Arbitron: Radio Ups Reach By 2 Million Listeners

While advertising revenue is still down from a few years ago, broadcast radio's reach is bigger than ever, according to Arbitron's most recent RADAR report, which tracks the overall audience for national and network radio in the U.S.

The report includes 56 radio networks owned and operated by American Urban Radio Networks, Citadel Media Network, Crystal Media Network, Dial Global Inc., Premiere Radio Networks, Westwood One Radio Networks, and United Stations Radio Networks. Among other things, the Arbitron data shows that radio still reaches a sizable majority of Americans every week.

Broadcast radio's total reach among U.S. adults ages 12 and up increased from 189,990,000 in June 2010 to 191,891,000 in June 2011, for an increase of 1% over this period.

In proportional terms, radio's reach increased from 73.8% to 74% of the U.S. population 12+. Among U.S. adults ages 18+, radio's total reach increased 0.9% from 172,706,000 to 174,299,000; in proportional terms, reach in this cohort remained stable at 74.3%.

Among adults 35+, reach edged up slightly, from 119,360,000 to 120,238,000, meaning reach actually decreased in proportion terms, from 73.7% to 73.4%. However, adults ages 18-39 saw total reach increase from 103,336,000 to 103,841,000, resulting in a proportional increase from 76.5% to 77%.

The number of adults ages 25-54 listening to radio in an average week increased from 97,489,000 to 97,992,000, or from 76.9% to 77.2% of this age cohort.

The sample size for Arbitron's latest RADAR report, RADAR 109, was 395,531 persons aged 12 and older, and includes data from all 48 Arbitron markets using the Portable People Meter, a passive electronic measurement device.

Despite this good news, the fact remains that broadcast radio revenues are still significantly down from just a few years ago. Due in part to the recession, total advertising revenues plummeted from $21.7 billion in 2006 to $17.3 billion in 2010, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. That's a 20% decline in four years.

The trend reversed with modest growth in 2010-2011, but radio still has a lot of lost ground to make up. While revenues increased 3% from the first quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2011 to $3.8 billion, that's still down 19.7% from $4.73 billion in the first quarter of 2007.

Erik Sass - Media Daily News