MUMBAI: As per the latest IRS data released recently, Radio Mirchi has once again emerged as the number one FM broadcaster in Delhi and Mumbai, as well as in the top 8 metros taken together. IRS 2017 was released recently by industry non-profit Media Research Users Council (MRUC) after a gap of nearly four years.

In Mumbai (including Vasai-Virar), Mirchi is heard by 25.4 lac people weekly while in Delhi NCR, it is heard by a whopping 44.6 lac people, leading its nearest competitor in these two cities, BIG FM, by 21per cent and 20per cent respectively. Taken together, in the top 8 metros that include Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Hyderabad, Mirchi leads with 1.45 crore listeners, 32 per cent ahead of the number 2 player RED FM. In the 7 metros that Radio City is present in (except Kolkata), Mirchi leads it by 46per cent. In the 7 metros that BIG FM is present in (except Pune), it leads it by 28per cent. In the 6 metros that Fever FM is present it, Mirchi leads it by 65 per cent.

Mirchi also leads nationally with 2.9 crore listeners. In Bangalore and Hyderabad, Mirchi’s second channel, a Hindi one called Mirchi 95, pulls in an9.6 lac listeners. In Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Surat and Nagpur, Mirchi’s second channel, Mirchi Love has pulled in19.5 lac listeners.

As per MRUC, nearly 20 crore people in India listen to FM radio every month, split nearly half-half between urban and rural areas. Radio listenership grew by 13 per cent in urban areas since the last research in 2014.

An important highlight of FM radio’s listenership is its premium listener profile. As many as 45 per cent of listeners in the top 8 markets belong to the premium class, NCCS A. These listeners are the most prime audiences for advertisers. Even at a national level, NCCS A listeners are at 29 per cent, nearly double of their share in the population. A reason for the high profile of radio listeners is listenershipinside cars. As many as 25per cent of listeners in the 8 metros consume radio on their car stereos, a big jump since 2014.