Radio: Perception (Old Fashioned) vs Reality (America’s #1 Reach Medium)

Radio Has Kept Its Reach While TV Is Eroding

Each year, the Nielsen ratings company does an Audience Report on radio listening.  The 2015 report, like many before it, found plenty of positive indicators about the reach and power of radio. And contrary to the perceptions of many in the public as well as the marketing community, radio has been extremely resilient in the digital era — especially compared to television.

Among the highlights:

  • Radio is #1 in reach among Adults 18+, 18-34 and 35-49.
  • Among Adults 18+ Radio’s weekly reach (93%), surpasses TV (87%), Smartphones (70%), Social Networks on Smartphones (61%), PC (54%) and Smartphone video (37%)
  • Radio’s 18-34 weekly reach advantage over television (93% to 76%) is significant.
  • Among 18-34s, the number of days of weekly usage is led by Smartphones (5.9), followed by Radio (5.0), Television (4.7), Tablet (4.6) and PC (3.6). 18-34s are more frequent weekly users of radio versus television.

Overall, in a true apples-to-apples comparison, more than 90% of Americans are reached weekly by radio — more than TV and smartphones. While radio has always been known for its value, allowing advertisers to build frequency in getting their message heard at a reasonable cost, the medium has also always had significant reach. Even with the rise of digital platforms, radio has kept that reach, while TV is eroding in the face of ‘cord-cutting’ among cable customers and increased use of on-demand streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Radio industry leaders have long said that radio has a perception problem, not an audience problem. As a local advertiser, you can take advantage of the strong reach and frequency that local radio stations can bring to your marketing message.  Contact us by clicking below to learn more about Forever Media radio stations and reaching our passionate listeners.