RADAR Says Radio Reaches 91 Percent of Population

Nielsen has announced highlights from its December 2013 RADAR® 119 National Radio Listening Report. The report shows radio’s U.S. audience increased year over year, adding more than 700,000 weekly listeners since December 2012. Radio now reaches 241.8 million listeners (91 percent of persons) ages 12 and older on an average weekly basis. Additionally, daily time spent listening to radio among persons ages 12 and older held steady from the December 2012 RADAR report. Those 12 and older who listen to the radio spend approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes a day with the medium.

Year over year, radio continues to increase its national reach, adding more listeners on a weekly basis, according to a five-year trend based on the latest RADAR report.

According to the December 2013 RADAR report, radio saw gains in the Hispanic audience across all major demographic groups compared with December 2012, while the black (non-Hispanic) audience remained steady year over year.

• Radio’s Hispanic audience aged 12 and older added 372,000 weekly listeners over the past year. Radio reaches 94 percent of Hispanic listeners 12 and older in an average week.
• Listenership among young Hispanic teens ages 12 to 17 showed impressive gains from last year, adding 271,000 weekly listeners. Radio now reaches more than 5 million Hispanic teens in an average week.
• Listenership among Hispanic adults ages 18 to 49 also increased compared to last year, adding more than 500,000 weekly radio listeners.
• Radio now reaches more than 30 million black (non-Hispanic) listeners 12 and older in an average week, or 91 percent of this demographic.