New figures from Rajar have shown that the number of radio listeners in the UK has reached a new high with the data showing that 47.3 million listeners are tuning in to listen to at least one radio station per week.

Top of the radio stations was BBC Radio 4 with the station drawing almost 11 million listeners per week to listen to the news, arts and talk show famed around the world as well as the radio serial drama The Archers.

The most popular programme on the station was the Today programme which attracted more than 7 million listeners for the first time during the period between January and March.

The Today show, which has a variety of presenters including John Humphrys and Evan Davis, saw listener numbers increase by 600,000 in comparison to the same period last year.

Other hits from the BBC included BBC Radio 2 with the new breakfast show hosted by Chris Evans, who took over from radio legend Terry Wogan, recording 9.18 million listeners.

BBC Radio 2 proved to be more popular than BBC Radio 1 with the Chris Moyles breakfast show only pulling in 7.52 million listeners.

Talksport, the commercial radio station which recently won the Sony radio academy award for national station of the year, was found to have 3.25 million listeners a week an increase of nearly 900,000 in comparison to the same period in 2010.

This year has been a good one overall for commercial radio stations with the total commercial radio listenership hitting 34 million per week, another record in the industry.

The increase in popularity of radio and rise in the number of listeners has been attributed to the ease of being able to access radio stations now in new forms and not by a traditional radio. Listeners now tune in via their laptops, televisions and mobile phones making it easily accessible almost anywhere.