ftm Radio Page - week ending February 18, 2022

Younger audiences attracted to local, regional stations
News and talk channels dominate

Radio audience estimates are steadily making their return. Coronavirus-related issues for research services range from data collection to statistical representation as well as everybody working from home. Suffering media buyers have resorted to crystal balls or counting different bottled gifts from broadcaster’s sales teams.

Ireland’s Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) returned to service with a new release last December encompassing audience estimates from October 2020 through October 2021. The subsequent dataset for the last 6 months of 2021 was published this past week (February 10). This gives Irish media buyers two data points with which to track audience trends. Statistically, that’s still a bit weak; like legs on a stool, three points across consistent methodology are necessary. The JNLR audience estimates are produced by Ipsos MRBI, which conducted 12 thousand interviews. No interviewing was conducted between January and April 2021. (See more about media measurement here)

The current audience estimates show that Irish listeners still love radio. Average day listening by all adults is 80%, 71% for persons 15 to 34 years. On average time spent listening is just above 4 hours per day (242 minutes), Monday through Friday 7am to 7pm. National radio channels attracted a majority of Dublin listeners (56%) and among greater Dublin commuter belt listeners (56.5%). On aggregate, local and regional stations attracted a 66.1% audience share among persons 15 to 34 years and 51.4% among persons 35 years and older. National channels dominated the Dublin market (62.5%). (See more about media in Ireland here)

Public broadcaster RTE Radio 1 topped the national share of Monday through Friday daytime listening among those 15 years and older with 21.4%. Today FM followed with 8.8%, then Newstalk (7.0%. Among persons 13 to 34 years RTE 2FM led with 11.8%, followed by Today FM at 10.4%. Older listeners aged 35 years and older shifted to the mean; 25.6% for RTE Radio 1, 8.4% for Today FM and 7.4% for Newstalk. In County Dublin 31.7% of all listeners tuned-in to RTE Radio 1, 11.9% to Newstalk and 7.4% to Dublin station FM104.

Flagship stations win huge sports audiences
"explosive"

Sports are a popular and expected media element. Through the years games and events reached fans through newspapers, radio, television and now, obviously, the digital realm. There are, yet, sports newspapers, magazines, television networks and a plethora of websites. Sports on radio has travelled via several incarnations.

US radio stations KSPN, Los Angeles, and WEBN, Cincinnati, Ohio, were distinguished, wrote US radio trade portal Inside Radio (February 16), for “explosive” and “massive” audiences in and around last Sunday’s NFL Super Bowl. Both are “flagship” stations for the LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. Branded as ESPNLA 710, KSPN is operated by the Walt Disney Company, owner of the ESPN TV sports network. In its normal schedule WEBN is a classic rock music station owned by iHeartMedia. (See more about sports and media here)

Among US radio broadcasters, being the “flagship” station is about more than broadcast rights to individual games. It’s about privileged access to players, coaches, trainers and cheerleaders as well as sponsors and advertisers. These radio brands succeed or not on the team’s strength. A Super Bowl season brings lots of attention from fans and media buyers.

Los Angeles is the second largest US radio market by population. As such, there are several sports and sports-oriented stations. Oldies music Jack FM (KCBS FM), owned by Audacy, also carries LA Rams games as does Spanish-language Tu Liga Radio (KWKW), owned by Lotus Communications. Neither of those had remarkable audience “spikes” on Super Bowl day. And there are other sports radio stations in LA affiliated with baseball and basketball teams.

In the middle of the US, Cincinnati is the 33rd largest radio market. In addition to WEBN, two other iHeartMedia properties carried the Super Bowl broadcast, AM/MW stations WLW and WCKY. WLW is a news-talk station, carries Cincinnati Red baseball and will celebrate 100 years of broadcasting in March. At the other end of the AM/MW spectrum, WCKY is an all-sports station, affiliated with the ESPM radio network. iHeartMedia also owns all-sports WSAI, branded as Fox Sports 1360.

Broadcasters United, Divided On Technology

Radio broadcasting is a cultural asset, massive and ubiquitous. It continues to serve up a lively array of audio delights, sometimes inventive, sometimes nostalgic. The main attractions are the human voice, spontaneity and portability. The too-cool-for-school set, those who have lost certain communications skills, often ignore radio.

More than two decades ago UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) set aside World Radio Day to remind people of the medium’s enduring relevance. And so, February 13th has come around again. Fans and friends of radio broadcasting regularly observe this date with anecdotes, affirmations and new initiatives. The 2022 theme for World Radio Day set out by UNESCO is trust; trust in radio journalism, trust in accessibility, trust in broadcaster’s viability.

Much of the recent reporting on radio broadcasting has focused on age. The BBC has been around for 100 years. WGY in Schenectady, New York is also celebrating a centennial. Old radio channels; they are everywhere. It’s enough to send the average GenZer into apoplexia. Except, it’s young people who are streaming - literally and figuratively - back to radio.

