GB News Radio recorded the strongest year-on-year growth among UK news and current affairs stations in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest RAJAR listening figures.
The station increased its weekly reach by 34% to 731,000 listeners, while total listening hours rose by 78% to 5.4 million. RAJAR defines weekly reach as the number of UK adults who listen to a station for at least five minutes during an average week.
GB News Radio also grew compared with the previous quarter, with weekly listeners up 8% and total listening hours up 24%. Its average hours per listener increased by 16% quarter on quarter to 7.4 hours, the largest rise among the measured news and current affairs stations.
The station’s breakfast programme also made gains, with weekly reach up 70% year on year and 44% compared with the previous quarter to 325,000 listeners. That put it ahead of Talk in the breakfast slot during the period.
News UK’s Talk, previously known as Talkradio, recorded the second-largest annual increase in weekly listeners among the news and current affairs stations, rising 11% to 543,000. That took it above the London-specific version of LBC News, which had 508,000 weekly listeners.
The UK-wide LBC News station grew 9% year on year to reach its largest weekly audience to date, at 1.2 million. The station overtook BBC World Service, which had 943,000 listeners during the quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, LBC News UK posted the strongest growth in weekly reach, up 11%.
Times Radio also reported an increase, with weekly listeners up 9% compared with the previous quarter to 660,000, its highest audience so far. It remains behind GB News Radio in weekly reach, after GB News overtook it in the third quarter of 2025, having also previously moved ahead in the second and third quarters of 2024.
However, Times Radio remained ahead of GB News Radio for total listening hours, recording 5.9 million hours. That figure was up 21% year on year, the second-largest annual increase in listening hours among the stations after GB News Radio.
Scott Taunton, News UK executive vice president and president of broadcasting, said there was “exceptional demand” for Times Radio’s “expert analysis and fearless debate during a turbulent political period”.
During the quarter, Times Radio broadcast interviews with former prime minister Tony Blair, Jeremy Clarkson and former footballer John Barnes, who discussed his prostate cancer diagnosis live on air.
LBC’s main UK station overtook the Talksport network during the quarter. LBC increased its weekly listeners by 4% compared with the previous quarter to 3.69 million, while Talksport grew by 1% to 3.67 million.
The BBC continued to operate the most-listened-to radio stations overall, although its news and current affairs services saw a weaker set of figures. BBC Radio 2 retained the highest weekly reach of any UK radio station, with 12.4 million listeners.
BBC Radio 4 recorded 8.9 million weekly listeners, down 3% year on year and 2% quarter on quarter. The station is due to close several programmes next year, including The World Tonight, Midnight News and The Law Show, while its news bulletins are being merged with BBC World Service.
Aside from BBC Radio 5 Live, where listener numbers were flat year on year, all BBC news or current affairs stations included in the figures recorded a decline in weekly reach both annually and compared with the previous quarter.
BBC World Service had the steepest fall among BBC stations, with weekly reach down 6% year on year and 14% quarter on quarter. In January, it was announced that the service would cut a net 130 jobs as part of an effort to save £6m during 2026.
The breakfast market also showed shifts away from some BBC programmes. Talk recorded the second-fastest year-on-year growth behind GB News Radio, with its breakfast audience up 28% to 289,000 listeners.
BBC Radio 5 Live’s breakfast show, with 1.3 million weekly listeners, was overtaken by Talksport, which reached 1.4 million. Radio 5 Live’s breakfast audience fell 8% year on year and 7% compared with the previous quarter.
The Today programme on BBC Radio 4, the broadcaster’s flagship breakfast news show, was the only other breakfast programme in the group to record a decline across both annual and quarterly measures. Its audience fell 1% quarter on quarter and 0.5% year on year to 5.6 million.
The programme is also undergoing presenter changes, with Amol Rajan leaving the role. He will not be replaced, reducing the number of permanent presenters from five to four.
The Q2 RAJAR figures underline a more competitive market for speech radio, with commercial news and current affairs stations gaining listeners while several BBC services face both audience pressure and planned operational changes.
