List of most-listened-to radio programs
Updated: 11/6/2025, 2:17:04 AM Wikipedia source
In the United States, radio listenership is gauged by Nielsen and others for both commercial radio and public radio. Nielsen and similar services provide estimates by regional market and by standard daypart, but do not compile nationwide information by host. Because there are significant gaps in Nielsen's coverage in rural areas, and because there are only a few markets where the company's proprietary data can be compared against competing ratings tabulators, there is a great deal of estimation and interpolation when attempting to compile a list of the most-listened-to radio programs in the United States. In 2009, Arbitron, the American radio industry's largest audience-measurement company at the time (since subsumed into its television counterpart Nielsen), said that "the job of determining number of listeners for (any particular program or host) is too complicated, expensive and difficult for them to bother with." In contrast, because most UK radio broadcasts are distributed consistently and nationwide, the complications of measuring audiences that are present in American radio are not present for British radio. Talkers Magazine, an American trade publication focusing on talk radio, formerly compiled a list of the most-listened-to commercial long-form talk shows in the United States, based primarily on Nielsen data. In addition to Talkers' independent analyses, radio companies of all formats include estimates of the audience in news releases. The nature of news releases allows radio companies to inflate their listener totals by obscuring the difference between listeners at any given time, cumulative listenership over a time frame, and potential audience.
Tables
· Popular radio shows in the United States
The Ramsey Show
The Ramsey Show
Program
The Ramsey Show
Format
Financial talk
Network
iHeartMedia
Broadcast Time
Midday
Weekly listeners (in millions)
18[failed verification]
Marketplace
Marketplace
Program
Marketplace
Format
Financial news
Network
APM
Broadcast Time
p.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
14.8
All Things Considered
All Things Considered
Program
All Things Considered
Format
News broadcast
Network
NPR
Broadcast Time
p.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
14.7
The Sean Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show
Program
The Sean Hannity Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Premiere
Broadcast Time
p.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
14.5
Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Program
Morning Edition
Format
News broadcast
Network
NPR
Broadcast Time
a.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
13.1
The Mark Levin Show
The Mark Levin Show
Program
The Mark Levin Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Westwood One
Broadcast Time
West Coast p.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
12
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Program
Coast to Coast AM
Format
Paranormal talk
Network
Premiere
Broadcast Time
Overnights
Weekly listeners (in millions)
11
The Glenn Beck Program
The Glenn Beck Program
Program
The Glenn Beck Program
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Premiere
Broadcast Time
East Coast a.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
10
The Dan Bongino Show
The Dan Bongino Show
Program
The Dan Bongino Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Westwood One
Broadcast Time
Midday
Weekly listeners (in millions)
8.75
The Mike Gallagher Show
The Mike Gallagher Show
Program
The Mike Gallagher Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Salem
Broadcast Time
East Coast a.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
8.5
Delilah
Delilah
Program
Delilah
Format
Adult contemporary music
Network
Premiere
Broadcast Time
Evenings
Weekly listeners (in millions)
8.3
The Dana Show
The Dana Show
Program
The Dana Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Radio America
Broadcast Time
Midday
Weekly listeners (in millions)
8
BBC World Service
BBC World Service
Program
BBC World Service
Format
News broadcast
Network
APM
Broadcast Time
Continuous (24/7)
Weekly listeners (in millions)
7.8
The Hugh Hewitt Show
The Hugh Hewitt Show
Program
The Hugh Hewitt Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Salem
Broadcast Time
