Australian commercial radio continues to attract listeners, with a record high 10.891 million people listening each week across the five metropolitan capital cities in 2019, according to the latest data by GfK.
This is a 1.4 per cent increase compared to the more than 10.7 million in 2018 and up 9.7 per cent in the last five years.
Of those 10.891 million people, 10.4 per cent are aged 10-17, 11.6 per cent are aged 18-24, 26.7 per cent are aged 25-39, 22.5 per cent are aged 40-54, 12.6 per cent are aged 55-64 and 16.2 per cent are aged 65+.
Total metropolitan listeners to commercial radio have not only increased year-over-year, but audiences have also increased across all age groups in the last five years, with listeners aged 10-17 up 5.7 per cent , 18-24 up 5.2 per cent , 25-39 growing by 10.5 per cent , 40-54 rising by 4.5 per cent , 55-64 up 9.8 per cent and listeners 65+ increasing by 26.8 per cent .
Commercial radio reached 77.3 per cent of Australians aged 10+ in the five metropolitan capital cities in 2019, virtually unchanged from 77.6 per cent in 2018. Demographically, commercial radio reaches 86.8 per cent of people 10-17 years old, 77.4 per cent of people 18-24 years old, 77.3 per cent of people 25-39 years old, 79.8 per cent of people 40-54 years old, 78.4 per cent of people 55-64 years old and 66.5 per cent of people 65+.
Audiences spent 13 hours and 23 minutes listening to commercial radio each week in 2019. When looking at content consumed, millions of Australians tune in to breakfast and drive radio, with over 7.8 million people listening to commercial breakfast radio (Mon-Fri) each week and 6.9 million people listening to commercial drive radio (Mon-Fri).
Listening in vehicles continues to be the dominant location, with 64.2 per cent of people reporting that they listen to commercial radio there (64 per cent in 2018). Meanwhile, 42 per cent of people listen to commercial radio at home (42.5 per cent in 2018), 13.8 per cent listen while at work (13.9 per cent in 2018) and 8 per cent report that they listen elsewhere (7.8 per cent in 2018).
Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner said: “Australian commercial radio retains its exceptional reach and enduring popularity, with commercial radio consistently delivering informative, entertaining, relevant, live and local content of a high standard – a fact appreciated by our audiences and underpinned by increasing listener numbers.
“In spite of increased competition and choice, we saw younger listeners in the 10-17-year-old age group spending 9 hours and 23 minutes listening to commercial radio each week in 2019. That’s 26 minutes more than they did five years ago.
Currently, 49 per cent of all households have access to a DAB+ device in their home, vehicle or workplace, with the number of those listening to DAB+ in their car in metropolitan centres having risen by 107.9 per cent in the last five years. DAB + digital radio was also made available permanently in Hobart, Darwin, Canberra and Mandurah in 2019 and planning for the roll out of more permanent DAB+ digital radio services into regions will continue in 2020, with Gold Coast planning already underway.
Last week marked the beginning of the first ratings reporting period for 2020. Results for that survey will be released by GfK on 10 March.
