NielsenAudio Says Country Is Getting 'Younger', CHR 'Matures'

When NielsenAudio examines the audio landscape each month by analyzing PPM data, they see how seasonality affects what audiences listen to on the radio.

In late October, Nielsen reported how spoken word formats made a big rebound coming out of the summer and noted the sustained run of success for both Urban Contemporary and Hot Adult Contemporary (Hot AC) in 2013. The company cites many of those same trends in the November data, but they also found some significant changes in audience composition for Country and Pop Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) compared with what we saw in November 2012.

Top 5 Formats for November in PPM Markets:

Below are some highlights from Nielsen’s November PPM data across 45 markets* using the full-week (Mon-Sun 6 a.m.-midnight) daypart and audience shares for the 6+, 18-34 and 25-54 demographics.

• Country’s Youth Movement: 2013 has been the biggest year for the Country music format ever. It’s been setting records both nationally and in the PPM markets for listening shares for some time, and skyrocketed to new highs over the summer by growing its share by double digits in only a few months. A big part of that growth has come from some of radio’s youngest listeners, as Country has been steadily growing the audience shares among 18-24 and 25-34 year-olds for several years. Now, Nielsen is beginning to see the long-term effects of that trend. In looking at the November ratings of the past two years, we see that Country’s 18-34 shares have grown 25 percent since 2011 (from a 7.5 share to 9.4 today). It’s also been the No. 2 format in the U.S. every month this year, behind only Pop CHR.
• Pop CHR Matures: While Pop CHR dominates the 18-34 ranker as the No. 1 destination for audiences nationwide, most of this format’s growth is coming from the older, 25-54 demo—the opposite of what we’re seeing with Country. Over the past two years of November ratings, Pop CHR’s 18-34 shares have grown 2 percent (12.2 to 12.5), while the 25-54 shares have increased by nearly 10 percent (8.0 to 8.7). Since the start of 2012, when Pop CHR unseated Adult Contemporary for the top spot, it has quietly and consistently been the No. 1 format for adults 25-54 in PPM markets in every month other than when Christmas music is on the air.