On Thursday, Jacobs Media released data from its 14th annual online survey of radio listeners and there was plenty of good news for radio. The survey included 567 radio stations covering 14 formats and there were 64,289 respondents. It was conducted in early 2018 between January 16 and February 26. Here are some of the highlights.
According to the Jacobs Techsurvey, consumers continue to love radio because it’s free and easy to use. “Consumers continue to love broadcast radio for the music, personalities, and emotional drivers, such as companionship and mood elevation. Nearly seven in 10 (69%) say the fact it is easiest to listen to in the car is a main reason they enjoy listening to the radio (the most mentioned response among the choices presented), while six in 10 (60%) say a main reason for listening is that it’s a free service.”
More good news for radio, this on the digital side, as the survey revealed that radio’s digital platforms are growing. “While 70% of consumption to the average station in TS 2018 takes place on ‘regular radios,’ 27% of usage is now occurring via digital platforms — computer streams, mobile apps, smart speakers, and podcasts — up sharply from 22% this time last year. Among Millennials, 31% of their listening is via digital platforms (vs. 65% on a regular radio).”
And the workplace continues to be a dominant location for AM/FM radio. “More than half of those who say they listen to any audio while working report frequently listening to AM/FM on a regular radio in the workplace (54%). An additional 23% listen to AM/FM streams on a computer/laptop, while 21% say they stream AM/FM radio stations on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. To a lesser degree, frequent workplace listening is to personal music (23%), Pandora (17%), SiriusXM (11%), and Spotify (10%).”
And finally, more than nine in 10 respondents to the Jacobs survey say they spend at least one hour a day with radio and/or television, the foundation of this pyramid.
Get more details about the Techsurvey HERE
