45m people listened to their radios each week during the last quarter of 2006, according to Rajar figures out today.

The figure, equal to 90% of the UK population, is the highest number of listeners recorded since the first weekly Rajar survey in 1992.

Takeup of new listening methods, ranging from digital TV to mobiles, is also rising. Rajar estimates that 16% of the UK population live in digital radio-equipped homes, and the number of people listening to radio programming via digital TV and the internet increased by 9% and 10% respectively compared to the same period last year.

Particular growth was observed in the number of people listening to the radio via a mobile phone. 7.8% of people in the UK aged over 15 listen to the radio via their phones, up 24% year-on-year.