East Coast a.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
7.5
The Thom Hartmann Program
The Thom Hartmann Program
Program
The Thom Hartmann Program
Format
Progressive talk
Network
Pacifica / WYD Media
Broadcast Time
Midday
Weekly listeners (in millions)
7
The Brian Kilmeade Show
The Brian Kilmeade Show
Program
The Brian Kilmeade Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Fox News Talk
Broadcast Time
Early midday
Weekly listeners (in millions)
6
Fresh Air
Fresh Air
Program
Fresh Air
Format
News broadcast
Network
NPR
Broadcast Time
Midday
Weekly listeners (in millions)
6
Michael Berry
Michael Berry
Program
Michael Berry
Format
Conservative talk
Network
iHeartMedia
Weekly listeners (in millions)
5
The Joe Pags Show
The Joe Pags Show
Program
The Joe Pags Show
Format
Conservative talk
Network
Compass
Broadcast Time
East Coast p.m. drive
Weekly listeners (in millions)
5
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Program
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Format
Panel game show
Network
NPR
Broadcast Time
Weekends
Weekly listeners (in millions)
4
| Program | Format | Network | Broadcast Time | Weekly listeners (in millions) |
| The Ramsey Show | Financial talk | iHeartMedia | Midday | 18[failed verification] |
| Marketplace | Financial news | APM | drive | 14.8 |
| All Things Considered | News broadcast | NPR | drive | 14.7 |
| The Sean Hannity Show | Conservative talk | Premiere | drive | 14.5 |
| Morning Edition | News broadcast | NPR | drive | 13.1 |
| The Mark Levin Show | Conservative talk | Westwood One | West Coast p.m. drive | 12 |
| Coast to Coast AM | Paranormal talk | Premiere | Overnights | 11 |
| The Glenn Beck Program | Conservative talk | Premiere | East Coast a.m. drive | 10 |
| The Dan Bongino Show | Conservative talk | Westwood One | Midday | 8.75 |
| The Mike Gallagher Show | Conservative talk | Salem | East Coast a.m. drive | 8.5 |
| Delilah | Adult contemporary music | Premiere | Evenings | 8.3 |
| The Dana Show | Conservative talk | Radio America | Midday | 8 |
| BBC World Service | News broadcast | APM | Continuous (24/7) | 7.8 |
| The Hugh Hewitt Show | Conservative talk | Salem | East Coast a.m. drive | 7.5 |
| The Thom Hartmann Program | Progressive talk | Pacifica / WYD Media | Midday | 7 |
| The Brian Kilmeade Show | Conservative talk | Fox News Talk | Early midday | 6 |
| Fresh Air | News broadcast | NPR | Midday | 6 |
| Michael Berry | Conservative talk | iHeartMedia | 5 | |
| The Joe Pags Show | Conservative talk | Compass | East Coast p.m. drive | 5 |
| Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! | Panel game show | NPR | Weekends | 4 |
The 15 most listened to stations in Britain, as of June 2025 (only individual stations)[49] · Top stations in the United Kingdom
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
Station
BBC Radio 2
Format
Adult contemporary/AOR
Listeners in millions
12.619
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
Station
BBC Radio 4
Format
Spoken word (news, drama, factual, comedy)
Listeners in millions
9.226
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
Station
BBC Radio 1
Format
Current-based music (pop, rock, dance, urban, alternative)
Listeners in millions
7.483
Greatest Hits Radio
Greatest Hits Radio
Station
Greatest Hits Radio
Format
Classic hits and specialist music
Listeners in millions
6.657
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
Station
BBC Radio 5 Live
Format
Rolling news, discussion and sport
Listeners in millions
5.514
Classic FM
Classic FM
Station
Classic FM
Format
Classical music
Listeners in millions
4.428
Hits Radio
Hits Radio
Station
Hits Radio
Format
CHR/Hot AC
Listeners in millions
4.369
Talksport
Talksport
Station
Talksport
Format
Sports radio
Listeners in millions
3.379
LBC
LBC
Station
LBC
Format
News, discussion, debate
Listeners in millions
2.645
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music
Station
BBC Radio 6 Music
Format
Multi-formatted (electronica, punk, funk, hip hop, trip hop, indie)
Listeners in millions
2.587
Magic
Magic
Station
Magic
Format
Adult contemporary
Listeners in millions
2.253
Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio
Station
Absolute Radio
Format
Classic rock
Listeners in millions
2.155
Kisstory
Kisstory
Station
Kisstory
Format
Classic dance music
Listeners in millions
1.972
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
