For a local business, the best advertising doesn’t simply reach lots of people. It reaches the right people, in the right places.

The latest Q3 2026 RAJAR figures underline why radio continues to deserve a place in the marketing mix for businesses looking to build awareness and reach customers.

Commercial radio now reaches 40.1 million people across the UK, while 87% of the UK population listens to radio every week.

And listening isn’t standing still. As audiences increasingly listen through digital devices, connected devices and smart speakers, businesses have more opportunities to combine the scale of radio advertising with the targeting possibilities of digital audio.

So, what does that mean if you’re advertising a local business?

Millions tune into Bauer Media stations every week

Across Bauer Media’s portfolio, 21.2 million people listen every week, excluding partner stations.

That scale stretches across some of the UK’s best-known radio brands, giving advertisers opportunities to reach different audiences through different stations, networks and audio environments.

The Q3 figures include:

• The Hits Radio Network attracts 6.6 million weekly listeners, with 3.7 million tuning in to Hits Radio each week.
• Greatest Hits Radio Network reaches 6.8 million weekly listeners, with 5.7 million tuning in to Greatest Hits Radio each week.
• The Absolute Radio Network reaches 5.5 million listeners each week, while Absolute Radio 00s is celebrating its highest-ever reach, with 582,000 listeners tuning in for a total of 2.1 million hours.
• The Magic Network reaches 3.4 million weekly listeners, with 2.3 million tuning in to the main Magic station each week.
• The KISS Network reaches 3.9m listeners each week. The main station KISS has grown reach 29% YonY with 1.7m listeners.

For local advertisers, the size of the overall audience is only part of the opportunity. Different radio brands attract different audiences, giving businesses scope to think about who they want to reach as well as where they want to reach them.

Putting 21.2 million listeners into context

21.2 million is a big number. But what does an audience of that size actually look like?

For businesses, those comparisons help put the scale of Bauer Media’s weekly audience into perspective. Radio is part of the everyday routines of millions of people, creating opportunities for businesses to get their name heard regularly and at scale.

Why local radio advertising can work for local businesses

For many local businesses, geography matters just as much as audience size. A huge national audience isn’t necessarily useful if your customers need to live within travelling distance of a shop, showroom, restaurant or service area.

That’s where the local element of radio advertising becomes particularly relevant. A radio advertising campaign can be built around where your customers are, helping your business become better known in the areas where you want to generate awareness.

Local radio advertising can support businesses looking to:

• Increase local brand awareness
• Promote a new location, product or service
• Support a specific offer, promotion or sales event
• Become more recognisable within their local market
• Stay front of mind when potential customers are ready to buy.

For growing businesses in particular, that ability to build familiarity can be important. Customers are much more likely to consider a brand if they know it exists in the first place.

Radio advertising isn’t just about the radio anymore

The way people listen to audio continues to develop.

85% of Bauer listening now takes place on a digital device, 9% ahead of the industry average.

Connected listening is another important part of the picture. In Q3, 34% of Bauer listening takes place via connected devices, compared with the industry average of 31%. Bauer Media stations also reach 5.9 million listeners every week through smart speakers.

For businesses, that creates an increasingly broad audio landscape. Your customers might encounter audio through broadcast radio, a mobile device, an app, a smart speaker or another connected device.

It means businesses don’t necessarily need to think about radio and digital as two separate worlds. Instead, they can consider how traditional radio advertising and digital audio can complement one another within a wider advertising campaign.

Digital audio advertising creates another opportunity for local businesses

As listening habits evolve, digital audio advertising gives businesses another way to connect with listeners.

For local advertisers, digital audio can be particularly interesting when considering the audiences and geographical areas they want a campaign to reach.

Bauer Media’s audioXi can sit alongside broadcast radio as part of a wider audio strategy, extending the opportunities available to advertisers in digital listening environments.

Digital listening continues to grow in importance

The Q3 figures also highlight the strength of Bauer Media’s digital audience.

Bauer is home to four of the top five digital-only commercial radio stations in the UK, with Absolute Radio and KISSTORY occupying the top two positions.

That gives advertisers additional opportunities to reach audiences as listening continues across different devices and platforms.

It all points towards an audio landscape where listeners increasingly have different ways to tune in, while brands have more opportunities to be heard.

What do the Q3 2026 RAJAR figures mean for brands?

The big takeaway isn’t simply that millions of people still listen to radio. It’s that audio now offers businesses multiple ways to reach listeners.

Commercial radio reaches 40.1 million people, while Bauer reaches 21.2 million weekly listeners, excluding partner stations. And with 85% of Bauer listening taking place on a digital device, the way audiences consume audio continues to evolve.

For local businesses, this creates an opportunity to combine the scale and familiarity of radio advertising with an increasingly digital audio landscape.

Ready to get your local business heard?

You don’t need to be a national brand to advertise on the radio.

Whether you want to raise awareness locally, promote your business to a particular audience or explore a combination of radio and digital audio advertising, Bauer Media can help you understand the options available.

Talk to us today

*All figures are from RAJAR Q3 2026