Radio remains popular with young consumers, with eight out of ten teenagers tuning in each week across metropolitan Australia, according to data from Commercial Radio Australia.
Research shows penetration of commercial radio listening was highest among teenagers, with radio reaching 82% of 10 to 17 year olds in 2007. It also reached just over 80% of those aged 25 to 39 and 18 to 24.
CRA chief executive Joan Warner said the ability to listen to radio via PCs, mobile phones and podcasts was helping to attract the younger generation.
“The baby boomers grew up with radio and remain very loyal, but it’s great to see Gen X and Y, who have so many entertainment options to choose from, are also tuning in to radio,” Warner said.
Overall commercial radio reached 77% of all people, an average cumulative audience of 8.74 million. This was a 79,000 increase over 2006, when 8.66 million people tuned in on average each week.
Breakfast listening also increased audience, and was the most hotly contested time slot, Warner added. 6.7 million people tuned in each week this year, compared with 6.6 million last year.
Home was the main place to listen, accounting for 45% of all commercial radio listening, while 28% of listening took place in the car, 25% at work and 2% elsewhere.
On average, Australians spent 17 hours and 17 minutes per week listening to commercial radio during 2007, or two hours and 28 minutes per day.
The figures are based on an average of the eight ratings surveys conducted by Nielsen Media Research in the five capital city markets during 2007, compared with the previous year.
