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Radio Continues To Lead The Way In Reach

While Baby Boomers grew up with radio and Millennials tune into the medium in strikingly large numbers, Radio’s largest reach comes from Generation X (ages 35-54). Some 80.5 million Gen X-ers tune in to AM/FM radio during an average month (97% of the generation’s population), according to fresh research from Nielsen. Gen X is followed by Millennials (18-34-year-olds) with 71.6 million monthly listeners (95% of the Millennial population) and 41.2 million monthly Baby Boom listeners (ages 55-64), representing 98% of the generation’s population. All told, radio reaches 93% of adult Americans (18+) each week, some 228.5 million consumers, more than those watching television (216.5 million), using an app or accessing the web on a smartphone (203.8 million) or watching video on a smartphone (127.6 million). The new numbers, from Nielsen’s second-quarter 2017 Comparable Metrics Report, keep radio in the enviable position as the country’s top reach medium, which it has occupied since Nielsen first began apple-to-apples comparisons of media platforms more than two years ago.

Comparing technology trends to fashion trends, Nielsen Audio managing director Brad Kelly calls AM/FM radio “the blue blazer” of the media universe. “Who would have believed 100 years after its debut AM/FM radio would continue to top the charts as the medium that reaches more consumers each week than any other,” he says in the introduction to “Audio Today – How America Listens.” “Audio plays a central role in the daily lives of hundreds of millions of consumers. Broadcast radio specifically continues to profoundly enrich the lives of listeners and create value for advertisers,” Kelly adds. The new report offers a snapshot of the audio world, where a plethora of new apps and streaming services continue to make headlines on a daily basis. Yet broadcast radio’s weekly reach of 228.5 million outpaces the 68.5 million for streaming audio, 35.7 million using satellite radio and 21.9 million consuming podcasts. “Radio plays a special role in our culture. Its audiences are as varied and diverse as our national makeup. All generations, demographics and ethnicities are tuning in,” Kelly says. In fact, the new data shows radio reaches 97% of African Amercians (34.5 million consumers) and 96% of Hispanics (44.6 million) on a monthly basis. The medium’s monthly reach is remarkably consistent across all age demographics, from teens (94%) to adults 25-54 (97%).

That consistent reach hasn’t gone unnoticed by big national brands. “Billion dollar advertisers are re-discovering the power of radio and how it can augment, supplement and amplify their media mix,” Kelly says. “New ad dollars are flowing to the medium, and major national brand names that have been absent from commercial radio for decades can once again be heard on the air – further evidence that we are entering into an age of ‘reawakening’ about what radio has to offer both the general consumer public, and the ad community.”

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Coverage

WRHI and Interstate 107 cover 18 counties in North and South Carolina. See the links below for coverage maps for our specific stations.

WRHI-AM Coverage Map. Click to view a larger edition.

WRHI-AM/FM and WRHM-FM Coverage Map. Click to view a larger edition.

Radio Targets Specific, Dedicated Listeners
Radio stations are programmed with a specific audience in mind. Pop, Urban, Country, Sports or Talk; there’s a selection for every listener, and every listener makes a selection–or two or three!

This means you don’t have to wonder where your customer resides—radio has done the research for you. Not only can your radio advertising rep tell you which program your potential customer is listening to, but also how often he visits and how long he stays. And your rep has a full demographic rundown of your customers’ age, income, education and buying habits.

Radio Connects Intimately with the Audience
Radio is an intimate medium. Think about it…the average commuter is in his car, usually alone, 45 minutes a day. Radio isn’t just background noise; it’s a companion. Listeners form emotional bonds, not only with the local personalities but also with nationally syndicated names like Sean Hannity, Mike Huckabee and Brian Kilmeade. This lends INSTANT credibility to businesses that advertise on a listener’s favorite program or station.

Radio Advertising is Affordable and Effective
Radio is alive and well. The audience members have made the emotional connection with their favorite station, program and host—and they’re ready to transfer that loyalty to the advertiser. Best of all, compared to just about every other advertising medium, nothing is more affordable and effective, dollar for dollar, than radio advertising.

So give us a call at (803)324-1340. Our marketing experts have many options and opportunities to meet your specific advertising needs. Tune in to radio advertising, and start reaching your target audience today!