Eight-one percent of all FM stations in the U.S. have been tuned to from the NextRadio app, according to Emmis Communications.
An average of 1,600 FMs are turned to each day through the NextRadio app, says Emmis in its latest blog. “The most listened to day-part being weekdays 10 a.m.–3 p.m. shows us that the FM-enabled smartphone is being used where we typically see streaming fill the gap between drive times in the morning and afternoon, clearly making FM more accessible to listeners outside the car,” states Emmis.
At the recent meeting of the National Alliance of State Broadcaster Associations, Emmis Communications President/CEO Jeff Smulyan stressed the importance of FM chips in smartphones; he also urged broadcasters to step up their data delivery and enact the interactive features of the NextRadio app. Emmis says it has measured increased user retention for stations providing interactive features through the app.
Emmis and NAB took part in the Mobile World Congress show last week, with a focus on hybrid smartphone developments and radio’s part of the “connected dash.” Panelists included personnel from NextRadio, the European Broadcasters Union, the BBC, Ford and Pioneer.
Several smartphone models for sale overseas containing FM capability debuted, according to Emmis, which highlights the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3. This model from Sprint contains the embedded NextRadio app and “accounts for the largest percentage of NextRadio listening and listeners when compared to all current NextRadio-compatible phones,” according to Emmis.
