Study: Radio Formats Compete Differently With Other Media

Trends in Radio: A new study conducted by The Media Audit analyzing the top radio formats listened to most often, reveals that listeners of different music genres or formats have varying degrees of exposure to other media such as TV, newspaper, outdoor, and the Internet.

The findings suggest that those looking to bolster radio advertising revenue should take note that not all radio formats compete against other media such as TV, newspaper, outdoor, and the Internet in the same manner.

Radio and the Internet

For example, internet exposure among listeners of different radio formats varies significantly.  Among the top most listened to radio formats, listeners to Dance CHR (Contemporary Hits Radio) spend an average of 4.5 hours online daily, more than any other radio format analyzed. 

Furthermore, a bulk of Dance CHR's listeners can be found at the younger end of the age spectrum (48% are between the age of 18 and 24 years old), when Internet usage is at its peak. Among Dance CHR's 18 to 24 year old listeners, they spend an average of five hours and 45 minutes online. Therefore, an advertiser looking to target younger consumers could more effectively maximize ROI through a radio/web promotion.

In contrast, listeners to Hispanic radio spend the least amount of time online per day, surfing the internet an average of only three hours per day online. The figure represents 22% less daily online usage when compared to all U.S. adults.

However, these same listeners are more likely to spend time listening to radio. According to the same survey, listeners to Hispanic radio stations spend two hours and 45 minutes listening to radio on an average day, a figure that is 15% higher when compared to the daily listening habits for all U.S. adults.

Radio and TV

Among radio listeners who spend the most amount of time watching TV are those who listen to Urban Adult Contemporary (UAC) stations, while listeners of Public Radio spend the least amount of time watching TV. According to the report, listeners to Urban Adult Contemporary formatted stations spend 30% more time watching TV in a typical day, when compared to the typical U.S. consumer. 

Among all U.S. consumers, the average amount of time spent viewing TV is 3.5 hours, compared to 4.5 hours for those who listen most often to an Urban Adult Contemporary station.

In comparison, Public Radio listeners spend an average of two hours and 40 minutes watching TV each day, a figure that is 42% lower when compared to the typical U.S. consumer's daily TV viewing habits. 

Analysis of Public Radio listener's media habits by age group also suggests that as listeners get older, they spend more time listening to radio, a trend not often seen among radio listeners.