Moyles loses 500,000 listeners to Breakfast Show programme

THE Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles lost more than half a million listeners in three months, according to figures published today.

Moyles, who launched into a controversial on-air rant against his bosses last month, pulled in 7.1 million weekly listeners in the third quarter of this year – down from 7.7 million in the preceding three months.

One station insider said the figures were an expected "seasonal fluctuation" caused by the school holidays.

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Moyles, from Leeds, was well beaten by Radio 2 morning rival Chris Evans who attracted a million more listeners than him, according to the latest figures.

But Evans also lost listeners - he was down from 8.48 million in the previous quarter to 8.14 million.

Earlier this month Evans said his breakfast rival should leave his Radio 1 show and claimed he had "lost perspective".

Evans, who formerly hosted the show himself, said: "It's time for him to leave."

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Moyles was also spoken to by Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt after the rant, where he complained about not being paid and accused station bosses of "a huge lack of respect".

The figures do not cover his outburst which came on September 22 – three days after the measuring period ended.

It has been suggested that Moyles has begun to sound out commercial rivals, possibly Capital, about a move when his BBC contract ends next year.

Radio 4's Today programme got 6.5 million weekly listeners – down from the almost seven million in the period before.

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Radio 3 attracted almost 300,000 more weekly listeners over the period, during which it broadcast every single Prom live from the Royal Albert Hall.

It reached 2.15 million people every week, up from 1.86 million in the previous quarter.

Two BBC digital stations previously under threat of closure continued to perform well. BBC 6 Music's audience remained static at 1.2 million weekly listeners and the BBC Asian Network's weekly reach is 462,000 listeners, up from 437,000 last quarter.

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