The number of people who hear radio in the course of a typical week is about 235 million, Arbitron says.
It issued a summary in advance of its latest RADAR National Radio Listening Report.
The company said radio reaches more than 235 million persons age 12 and older; that is similar to overall statistics of a year ago.
But the company also notes that since late 2007, its RADAR national radio listening estimates and network radio audience reports have been based on PPM respondents in certain markets and diary respondents elsewhere. “The combination of PPM and diary respondents have shown more listeners to radio over the course of a week vs. the 2007 RADAR listening reports, which were based on diary respondents alone,” it stated.
“As additional radio markets transition to electronic measurement, total radio reach is revealed to be larger than in previous surveys. Listening to RADAR Network Affiliate stations has also risen year over year. Over the course of a typical week, more than 213 million persons age 12 and older tune to the more than 7,700 RADAR Network Affiliated stations, up from 210 million listeners one year ago in RADAR 97.” RADAR measures 58 individual radio networks operated by seven Arbitron clients.
Some other findings in the latest summary:
Radio reaches 92% of persons 12+ each week, “despite the adoption of MP3 players and the growth of Internet-only stations.” Arbitron said that even 89% of teens ages 12–17 continue to tune in each week.
Ninety-two percent of black non-Hispanics and 93% of Hispanics 12 and older tune to radio in a given week. Radio, it said, reaches about 93% of black non-Hispanics and Hispanics age 18–49.
And radio reaches more than 94% of college graduates ages 25–54.
