Even in the age of streaming, the popularity of radio endures with over 244.5 million American adults listening to the radio every month. Since 92% of Americans listen to AM/FM radio over the airwaves, it’s more popular than TV (which has a viewership of 87%), smartphones (81%), computers (54%), and tablets (46%). Moreover, radio listeners are also an increasingly diverse demographic (there are over 45 million Hispanic listeners and over 35 million Black radio listeners every month). As it’s free and easily accessible with digital radio also providing a host of modern, useful features, radio continues to captivate people across all demographics.
The pull of radio
One of radio’s main attractions is that you don’t have to pay money to listen. In contrast to most of today’s modern media services, there’s no charge for a monthly or annual subscription. Since it’s funded by advertisers, radio is free for listeners.
A subscription site like Spotify, for example, costs $9.99 a month with prices only set to rise. Moreover, radio is also portable, meaning it’s easily accessible to everyone, and you’ll also find radios readily installed in most, if not all, cars.
As such, people commonly tune into the radio to make their daily commutes or days at work more enjoyable. In fact, nearly 70% of radio listenership happens outside the home — mostly in the car or at work. On most workdays, radio listenership peaks between the hours of 6am-5pm, while on the weekends, listenership is highest at midday when people tend to be out and about.
Upgraded for modern age
Although FM radio has long been popular, DAB (digital audio broadcasting) radio uses technological innovations to update radio for the modern age. In fact, DAB radio is already the most popular radio format in the UK. DAB radio offers a number of useful benefits, including a wider range of FM and AM stations, as well as eliminating the annoying issue of static.
DAB radio also automatically tunes to stations, meaning you no longer have to bother with adjusting the tuner yourself or remembering frequencies. For example, the VQ Monty is a powerful DAB radio with an attractive retro design. Not only does it have impressive audio quality, but the VQ Monty also comes with bluetooth connection, meaning you can use it as a smart speaker.
There’s also a useful USB charging port. Alternatively, the Pure Evoke DAB radio comprises a smart, real wood exterior, along a small speaker that packs a big punch. There’s even a full-color screen, along with as many as forty stations preset options, which makes this DAB radio ideal for those who like variety.
Even though listener habits have evolved over the decades, radio shows no signs of going out of style. Free to listen to, easily accessible, and packed with a host of digital modern upgrades, radio continues to be a popular form of media in the modern age.
