Nielsen: Campaigns Driving News/Talk Format

The release of Nielsen’s February portable people meter (PPM) ratings for 48 markets in the  U.S. reveals that election-mania has pushed News/Talk to new highs.

The format is nearly in double-digit listener share territory— a level it hasn’t been since the last Presidential election in 2012. News/Talk is up two-10ths from January to February (9.7% to 9.9%) among all listeners (aged 6 and older). Listenership for adults 25-54 also climbed two-10ths to a 6.9% share in February while listener share for adults 18-34 remain flat at 4.1%. With more than seven months to go before the election, News/Talk radio should remain a political powerhouse on the radio dial.

Without post-season football and all the Super Bowl hype, February tends to be a slow month for the Sports-Talk format. Shares dropped nearly a full point among all listeners 6 and up (5.1% to 4.2%) from January to February. Listener share for adults 18-34 dropped from 3.4% to 3.0% over the same period, while share for adults 25-54 dropped from 5.6% to 4.7%.

February's Top Radio Formats...

While Americans spend the most time with TV, radio reaches the most people in the U.S.—93% of Americans tune in to radio each week. But how are voters using this medium? Nielsen looked at each of Experian's major voter segments to how these groups break out across the top five radio formats nationally.

Not surprisingly, News/Talk has the greatest amount of people who have already “made up their minds” whether Republican or Democrat. Meanwhile, Urban Adult Contemporary (AC) and Contemporary Hits Radio (CHR) are great for the “register to vote initiative.” And Republican and Demoracte listenership levels are almost equal for Country.