Former BBC Radio Devon presenter expresses 'sadness' over drop in listener numbers

Former BBC Radio Devon presenter David 'Fitz' Fitzgerald has spoken of his 'sadness' after latest figures showed a huge drop in listener numbers.

Latest data from the Radio Joint Audience Research shows a decline in listenership for BBC Radio Devon, with the station attracting 136,000 weekly listeners in the last quarter of 2023 - a nine per cent decrease from the same period in 2022, which itself saw a drop from 176,000 weekly listeners the year before.

David Fitzgerald left the BBC last year after an illustrious career spanning 17 years as a popular presenter for the BBC.

He said: "I’m so deeply saddened, but it’s not exactly surprising that the reduction in service to the community of Devon has resulted in a huge drop in listeners. And I’m sorry to say that the decline will continue until the service is no longer there."
The average time spent tuned into BBC Radio Devon has also dropped, according to the new data.

At the close of 2023, listeners spent an average of 7.5 hours per week with the station, down from 9.7 hours in 2022 and 9.2 hours in 2021.

The BBC has only recently made changes to its local radio output, shifting focus towards expanding its digital local news coverage.