About half of Gen Z’s time with ad-supported audio is spent on broadcast radio, according to iHeartMedia research cited by Lainie Fertick, president of iHeart Insights.
The rest of that time is split between streaming and podcasts, which serve different needs, Fertick told Beet.TV Editorial Director Lisa Granatstein. iHeart Insights, the company’s research and consumer intelligence unit, studies how people use audio and how advertisers can reach them across radio, podcasts and streaming.
Buyers often start in the wrong place, Fertick said. The more useful questions are what Gen Z is listening to, where they are listening, and why.
iHeart’s research found that Gen Z co-listens more than previous generations—in cars, around family or coworkers, and as shared cultural ground. Fertick called audio “this cultural experience.” That matters as mass culture has splintered and fewer people share the same media at the same time.
Radio also functions as a socially safer playlist. Fertick said younger listeners are more guarded about personal taste than earlier generations; a private playlist can reveal too much to parents, siblings or coworkers.
Broadcast radio is neutral territory. “No matter who you’re with, you can put on broadcast radio and sort of feel like you’re part of something,” she said.
Streaming can match individual taste and podcasts can go deep on a topic. Radio’s advantage, in this framing, is communal listening that does not require exposing a private library.The same research thread extends to AI. iHeart’s 2025 “Human Consumer” study found people want AI’s convenience but worry about losing control. They want it as a tool, not something imposed on them or used to deceive them. As automated media grew, human connection appeared more valuable.
That included speech imperfections. iHeart tested tools that cleaned up vocal flaws in radio and podcasts. Listeners were less attached to the smoother versions.
“Anytime you remove the imperfections from content, it’s less connective,” Fertick said. “Sometimes the flaws and the stuff we goof or mess up is actually what makes the content so great.”
Those findings feed iHeartMedia’s “guaranteed human” stance: no AI-generated music or fake AI artists, and real people hosting its stations. For the company, the human element is increasingly part of the product.