Figures cheer for Swansea Bay broadcast teams

It was sweaty palm time for Swansea's broadcasters on Thursday.
Latest listener figures were being released by Rajar, the Radio Joint Audience Research body.
That means, in the case of our commercial services, advertising messages can be tweaked accordingly.
If you'd like them analysing more closely and as to how they relate to your own enterprise just give me a shout on 07758 745240.
UK-wide headline figues included:

• 46 million adults tune into radio each week
• Digital radio ownership is up 13% year on year
• Listening to radio via mobile phone is up 7% year on year

The Swansea area's local figures included (in alphabetical order for audited stations only, period: 3 months to Dec 2009):

Bay Radio
Potential audience 454,000
Listeners 38,000
% reach 8

BBC Radio Cymru
Potential audience 2,504,000
Listeners 145,000
% reach 6

BBC Radio Wales
Potential audience 2,504,000
Listeners 411,000
% reach 16

Nation
Potential audience 1,405,000
Listeners 89,000
% reach 6

Radio Carmarthenshire
Potential audience 127,000
Listeners 38,000
% reach 30

Real Radio
Potential audience 1,781,000
Listeners 419,000
% reach 24

Swansea Sound
Potential audience 454,000
Listeners 78,000
% reach 17

The Wave
Potential audience 454,000
Listeners 138,000
% reach 30

One or two stations were quick off the mark to celebrate success.
Presenters on Swansea Sound and The Wave busily plugged the fact that figures were healthy.
The older of the two sister stations, medium wave operator Swansea Sound flagged up the fact that its listener figures were up 3,000 (1%) on the previous quarter.
Breakfast show presenters on its more brash FM sibling were over the moon that figures showed them being heard by three in 10 of the Swansea Bay adult population every week.
Andy Griffiths, broadcast director of Bay, Nation and Carmarthenshire's Town & Country Broadcasting, said: "Nation led us to our best ever results. It stormed ahead in the ratings and became the UK’s fastest growing station.
"Nation's listening figures were up almost 300% on this time last year and up over 60% in the past three months."
Town & Country has a total audience of 215,000 weekly listeners across South Wales.
The group’s stations include Radio Pembrokeshire, Llanelli's Scarlet FM and Bridgend's Bridge FM.
All told, a healthy outlook in tough economic times for the local broadcasters. Good reason for the commercial sector to think seriously about using the platforms for promotional opportunities.
For advice, you know where to come.