East Coast FM Audience Grows As Radio Keeps Wicklow Connected

From Bray and Greystones to the Blessington lakes and the valleys around Avoca, radio is still the soundtrack to the day in Wicklow, and more people than ever are tuning in to East Coast FM.

The latest JNLR/Ipsos survey, covering October 2025 to September 2026, shows the station now has 55,000 listeners every week, a growing audience for the local voice of the Garden of Ireland.

A national picture with a local heartbeat

The figures show radio’s reach across the country is as strong as ever.

Almost 3.5 million adults, or 78% of the adult population, listen on an average weekday, and 89 percent tune in at some point during the week.

More than 2.2 million adults listen to local or regional radio every single day, whether it’s the morning commute on the N11, the school run, or the news, sport and traffic updates that matter to their own community.

Reaching every generation

The survey also challenges the idea that younger people have drifted away.

Almost 900,000 adults aged 15 to 34 listen every weekday, which is 65% of that age group.

Among 15 to 24-year-olds, 412,000 tune in each weekday, or 59%.

Radio is just as strong with older listeners.

83% of adults aged 35 and over listen every weekday, about 2.6 million people.

Over 2.6 million main shoppers tune in daily, as do 76 percent of ABC1 adults.

New ways to listen

How people listen is changing too.

Connected devices now account for 12 percent of all radio listening, rising to 19% among 15 to 34-year-olds, and smart speakers alone make up 8 percent.

Whether it’s a kitchen radio in Wicklow Town, a car stereo on the Sally Gap, or a phone on a Glendalough walk, the station is only a tap or a dial away.

Radio and advertising

Ciarán Cunningham, CEO of Radiocentre Ireland, said radio’s ability to reach across generations is one of its greatest strengths, pointing to the almost 900,000 young adults listening every weekday.

He added that international research presented by Professor Mark Ritson at the recent Sounding Out conference found campaigns that include audio were 22 percent more effective overall than those without.

For local businesses, from Main Street shops to Arklow tradespeople, that is a reminder of the power of speaking directly to the community they serve.