Listeners Praise Radio’s Crisis Coverage

More than a third of all respondents to an Arbitron survey conducted after Sept. 11 report that they are listening to radio now more than they did before, and almost half of black and Hispanic listeners say that they have increased their listening since Sept. 11. Listener preferences have not changed and the vast majority of listeners are still tuning in to their favorite station, according to the results.
Eighty percent of radio listening consumers expect to spend the same amount or more as last year during this holiday season. Few people report postponing purchases since September 11.
One area that has changed dramatically is the way listeners feel about messages in advertising and programming. Forty percent of listeners say that they are more likely to patronize companies whose advertising mentions their contributions to a relief fund for victims.
The study examines how the radio marketing landscape has changed since Sept. 11 and offers recommendations on how radio can respond most effectively in the weeks and months ahead. The study, Radio’s Role During a National Crisis, was based on interviews conducted with 1,500 Arbitron diarykeepers age 12+, and is available on Arbitron’s Web site at: http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiorolepresentation.pdf