Like the old Timex commercial, it’s radio that “takes a licking but keeps on ticking.”
First, 60 years ago, television was supposed to knock radio off the air. That didn’t happen. Just a few years ago, the iPod was supposed to sound radio’s death knell. That hasn’t happened either.
The latest research from Bridge Ratings shows that 93.2% of Americans listen to radio in any given week. Think about that – how many other products in the marketplace are used by 93% of the population? Radio is an elite class and is still a mass medium.
We are also seeing some very encouraging numbers internationally. A new research study in the UK shows radio’s reach at an all-time high – up 4% from last year. One of our clients in England, Key 103, a Hot AC station in Manchester, has skyrocketed to #1 in its market during that time. They have accomplished that ranking by keeping listeners connected to the station’s brand in a time when radio is fragmenting, not shrinking.
This isn’t to say that usage to radio is under heavy competition than ever before – whether it be from Pandora or other audio sources. What we see in our strategic radio research studies is that listeners are still using radio at a high rate and depend upon it for local information and entertainment, including as a primary source to discover new music.
All of this is important to keep in mind when developing programming, promotions and sales strategies. We are not just branding and positioning our stations to make connections with audiences, we also must remind ourselves and our audiences about the power of radio. It’s important to remind our staffs about just how many lives we are touching every week. And it’s important to remind our advertisers that they are investing in a medium that their customers rely on for entertainment and information.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of radio’s death have been greatly exaggerated. It’s up to us – as an industry – to separate fact from fiction.