A new poll fielded by Harris Interactive for the NAB shows that four out of five adults who own a cellphone would consider paying a small, one-time fee to hear FM on their device.
The fee that 2,000 survey participants were asked about was 30 cents.
The results of the survey demonstrate “a significant and growing demand for radio-capable cell phones in the U.S.,” according to NAB EVP Communications Dennis Wharton.
Eighty-one percent of cellphone owners would consider paying 30 cents, the estimated cost of a microchip, to access local FM stations through a device, compared to 76% in a similar survey in 2012.
For cellphone owners with children in the home, the number was 85%, up from 79% in 2010. The percentage of retirees who favor radio chips in cellphones rose to 76% from 66% in 2010, according to the findings.
Local weather and music are the top two reasons survey participants would listen to their local stations on their cell phones.
The poll comes on the heels of more attention by lawmakers to the issue of embedding FM chips in cellphones. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., who chairs the House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications, held a meeting on Capitol Hill with members of the broadcast, cable and wireless industries last month to discuss how to work together to enhance the current system of alerting and informing the maximum amount of citizens in times of crisis.
