Techsurvey Shows Radio’s Strengths And Key Advantages To Other Audio.

In a extremely attended webinar, Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs revealed particulars of the 2025 Teachsurvey, which was performed from Jan. 8 to Feb. 9 and concerned database members and listeners of 500 radio stations within the U.S. and Canada. This yr’s Techsurvey included 24,525 accomplished surveys.

The detailed examine revealed 10 key takeaways:

Broadcast radio is secure however growing old, with native content material turning into extra vital post-COVID.
Personalities now drive radio listening greater than music for seven years.
Some listeners are lowering radio consumption attributable to digital choices, COVID’s influence, and station errors.
Digital transformation continues, although slower, whereas conventional radio declines.
Radio is accessed by way of varied units, together with good TVs and on-line newsletters.
Car infotainment options scale back radio listening.
Mobile and social media are ubiquitous, influencing information and purchases.
Podcasting reached a brand new excessive in weekly listenership.
Social media’s function in information and product inspiration is quantified.
There’s a Gen X alternative for radio skewed in the direction of Boomers.

One of an important questions of the Techsurvey, and the primary one requested to respondents, is what number of hours throughout a mean weekday they hearken to the radio, be it over the air, on a cell app, or on good units.

“There’s loads of people who’re consuming an terrible lot of radio every day,” Jacobs stated. “Almost a 3rd of the general pattern (32%) listens two to a few hours a day.” Approximately one-fifth of respondents, or 21%, pay attention for 4 to 6 hours a day, and 12% pay attention eight hours a day or extra. The generations that pay attention much less are Gen Z and Millennials, “who clearly devour another stuff,” Jacobs defined.

The high explanation why respondents hearken to the radio are that it’s “best to hearken to within the automobile” and “it’s free.” Jacobs remarked. “The cool factor about radio is we do not ship you an bill on the finish of the month and invoice you for all that radio you’ve got listened to,” he continued. “Unlike all these subscription providers on the market, radio is, in reality, free.” Other causes embody the DJs, hosts, and exhibits, listening to a favourite music/artist, and several other of what Jacobs says are emotional causes for listening – attributable to behavior, feeling a connection to the host/station, liking to work with the radio one, radio retains the listener firm, and to be told about information and occasions.

Being native and offering a way of place is a large energy of the medium. Listeners really feel a higher reference to native radio vs. different audio. This feeling has steadily climbed over time, from 49% within the 2018 Techsurvey, to 56% this yr. Most say that radio’s native edge is a key benefit, with 54% strongly agreeing with the assertion, and 34% agreeing. Since COVID greater than half proceed to quote radio’s native edge as a key benefit.

Personalities are the highest motive for tuning right into a radio station, respondents agree. As addressed earlier, personalities (61%) outpace music (56%) as to why somebody tunes right into a station. Women, Millennials, and Gen Xers index highest in citing personalities as a most important tune-in issue. Listeners of CHR lead the codecs, with 72% of listeners to this style citing persona attraction as why they pay attention. Next is information/speak and rock at 65%, and sports activities at 63%.

Jacobs says it was the 2014 Techsurvey the place “we began at 57% saying that is a crucial motive for me to hearken to the radio. It’s solely at 61% right now,” he continued, “The extra dramatic shift is taking a look at people who find themselves pushed by music to hearken to the radio. That’s gone from 70% again in 2014 right down to 56% right now.”

Survey individuals are additionally keen to satisfy radio personalities, with one in 4 strongly agreeing that they wish to join with their favourite hosts and personalities.

The survey discovered that radio is growing old, or a minimum of the respondents of Techsurvey are. The common age in 2022 was 55.8; in 2023, it was 55.5, in 2024, it was 56.7, and this yr’s Techsurvey pegs the typical is 58 years previous.

“And if you assume that the candy spot demo that we speak about on a regular basis is 25 to 54 the typical age of our greatest listeners, our core viewers, is already over 54,” Jacobs defined. “As the good one Wayne Gretzky as soon as stated, you possibly can undoubtedly see the place the puck is shifting.”