The AM Band and Radio’s Dominance Over TV Defined 2023 Data

Cumulus Media and Westwood One’s Audio Active Group has revealed the Group’s five most popular insights of 2023. With talk about radio’s place in the car, revamped listening post-pandemic, and digital audio’s continued rise, broadcasters showed great interest in AM radio and traditional radio’s survival.

Cumulus Media Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard told Radio Ink, “The theme for 2023 could be the surprising power of audio: In March, Advertising Age ran a significant piece titled ‘How Procter & Gamble is re-investing in radio to find TV audiences.’ The article detailed ‘how Radio is helping the CPG giant find audiences linear TV no longer reaches at fraction of CTV cost.'”

“Sometimes, the possibility of losing something causes Americans to fight back. This was the story of AM radio this year. Legislators from all parts of the political spectrum joined to defend AM radio, which serves 82 million Americans monthly.”

“Nielsen issued a 2023 head snapper with reports that AM/FM radio beats TV in 18-49 ratings, according to their Total Audience Report. In August, another major Advertising Age piece proclaimed, ‘Audio ads outperform video for attention and brand recall.’ Surprising key findings from a significant study by Carat Dentsu, the giant media agency.”

“In the Chinese calendar, 2023 was the Year of the Rabbit. In Chinese culture, the Rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity. Attributes that can also describe radio!”

Here’s what broadcasters found most riveting in 2023:

Is YouTube Eating Podcasts?

As Google Podcasts goes away and Apple and Spotify fight for market share, a new behemoth emerged. The Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights’ Podcast Download from this past spring revealed YouTube as the leading podcast platform in the US. This echoed the same finding from Triton Digital’s Podcast Metrics, sparking conversations on media consumption habits.

82 Million Reasons To Keep AM Radio In Vehicles

The fourth position went to the blog discussing the enduring importance of AM radio in vehicles as automakers threaten to remove the band. This found that Ford owners make up 20% of the entire US AM radio audience, which may have played a role in why the company reversed its decision on cutting AM.

The analysis suggests that media agencies and advertisers often underestimate the share of AM/FM while overestimating the audiences of platforms like Pandora and Spotify and trasitional radio continues to dominate car listening with an 88% share of ad-supported audio.

7 New Findings About The Podcast Audience

Derived from Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” study, Cumulus Media’s 2023 Audioscape provided a deep dive into the demographics, behaviors, and opportunities within the podcasting sphere. Key findings included how podcasts have doubled their share of personality/talk content time among those aged 25-54, now accounting for 55% of the time spent. The study also found that the median age of the podcast audience remains at 34, notably younger than AM/FM radio and linear TV audiences.

AM/FM Radio Ratings Overtake TV

The second most popular blog detailed a historic turn of events in March where AM/FM radio ratings eclipsed those of TV among the 18-49 demographic for the first time ever. The Q3 2022 Total Audience Report showed radio up three percent on TV, a lead held through the remainder of the year.

With cord cutting and streaming on the rise, Nielsen data shows television reach among persons 18-49 has dropped -28% and time spent viewing eroded -56%, an hour and a half, since 2018. This comes on the heels of Edison Research’s 2023 Infinite Dial report, showing 73% of adults 18+ still listen to AM/FM.

AM Radio’s Most Popular Markets

AM radio finished in the spotlight. The Audio Active Group’s “New Nielsen Study: 141 Local Markets Where AM Radio Is Listened To By At Least 20% Of The Radio Audience” presented an analysis of markets with significant AM radio listenership, showcasing its diverse appeal remains across diverse regions and topographies.