A new industry survey reveals that radio's greatest challenge is not shrinking audiences, but rather its struggle to effectively convey its true value to advertisers and listeners.
Ahead of Sunday's New England Patriots-Seattle Seahawks game, DMR/Interactive polled radio executives with a hypothetical: If the industry spent $10 million on a single ad during the big game, what should the message be?
The top proposed tagline — one that many respondents said could jolt even skeptics — claims: more people will wake up and listen to radio the next day than will watch the championship game itself.
The survey exposes a paradox: Radio reaches more people weekly than any other medium, including major digital platforms, yet it battles outdated perceptions in a fragmented media landscape.
Andrew Curran, President and CEO of DMR/Interactive, attributes this to radio's very ubiquity — it's free, local, always accessible, and ever-present in cars, workplaces, and homes — making its massive, consistent impact easy to overlook.
Responses clustered around three key messaging angles:
- Free & Everywhere (38%) - Radio's unmatched accessibility across devices and environments
- Fun & Companionship (32%) - The emotional connection and human presence of local radio personalities
- Advertisers & Reach (30%) - Radio's unrivaled weekly reach and marketing effectiveness
The survey also identified a message that would resonate with P1s and current advertisers and prompt skeptics to verify the claim. "Tomorrow, more people will get up and listen to the radio than are watching the game tonight."
Many executives blended these themes, underscoring radio's power at the intersection of broad reach, local relevance, and emotional connection.
Ultimately, the findings indicate radio's real hurdle is reclaiming mindshare amid digital distractions — not defending its existence, but reminding everyone it's still a daily habit for millions during commutes, workdays, and routines.