“Radio audience numbers in South Africa have not declined as they have in North America, due to an increase in streaming service options,” reflected University of Cape Town associate professor of media studies Tanya Bosch in The Conversation Africa (February 11). “There is, in particular, high listenership among young people, who listen to radio as a source of both news and companionship.” She notes that Zulu-language station Ukhozi FM has “the highest radio listenership with nearly 8 million listeners. Today these (ethnic language radio stations) are “celebrated as part of a diverse rainbow nation.”

All public broadcaster South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio channels made special presentations on World Radio Day 2022. “As the SABC, we continuously explore world-class technologies to enhance our audio delivery and keep our audiences captivated,” said group radio executive Nada Wotshela in a statement (February 13). “Our core responsibility from a strategic perspective is to ensure that radio does not degenerate due to technological advancements, instead, it is protected and enriched so that it continues to reach mass audiences and niche markets with more streamlined and diversified offerings.”

World Radio Day has often been an opportunity for broadcasters to offer an open house, showing off their newsrooms and studios. Radio Zaragoza, part of the Spanish Cadena SER network, held theirs virtually. Spanish broadcasting association Forta took note of the “rise in podcasts, which allow listening to radio programs regardless of time and place,” reported Spanish daily La Razon (February 13).

A group of 14 national private commercial radio associations have come together as World Radio Alliance, announced just ahead of World Radio Day 2022. It was launched with encouragement of egta, the Brussels-based association of broadcast sales houses. Obviously, the interest is ad sales and ad tech. Founding members include Commercial Radio Australia, Association of Austrian Commercial Broadcasters (VÖP), Association of AV Media (VIA) (Belgium), Radio Connects (Canada), RadioMedia (Finland), Bureau de la Radio (France), Radiozentrale (Germany), FCP AssoRadio (Italy), Radiocentre Ireland, Audify (Netherlands), Associaciò Catalana de Ràdio (ACR) (Spain), Radiocentre (UK) and Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) (US). “Over the last decade we have seen the rise of more commercial audio formats such as music streaming services and podcasts, yet commercial radio’s dominance in the sector remains pretty much intact,” said Radiocentre UK client director Lucy Barrett, named the new group’s first president, quoted by RadioInfo Australia (February 11).

Program suppliers took the opportunity of World Radio Day 2022 to bring forward product announcements. With the support of the African Broadcasting Union (ABU) public relations company APO Group launched a free audio content distribution service to African radio stations, reported La Tribune (February 13). “Simply put, radio stations are an essential source of information for African populations. They go where new technologies cannot go,” said APO Group president Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard.

Evidence of a resurgent audience of young people comes from a research study coincident with World Radio Day 2022 from digital radio receiver manufacturer Pure Radio. In a change from pre-pandemic listening levels, 62% of the 18 to 34 year old UK radio audience is now listening more, noted UK radio trade portal Radio Today (February 12%). “Interestingly, where people listen really varies between the young and old, with 18-24s being far more likely to listen in the shower.” Pure Radio has also released (February 13) a new digital receiving device, the StreamR Splash. It conveniently connects to Alexa.

A few politicians noted World Radio Day 2022. “It is very important for radio to survive because there was no school for it,” said Basaksehir, Turkey mayor Yasin Kartoglu at an event noting both World Radio Day 2022 and the second anniversary of the founding of a community radio station and local radio academy. “This profession is alive.” Separately, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered congratulations to “my brothers and sisters who are radio workers, who provide services to millions of people in every aspect of life, in every corner of our country, at all hours of the day,” quoted by Sabah (February 13).

Radio Page week ending February 11, 2022
media in Brazil, podcasts, podcasting, Flow Studios, Spotify, radio in Africa, radio in Guinea-Bissau, Radio Capital FM, radio in Portugal, Media Capital Radios, Radio Comercial, Radio Cidade, Radio M80, Bauer Media Audio, mergars and acquisitions

Radio Page week ending February 4, 2022
radio in the UK, RAJAR, radio audience, BBC, radio in the Russian Federation, Ekho Moskvy, radio in France, Médiamétrie, radio audience, Greater Paris, local radio, Oui FM, Voltage

Radio Page week ending January 28, 2022
radio in Italy, social media, Social Radio Lab, Radio Deejay, radio in Poland, audience measurement, Kantar Radio Track, Polskie Radio, music quotas

Radio Page week ending January 21, 2022
radio in Germany, Vaunet, ARD, streaming media, podcasts, Deezer, radio in France, Médiamétrie, radio audience, national reach, Radio France, France Inter, France Info, France Bleu, RMC, Europe 1, NRJ, Nostalgie, FIP, coronavirus

Radio Page week ending January 14, 2022
radio in Hungary, Sportradio, A Rock, consolidation, radio in France, elections and media, FranceInfo, news radio, journalism, radio in Sweden, NENT Group, Lugan Favoriter, Bauer Media, podcasts

