Cool FM moves to Number 1 in Northern Ireland….

• Cool FM hits all time high with more listeners than BBC Radio Ulster for the first time ever!

Cool FM is celebrating after becoming the Number 1 radio station in Northern Ireland after overtaking BBC Radio Ulster for the first time in its 30-year history.

The station which recently celebrated a milestone birthday is now pulling a record 527,000 weekly listeners bypassing BBC Radio Ulster’s 510,000 weekly listeners.

This landmark listening figure is now the largest ever audience recorded for a commercial radio station in Northern Ireland since current records began and places Cool FM in front of its BBC rival for the first time.

Cool FM when combined with Bauer Media NI’s two sister radio stations, Downtown Radio and Downtown Country, now reach a record breaking 731,000 listeners each week – almost half of Northern Ireland’s entire population.

The record figures were revealed in the latest quarterly RAJAR* results and highlight a marked upward trend for the popular stations which have collectively shown an audience increase of 12.5% in the last 12 months.

Content Director Bauer Media NI, Stuart Robinson explained that Cool FM’s success is down to understanding the audience;

“We’ve been able to strategically embrace digital platforms and advances in voice activated technology to help build Cool FM’s audience steadily over recent years – finding new listeners and reach audiences in parts of Northern Ireland not traditionally served by our traditional FM coverage”

“Cool FM is reaching younger audiences both on-air and off-air that other broadcasters and media outlets have not been able to reach in Northern Ireland – our ability to connect with this audience has helped move the station to the top of the ratings and become an important part of everyday life for over half a million people in Northern Ireland – and our market leading breakfast show with Pete, Paulo and Rebecca continues to be the most listened to radio show in Northern Ireland.”

“In addition the introduction of our big money giveaway competition ‘Cash Call’ fronted by the brilliant John Kearns has become the talk of the town and paid out more than £1million to lucky winners over the last year – all this coupled with a prominent social media strategy ensure Cool FM is continuality relevant and engaging with its audience on all platforms – all the time!”