Observed Signal · Jul 15, 2026 · Audience Measurement Report · Source: Meedia · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Radio-MA: Top 10 Stations in All 16 States
The article presents a state-by-state review of daily radio reach (MA Audio) across Germany's 16 federal states, using updated Mikrozensus population figures. The MA-relevant German-speaking population aged 14+ fell from 71.001 million to 70.026 million, reducing potential radio reach overall but with divergent developments by state. The piece lists top-10 station rankings per state and highlights notable winners and losers: examples include large percentage losses for some public and private stations (e.g., NDR 2, NDR Info, Radio Bob!) and big gains for others (e.g., Rock Antenne in NRW, NDR 90,3 in Schleswig-Holstein, SWR3 in the Saarland). The article also notes station-specific events such as Hamburg Zwei being renamed to Antenne Hamburg and points out Rock Antenne’s launch in July 2025 and its rapid growth.
National audience measurement updates affect radio planning, inventory valuation and regional media buying but are incremental (state-level shifts) rather than industry-shaping platform or policy changes.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- MA Audio base (German-speaking population aged 14+) fell from 71.001 million to 70.026 million following new Mikrozensus population figures.
- The analysis uses daily reach (Tagesreichweiten) rather than average listeners per hour, allowing inclusion of non-commercial broadcasters in rankings.
- In Schleswig-Holstein R.SH lost 6.1%, NDR 2 lost 9.1%, and NDR 1 Welle Nord lost 4.3% of daily reach compared with the previous MA.
- In Hamburg Radio Hamburg holds a lead of about 12,000 listeners per day; Hamburg Zwei grew 31.0% and will be renamed Antenne Hamburg.
- Rock Antenne (launched July 2025) grew 59.5% to 268,000 listeners in NRW and is cited as a major regional gainer.
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1 Entity mapped“In Schleswig-Holstein the top trio lost listeners: NDR 2 even lost 9.1 percent....”
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MA Audio 2026 II: Radio NRW Leads; Regional Stations Grow
The MA Audio 2026 II audience measurement shows that several German radio providers increased reach despite a population decline identified by the microcensus. agma warned the figures must be interpreted carefully because the reported population for Germany fell to 83.47 million, reducing the MA Audio base for German-speaking 14+ listeners from 71.001 million to 70.026 million. Radio NRW remains number one and grew from 1.272 million to 1.300 million average reach (+2.2%). In Bavaria, Antenne Bayern (+5.0%) and Bayern 3 (+13.9%) recorded substantial gains while Bayern 1 lost 10.1% and fell below one million. MEEDIA also says it will adjust its Top‑100 rankings to include combined
Audio‑MA 2026/II: No Radio Station Hits One Million
The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media‑Analyse (AGMA) released the Audio‑MA 2026/II results showing that radio and audio usage in Germany remains high but audience rankings shifted. Daily reach (Mon–Fri) for people 14+ is 74.1%, with an average listening duration of 251 minutes. Digital distribution via DAB+ and online audio also shows strong usage, with 35.6% of the population using digital radio in the widest listening circle. Radio NRW remains the largest station group at ~1.3 million listeners per average hour (Mon–Fri, 6–18h), while no individual single station reached one million listeners; Bayern 1 fell sharply (-10.1%) to 981,000. Several stations show large percentage gains (e.g., Bayern 3 +13.9%, Hitradio OHR +80.8%) or losses (e.g., Radio Arabella -47.4%). The report notes methodological changes due to new microcensus weighting rules.
ma 2026 Audio I: German Radio Audience Results
ag.ma published the ma 2026 Audio I audience survey on 25 March 2026, reporting stable overall radio reach and detailed station/combo performance across Germany. The study (German-speaking population 14+, base population 71.001 million) collected 66,715 interviews between 7 Sept and 7 Dec 2025. Daily reach (Mon–Fri) is 74.5% (slightly down from 74.9%), average listening time ~250 minutes. STUDIO GONG, as a national media seller, posted the largest percentage gain among national marketers (2,730k listeners in the average hour Mon–Fri, +8.4%; in 14–49: 1,284k, +11.8%). Regional combos and local stations showed notable gains: BAYERN FUNKPAKET, NEW AUDIO KOMBI NRW, DIE NEUE 107.7, Ostseewelle, SACHSEN FUNKPAKET and others recorded double- or double-digit percentage increases in key demos.
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