Radio Rising

93.1% of Americans 12+ listen to the radio.*


UP 1.9 million listeners from last year.*


Many thought that radio would never make it past the launch of that new invention. The television. Records, 8 Track tapes, cassettes came next. All had their place. Radio still thrived. Have you listened to an 8 track tape lately? Have you ever even SEEN one?



I remember when CDs were going to make radio obsolete. Does anyone buy CDs now? How about music channels on cable in the early 90s? That would surely be the end of radio. Satellite Radio, Ipods, Internet radio, Pandora. In the face of all of this, radio fell to reaching a mere 92% of 12+ Americans.


Now, it is growing again.


• The largest gains came in the 18-34 adult demo. The total number of 18-34s estimated to listen to radio on a weekly basis is 66.5 million, up 350,000 from a year ago. Percentage-wise, 93.6% of 18-34s listen to radio. The teen reach is also up, gaining about 158,000 to 22.8 million, for a reach of 92%.*


• In terms of basic qualitative, radio attracts nearly 96% of adults 18+ with a college education and a household income of $75,000-plus. It also reaches 96% of adults 25-54 with a household income of $50,000-plus.*

As long as radio continues to deliver local and relevent content to its' market, radio will continue to be an unstoppable force. (Insert Joplin example here)

Radio is the last free provider of local news, sports, weather, information and entertainment.

I haven't even gotten to the part about the ability of radio to drive the local economy by educating consumers on what there options are to spend their dollars on goods and services. But that is for another day.


I would say welcome back radio, but you never left.

*RADAR 109 Survey