Studies Sell Benefits of Radio Ads
November 4 2005
Radio news and talk shows attract affluent, educated listeners, according to new analysis from Scarborough Research. Also released today is Arbitron's network radio study, which claims that US networked stations reach nearly 80% of 25- to 54-year-olds, three quarters of teens, and 90% of black Americans each week.
Scarborough Research news/talk radio study
According to Scarborough, news/talk listeners, who account for 20% of all US adults, are 41% more likely than the general population to have an annual household income of $75,000+, and 95% more likely to hold a postgraduate degree. In addition, the study states that they are:
- 44% more likely to have gone ski-ing in the past year
- 15% more likely to live in a household that is planning to spend $30,000+ on a new vehicle in the next year
- 37% more likely to live in a household that has spent $500+ on a camera or accessories in the past year
- 29% more likely to live in a household that has spent $1,000+ on stereo equipment or a home music system in the past year
- 47% more likely to live in a household that owns a money market account or mutual funds.
Scarborough says the information can help advertisers to target potential customers more effectively, as well as helping radio stations provide for their listeners' interests.
According to Howard Goldberg, Senior VP of Radio Services at Scarborough, 'marketers have much to gain by tapping into this powerful audience'.
The figures come from the Scarborough USA+ database - a national study of consumer behaviours, including lifestyles, media patterns, and retail preferences.
Arbitron's Network Radio Today reportIn its first report on network radio, Arbitron states that network radio reaches about 75% of all radio listeners every week. A radio network is defined as an organisation that provides programs, services and commercials to local affiliate radio stations throughout the US. The main research findings include:
- Network radio reaches nearly 80% of 25- to 54-year-olds and nearly three quarters of teens aged 12 to 17 on a weekly basis.
- More than 85m adult women listen to network radio each week. 80% of full-time, working women with children under the age of 12 listen weekly.
- 128m adults listen to network radio in their cars each week, compared with the 93m who listen at home.
- Nearly nine out of ten black Americans and around two thirds of US Hispanics (aged 12 and older) listen to network radio each week.
The data is taken from RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) - Arbitron's national radio ratings service that measures audiences to radio commercials on 51 networks operated by ABC Radio Networks, American Urban Radio Networks, Crystal Media Networks, Dial Communications - Global Media, Jones MediaAmerica, Premiere Radio Networks, and Westwood One Radio Networks.
Bruce Supovitz, VP of National Radio Services at Arbitron, says network radio 'has the ability to deliver key advertising messages to well-defined demographics and social-economic groups', adding that it 'offers national advertisers a convenient, one-stop access'.
Arbitron's core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the US. Scarborough Research, which is a joint venture of Arbitron and VNU, mainly concentrates of research for the TV, magazine, newspaper and online industries. The companies' web sites are
www.arbitron.com and
www.scarborough.com.
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.
