Teens and adults continue to listen to radio, despite doom-and-gloom predictions to the contrary.
According to Research Director Inc.’s assessment of the Nielsen Total Audience Report Q1 2017, generational radio listening patterns patterns have remained consistent since the 1990s.
Data collected from 1993–1999 shows that time spent listening to radio increased between teens and adults aged 18–24. It continues to increase in every age bracket until the 65+ demo, where it declines about 17% from the 55–64 age cell.
And Nielsen’s latest study confirms that this still the case for consumers in 2016–17. Despite the proliferation of media options, TSL with radio was flat from Q1 2016 to Q1 2017 across the generations.
However, the same was not true for time spent watching television. Generation Z watched 16 less minutes of television YoY, Millennials watched 12 minutes less, GenXers watched 7 minutes less and even Baby Boomers watched 5 minutes less.
Graduating from school and entering the workforce also coincides with increased time spent with media, and at this point is when young adults start to listen to more radio.
