One quarter of Australians are weekly community radio listeners.
Presenting the latest national listener survey results to the CBAA Conference in Melbourne, McNair Ingenuity’s Matt Balogh told delegates the company has increased the sample size and added online methods to the latest survey.
Research methods are constantly changing, said Balogh. “We have increased surveys in large cities outside the 5 main capitals, such as Canberra, Darwin and others… this year we have the largest sample size ever.”
The sample size is 9,250 people, nearly double that of previous years. Interlaced online and telephone survey methodology is used. Rolling survey methodology is also on the agenda for future surveys. More details about the survey here.
There is “enormous consistency” with the other main survey used in the radio industry, according to Balogh. Although the surveys are substantially different in method, sample size and the age of participants, Balogh compared the results of Nielsen survey 4 this year with the McNair survey, which was in the field at the same time (May 2012), to illustrate the close correlation between results. Melbourne market comparison graph below.
How many people are listening?
4,446,000 people listen to community radio every week (25% of population), an increase of about 10,000 people from last survey. When ‘occasional listeners are added, the figure grows to 10,611,000.
In an average week, of all people aged 15+ throughout Australia 1,260,000 people, or 7%, listen to community radio but not commercial radio. 599,000 people only listen to community radio and not ABC/SBS or commercial radio.
Why are they listening?
The number one reason for community radio’s survival is to hear local information and local news. The second is to support and listen to local artists and bands, and Australian artists. 95% of people say that community radio is “valuable.”
How often are they listening?
The average time spent listening to radio is 14.1 hours per week.
Listenership by daypart:
57% listen at breakfast
55% mid-morning
55% drive
46% afternoon
30% evening
10% overnight
Devices
92.6% access AM/FM
53% access Online
33% access Podcast
6.6% access FM & Digital
0.8% access Digital Only
As the survey is national, it includes areas where there is no digital radio available. When you look only at digital radio listening markets, the figure is much higher at 12.3%. This is similar to the recently released figures from Nielsen, reported earlier on radioinfo.
Perhaps it could also be that we, the announcers on local radio, are not results driven and can bring fun and spontaneity to radio. Plus we are not restricted by the music we play. Perhaps all the so-called super intelligent music programmers, station managers, content directors and program directors should relax their ideas of what the public wants to hear and actually listen to what the public listens to. We do, that's why we are creating into their ratings.
Community radio listenership does not compare to commercial radio, so maf don't kid yourself about commercial radio changing their ways to reach a minority audience in place of their current majority audience.
But the community radio audience is niche and engaged (so much so that anyone can get on air and have their voice heard).