The number of people listening to radio in the U.S. is holding steady, according to Arbitron, which cites its latest RADAR national radio listening report.
That report is about national network radio ratings but provides a number widely cited for overall radio listening. The research used information from the 48 Arbitron PPM markets, collected over a period from January to December 2011.
“The report shows radio’s audience remains steady with 241.2 million people aged 12 and older tuning in on a weekly basis, representing approximately 93% of the population,” Arbitron stated.
Other findings: Young radio listeners held steady, with the 12–17 demo flat at 22.7 million weekly listeners. Adults 18–34 were mostly unchanged at 66.4 million weekly. Radio attracts 126.2 million people 18–49 and 119.4 million aged 25–54.
As it has before, Arbitron also called attention to growth of weekly listeners among black (non-Hispanic) as well as Hispanic persons, and it called the increase in Hispanic12+ listenership “significant,” up by about 2 million from a year earlier.
The sample size for the report is just shy of 400,000 people age 12 and older. Arbitron says the large sample size gives its research for stability for key conclusions.