Station
BBC Radio 3
Format
Classical, jazz, world music, drama, culture, arts
Listeners in millions
1.947
Heart London
Heart London
Station
Heart London
Format
Hot Adult Contemporary
Listeners in millions
1.939
| Station | Format | Listeners in millions |
| BBC Radio 2 | Adult contemporary/AOR | 12.619 |
| BBC Radio 4 | Spoken word (news, drama, factual, comedy) | 9.226 |
| BBC Radio 1 | Current-based music (pop, rock, dance, urban, alternative) | 7.483 |
| Greatest Hits Radio | Classic hits and specialist music | 6.657 |
| BBC Radio 5 Live | Rolling news, discussion and sport | 5.514 |
| Classic FM | Classical music | 4.428 |
| Hits Radio | CHR/Hot AC | 4.369 |
| Talksport | Sports radio | 3.379 |
| LBC | News, discussion, debate | 2.645 |
| BBC Radio 6 Music | Multi-formatted (electronica, punk, funk, hip hop, trip hop, indie) | 2.587 |
| Magic | Adult contemporary | 2.253 |
| Absolute Radio | Classic rock | 2.155 |
| Kisstory | Classic dance music | 1.972 |
| BBC Radio 3 | Classical, jazz, world music, drama, culture, arts | 1.947 |
| Heart London | Hot Adult Contemporary | 1.939 |
The 5 most listened to breakfast programmes in Britain, as of Q4 2023 · Top stations in the United Kingdom
BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show
BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show
Breakfast Programme
BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show
Q4 2022
7,136,000
Q4 2023
6,562,000
Year-on-year change
−8%
BBC Radio 4 Today
BBC Radio 4 Today
Breakfast Programme
BBC Radio 4 Today
Q4 2022
6,170,000
Q4 2023
5,615,000
Year-on-year change
−9%
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast
Breakfast Programme
BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast
Q4 2022
1,608,000
Q4 2023
1,453,000
Year-on-year change
−10%
LBC
LBC
Breakfast Programme
LBC
Q4 2022
1,353,000
Q4 2023
1,341,000
Year-on-year change
−1%
Talksport
Talksport
Breakfast Programme
Talksport
Q4 2022
1,144,000
Q4 2023
1,243,000
Year-on-year change
9%
| Breakfast Programme | Q4 2022 | Q4 2023 | Year-on-year change |
| BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show | 7,136,000 | 6,562,000 | −8% |
| BBC Radio 4 Today | 6,170,000 | 5,615,000 | −9% |
| BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast | 1,608,000 | 1,453,000 | −10% |
| LBC | 1,353,000 | 1,341,000 | −1% |
| Talksport | 1,144,000 | 1,243,000 | 9% |
References
- The Top Talk Audiences from Talkers magazine, last updated March 2021https://www.talkers.com/top-talk-audiences/
- Washington Posthttps://web.archive.org/web/20120623133811/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030603435.html
- Voice of Americahttps://www.insidevoa.com/a/voa-s-weekly-audience-grows-by-14-million/6835938.html
- BBChttps://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/06_june/02/audience.shtml
- A State of Trancehttp://www.astateoftrance.com/about/
- Clear Channelhttps://web.archive.org/web/20100701233346/http://www.clearchannel.com/Radio/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=2725
- About John. Tesh.com. Retrieved September 10, 2021. "...40 million gross impressions per week."http://www.tesh.com/about
- The state of radio today: a focus on African-American & Hispanic audiences Archived 2014-05-07(Date mismatch) at the Wayhttp://images.radcity.net/5173/5161688.pdf
- New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/national/05satellite.html?pagewanted=all&position=
- Listening to AM/FM Radio in September is Near the Highest Point in a Year. Nielsen Audio press release. Retrieved Octobehttps://radioinsight.com/headlines/214055/nielsen-listening-to-am-fm-radio-in-september-is-near-the-highest-point-in-a-year/
- Infinite Dial: Mean Number Of Radios In Home Drops In Half Since 2008. RadioInsight.com (March 3, 2020). Retrieved Marchhttps://radioinsight.com/headlines/184900/infinite-dial-mean-number-of-radios-in-home-drops-in-half-since-2008/
- Radio Insighthttps://radioinsight.com/headlines/212062/edison-research-streaming-now-accounts-for-12-of-am-fm-radio-listening/
- New York Posthttps://nypost.com/2020/07/30/siriusxm-in-talks-to-renew-howard-stern-contract-amid-pandemic/
- New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06Limbaugh-t.html
- National Public Radiohttps://www.npr.org/about/press/2009/032409.AudienceRecord.html
