6 appeal

Brand boosts radio audience

Russell Brand is being credited for giving digital radio station 6 Music a 40 per cent ratings hike.

The comic presents just one show a week on the channel, on Sunday mornings, but his tabloid fame has brought new listeners flocking to the channel since he joined in March.

Official new ratings from Rajar show the BBC station now attracts a weekly audience of 400,000.

Controller Lesley Douglas said: ‘It has been good for digital radio to have a star like Russell presenting on 6Music. He really is at the top of his form.’

Spoken word station BBC7, which runs many vintage BBC comedy programmes, was also a ratings winner, with its audience up more than 10 per cent to 697,000.

Published: 26 Oct 2006

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