It is the most widely listened to radio station in Northern Ireland, with a diverse range of programmes, including news, talk, features, music and sport. In the Q3 2021 RAJAR survey, the station had 517,000 weekly listeners, with total weekly listening hours of 5.5 million, beating its main local rivals (Cool FM, Downtown Radio, Downtown Country, U105, and Q Radio) on both of these metrics and, logically therefore, average weekly hours per listener (10.64). When taken together, the Bauer-owned stations (both Downtown stations and Cool FM) had higher total audience and listening hours per week, but lower average weekly hours per listener. The station had 135,000 more weekly listeners than its equivalent in Wales, BBC Radio Wales, despite serving a RAJAR population 1.1 million smaller. The station had the highest percentage reach and listening share, per corresponding survey area, of any BBC local, nations or national radio station, at 34% and 19.9% respectively. It is broadcast from BBC Northern Ireland's
Broadcasting House in
Belfast. News bulletins are broadcast usually on the hour seven days a week from 6:30 am until midnight (on weekdays), from 6:45 am until midnight (on Saturdays) and from 7:00 am to midnight (on weekends, Christmas holidays, and Bank Holidays). It is available on 92-95 FM,
DAB and
Freeview in Northern Ireland and across the UK on
BBC Sounds and satellite/cable television. It is also available in
Ireland via BBC Sounds,
Virgin Media, on smart speakers or on FM in counties bordering Northern Ireland. The station was available on medium wave on 1341 kHz and 873 kHz until 6 May 2021. An opt-out of the station exists in
Derry,
BBC Radio Foyle, carrying alternative programming and news between 8:00am and 4:00pm weekdays. The station is also broadcast on DAB Digital Radio, digital television and on the Internet. During the station's downtime, BBC Radio Ulster simulcasts
BBC Radio 5 Live programming. ==Funding==