Radio Page week ending January 7, 2022
radio in the UK, radio advertising, ad spending, radio in Africa, radio in Democratic Republic of Congo, Radio de la femme, Women's Radio

Radio Page week ending December 17, 2021
radio in Germany, shortwave radio, NDR, Gruss an Bord

Radio Page week ending December 10, 2021
radio in Switzerland, digital radio, FM shutoff, mobile media, radio in Poland, audience measurement, Radio Track, Polskie Radio

Radio Page week ending December 3, 2021
radio in Germany, online audio, MA Audio, streaming audio, radio in Hungary, radio license, Klubradio, European Commission, Media Council

Radio Page week ending November 26, 2021
radio in Kazakhstan, media in Central Asia, Qazag Radiosy, media in the US, Edison Research, NPR, Spoken Word Audio Report, spoken word, podcasts, mobile media, radio audience

Radio Page week ending November 19, 2021
radio in France, Médiamétrie, radio audience, coronavirus, Radio France, France Inter, France Info, France Bleu, RTL, Europe 1, radio in Spain, Cadena SER, investigative reporters, Prisa Group, Vivendi

Radio Page week ending November 12, 2021
radio in Germany, comedy, Radio Badesalz, radio in the UK, BBC Radio 2, holiday charity, Kitchen Disco, podcasts, podcasting, market segments, lifestyle, PWC, Kantar

Radio Page week ending November 5, 2021
Radio in Sweden, Radio Disney, Bauer Media, Walt Disney Company, radio in Germany, radio in Poland, MDR, Radio Wroclaw

Radio Page week ending October 29, 2021
radio audience, RAJAR, measurement, BBC, radio in Norway, radio in the UK, digital radio, FM shut-off, radio in Denmark, Radio Loud, Culture Ministry, Radio24syv

Radio Page week ending October 22, 2021
radio in Palestine, online radio, community radio, Radio Alhara, radio in the US, Chicago Public Media, WBEZ, podcasts, Chicago Sun-Times, mergers and acquisitions, paywalls, radio in France, Radioplayer France

Radio Page week ending October 15, 2021
New York Times Company, podcasts, podcasting, radio in France, DAB+, AirZen, digital radio, European Commission, Digital Markets Act, European Broadcasting Union, EBU, Association of European Radios, AER, Alexa, Siri, smart speakers

Radio Page week ending October 8, 2021
radio in Australia, radio audience, audience measurement, coronavirus, news radio, talk radio, ABC, Sweden, podcasts, podcasting, Bauer Media, PodPlay, Schibsted, NENT

Radio Page week ending October 1, 2021
radio in Zimbabwe, radio in Africa, community radio, UNESCO, radio in Denmark, Radio Loud, DAB+, digital radio, mobile media, radio in Australia, Nova

Radio Page week ending September 24, 2021
radio in the UK, Classic FM, classical music, Nigel Kennedy, radio in France, Mediametrie, radio audience, France Inter, France Bleu, Nostalgie

Radio Page week ending September 17, 2021
radio in Ireland, Freedom FM, pirate radio, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, radio in Afghanistan, Milma Radio, radio in France, Europe 1, CSA, elections and media

Radio Page week ending September 10, 2021
radio in Germany, German Radio Prize, Radio Wuppertal

Radio Page week ending August 6, 2021
radio the UK, Radio Caroline, Ofcom, radio license, sports radio, baseball, KDKA, MTV

Radio Page week ending July 30, 2021
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Radio Page week ending July 23, 2021
radio in New Zealand, GfK, RNZ National, Newstalk ZB, The Breeze, radio in Germany, Vaunet, FM radio, coronavirus, radio audience

Radio Page week ending July 16, 2021
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Radio Page week ending July 9, 2021
radio in France, Europe 1, CNews, Vivendi, Lagardere Group, radio in Switzerland, mergers and acquisitions, BNJ Suisse, SSR-SRG, Radio Swiss Pop

Radio Page week ending July 2, 2021
radio in Hong Kong, RTHK, censorship, radio in Germany, Antenne Bayern, Antenne NRW, LfM, radio license

Recently added radio audience figures and resources

• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (January 2022)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• France - National Radio Audience (November-December 2021, published January 2022)
  national channels, sectors, market share, reach/TSL
• France - National Radio Summer Audience (September 2021)
  national channels, summer period 2016-2021 trend
• Spain - National Radio Audience (July 2021)
  national and regional channels, reach share, trend
• Romania - Radio Audience (May 2021)
  national and Bucharest surveys, market share, trend
• Belgium - Flemish region, Radio Audience (April 2021)
  market share, Jan-Apr 2019 to Sep 2020-Feb 2021 trend
• Belgium - French region, Radio Audience (April 2021)
  market share, Jan-Apr 2019 to Sep 2020-Feb 2021 trend
• France - Greater Paris Radio Audience (April 2021)
  national and local channels, market share, trend
• Austria - Major Media - Radio Broadcasting (February 2021)
  public and private broadcasters, owners, management, audience trend

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