These are youth-centric stations YES 933 (+44.0% to 1.10 million) and 987 (+30.1% to 613,000); Silvers’ favourite CAPITAL 958 (+8.6% to 848,000); as well as top vernacular stations WARNA 942 (+17.9% to 547,000) and OLI 968 (+11.7% to 392,000). In addition to claiming the accolade of fastest growing station, YES 933 is simultaneously the top station overall and top digital station.
• Seven stations recordd growths in time spent listening. These are WARNA 942 (+1.3 hours to 10.1 hours), taking with it the title of most engaged station overall; LOVE 972 (+0.7 hours to 8.3 hours); OLI 968 (+1.0 hours to 6.9 hours); YES 933 (+1.6 hours to 6.3 hours); 987 (+1.4 hours to 4.6 hours); RIA 897 (+1.5 hours to 3.6 hours) and CNA 938 (+0.6 hours to 2.9 hours).
• Showcasing the enduring appeal of radio, Mediacorp’s reach continues to grow across key audience segments. These include premier audiences, which increased by 12.6%; as well as vernacular audiences, with Indian listenership increasing by 8.0% and that for Malays increasing by 1.0%. Notably, listenership among tertiaries aged between 15 and 24 has also grown by 3.8% since the last survey. Correspondingly, the segment’s top three stations have also expanded their reach, with that of 987 increasing by 39.1% to 178,000, CLASS 95 by 7.0% to 138,000, and YES 933 by 75.0% to 126,000.

Mediacorp’s news stations rank prominently in the top 10 leaderboard. Holding its ground in the top three radio stations for the second consecutive year is CAPITAL 958, which simultaneously claims the title of most engaged Chinese station with listeners tuning in for 8.7 hours weekly – a statistic that further soars to 11.1 hours for silvers aged 55 and above. Boasting an all-time high reach of 848,000, the station also gained ground with audiences aged between 35 and 44 (+34.4% to 125,000), those aged between 45 and 54 (+1.9% to 158,000) as well as parents (+45.2% to 90,000).

Meanwhile, breaking into the top 10 leaderboard is Singapore’s preferred English news station CNA938, which was launched in 2019 as an additional platform for CNA’s award-winning journalism. The radio station’s weekly reach of 255,000 marks an 18.1% increase since the last survey, furthering its lead with 3.3 times the reach of its closest rival. In a further testament to its ability to captivate and retain a discerning audience, the station boasts an even stronger performance with premier audiences, who tune in for 3.6 hours weekly, and PMEBs, who tune in for 3.5 hours weekly, contributing to an overall engagement rate of 2.9 hours. Together with CNA’s formidable presence on television, digital, and social media platforms, this success underscores Mediacorp’s strategic expertise in reaching audiences on their terms and delivering content that entertains, delights, and informs with precision.

As Mediacorp continues to expand its suite of digital offerings, its digital radio network has seen a steady compound annualised growth (CAGR) of 6% over five years since 2020. This translates into a reach of more than 1.42 million listeners, or nine in 10 digital listeners with more than eight hours weekly engagement – a statistic twice that of its nearest competitor. These results correspond with the uptick in performance for Mediacorp’s digital audio service melisten, which saw a growth of 46.2% in monthly average unique visitors5 to reach 1.05 million. This is accompanied by a corresponding 4.1% increase in active sessions on melisten6 to reach 27.48 million, signalling robust engagement and loyalty among its userbase.

Beyond digital audio achievements, Mediacorp’s continuous efforts to strengthen its presence in the everyday digital lives of its listeners have continued to gain ground. On TikTok, overall engagement – comprising likes, comments and shares – has surged by 77.1% with youth-centric brands leading the pack. They are RIA 897, which saw a stunning 178.8% increase in engagement; 987, with a 75.9% boost; and YES 933, which grew the same statistic by 43.2%, reflecting Mediacorp’s successes in connecting with younger audiences and fostering vibrant, engaged communities through the strategic use of livestreams and content helmed by audio personalities. Meanwhile, engagement on Facebook and Instagram have likewise increased by 110.5% as Mediacorp’s social media footprint for audio brands continues to expand with 2.83 million followers across platforms.

Angeline Poh, Chief Customer & Corporate Development Officer, Mediacorp, said: “We are delighted to be the audio network of choice among Singapore listeners. Having seamlessly integrated broadcasting with innovative digital experiences, our continued breakthroughs defy outdated misperceptions of the medium, which today offers an enduring, holistic lifestyle experience. This evolution underscores Mediacorp’s focus on being an integral part of our audience’s lives and we aspire to continue engaging them every day.”