- HISTORY – Tom Kent Radio Network Archived 2015-07-21 at the Wayback Machine. "2014: (...) TKRN reaches 400 station affilhttp://tomkentradio.com/home/history
- NPRhttps://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/07/15/891404076/npr-radio-ratings-collapse-as-pandemic-kills-listeners-commutes
- Insideradio.comhttps://www.insideradio.com/free/nielsen-nfl-draws-tv-like-numbers-on-radio-outperforming-entire-markets/article_3748237a-5ea3-11ee-8ef5-3b4868317785.html
- Insideradio.comhttps://www.insideradio.com/free/here-are-the-nfl-radio-broadcasts-that-ruled-week-1-of-the-season/article_150d1d18-61b1-11ee-b369-5b683cc8299d.html
- Insideradio.comhttps://www.insideradio.com/free/in-home-listening-propels-phillies-radio-broadcasts-to-a-40-share/article_e71405ce-6e4f-11ee-b9a1-2f93a3d3f984.html
- "The Top Talk Radio Audiences (Updated 1/15)"https://archive.today/20130105025640/http://www.talkers.com/top-talk-radio-audience/
- National Public Radiohttps://www.npr.org/about/press/050409.uglycar.html
- National Public Radiohttps://www.npr.org/about/press/020319.recordbreak.html
- New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/books/review/17FREEDMA.html
- "Marketplace 2018 Annual Report"https://features.marketplace.org/Marketplace_Annual-Report_070618_FINAL.pdf
- Note that the network conflates the Marketplace Morning Report (which airs during Morning Edition in most markets) with
- "NPR Maintains Highest Ratings Ever"https://www.npr.org/about-npr/597590072/npr-maintains-highest-ratings-ever
- "Morning Edition"http://nationalpublicmedia.com/npr/programs/morning-edition/
- Bloomberg Business Weekhttps://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-delilah
- "American Public Media Group Announces Record Audience Numbers"https://www.americanpublicmedia.org/american-public-media-group-announces-record-audience-numbers/
- Originally aired in West Coast PM drive until 2016.
- "Trump Insults Hugh Hewitt When Asked About Tax Returns: 'Very Few People Listen to Your Radio Show'"http://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-insults-hugh-hewitt-when-asked-about-tax-returns-very-few-people-listen-to-your-radio-show/
- "Fresh Air With Terry Gross"http://nationalpublicmedia.com/npr/programs/fresh-air-with-terry-gross/
- ""Charm monster" Tom Hanks hosts Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, tries to reassure America"https://www.avclub.com/charm-monster-tom-hanks-hosts-wait-wait-don-t-tell-m-1798256833
- Hinckley, David. Howard Stern rules satellite radio. New York Daily News. 7 May 2008.http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/05/07/2008-05-07_howard_stern_rules_satellite_radio.html
- "Sirius XM Holdings Inc. – SIRIUS Exceeds 8.3 Million Subscribers"http://investor.siriusxm.com/investor-overview/press-releases/press-release-details/2008/SIRIUS-Exceeds-83-Million-Subscribers/default.aspx
- "Sirius XM Holdings Inc. – SiriusXM Surpasses 30 Million Subscribers"http://investor.siriusxm.com/investor-overview/press-releases/press-release-details/2016/SiriusXM-Surpasses-30-Million-Subscribers/default.aspx
- CNYRadio.com / CNYTVNews.comhttp://www.cnyradio.com/eastlan-ratings-syracuse/
- "Top OTR Shows"http://www.old-time.com/ratings/by%20season/index.html
- Dunning, John, The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, Oxford University Press, 1998
- Father Coughlin; the tumultuous life of the priest of the Little Flowerhttps://archive.org/details/fathercoughlintu0000marc
- Fireside Politics: Radio and Political Culture in the United States, 1920–1940https://books.google.com/books?id=haWh203m7aIC&pg=PA156
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-11-09-9311090109-story.html
- Donohue, Tom (May 1, 2018). Talk radio host and pioneer Chuck Harder dies at 78. Radio-Online. Retrieved May 28, 2022.https://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n35449
- msnbc.comhttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10454035
- Michael Carlson, "Obituary: Paul Harvey", The Guardian, March 3, 2009.https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/mar/03/paul-harvey
- Michaelson, Judith (March 26, 1998). A Rush to Dr. Laura? Survey puts Schlessinger, Stern ahead of Limbaugh as leading thttps://www.proquest.com/docview/421366576
- "The end of the road for Car Talk on WRVO"http://wrvo.org/post/end-road-car-talk-wrvo
- www.rajar.co.ukhttps://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php