Making waves

Radio has been around for a very long time, bested only by print media. It's served many different uses, emergency broadcast, radio plays, newscasting, entertainment... the list goes on. It's no wonder then why "In 2020, 83% of Americans ages 12 or older listened to terrestrial radio in a given week" according to a Pew Research study from June of this year.

The number, maybe unsurprisingly has stayed relatively similar except for this most recent year. That might have something to do with the entire country being on lockdown, with commuting significantly reduced (possibly accounting for radio listeners in their cars), but this is only a guess. Of note, though is this comparison to those who listen online:

The number has steadily increased since 2007, especially among weekly online audio listeners. The numbers paint a slightly different picture than I had anticipated, showing that of the group surveyed, over half noted that they listen to both terrestrial and online broadcasts. Maybe future surveys will provide more insight.

My takeaway is this: Online audio listening is steadily building an audience as strong as traditional radio. The draws include access in areas that may have weak or no radio signal- provided there is internet, and a decrease in advertisements. The cost offset into the form of subscription services instead of traditional advertising. However, this transition is slow because of the free nature of terrestrial broadcast, and low cost of entry into consuming this media.

References

Shearer, E., & Liedke, J. (2021, June 29). Audio and Podcasting Fact Sheet. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/audio-and-podcasting/