Cumulus' Pierre Bouvard: Radio's Reach Tops TV

Pierre Bouvard

CUMULUS MEDIA/WESTWOOD ONE CMO PIERRE BOUVARD crunched the data from yesterday's NIELSEN Q1 2015 Total Audience Report on radio listening (NET NEWS, 6/23) and found plenty of positive indicators. Chief among them is radio resiliency in the new digital era -- especially compared to television.

Among the highlights:

• Radio is #1 in reach among Adults 18+, 18-34 and 35-49.  
• Among Adults 18+ Radio’s weekly reach (93%), surpasses TV (87%), Smartphones (70%), Social Networks on Smartphones (61%), PC (54%) and Smartphone video (37%)
• Radio’s 18-34 weekly reach advantage over television (93% to 76%) is significant.
• Among 18-34s, the number of days of weekly usage is led by Smartphones (5.9), followed by Radio (5.0), Television (4.7), Tablet (4.6) and PC (3.6). (Page 5). 18-34s are more frequent weekly users of radio versus television.

"While radio is known as a frequency medium, we have always had significant reach," he said. "Radio’s reach has remained consistent while television has eroded. Radio now finds itself as AMERICA’s #1 mass-reach medium."

WALL STREET analyst firm MOFFETTNATHANSON also notes that year over year, overall MAY television 18-49 prime ratings are down 9%, while 18-49 cable prime is off 7% and broadcast prime is down 16%.

During the same time period, radio ratings from NIELSEN's PPM remian remarkably stable, with 18-49 total day ratings down just 1% from MAY 2014 to MAY 2015.

Since 1990, the median age of primetime ABC/CBS/NBC viewers has grown from 41 to 57, according to MEDIA DYNAMICS INC, aging 16 years. At the same time, the median age of the total U.S. population has only increased by five years (33 in 1990 to 38 in 2014). The median age of the average radio listener has risen from 43 in 2005 and 45 in 2010 to just 46 in 2014.

NIELSEN research shows how heavy radio listeners are both more employed and younger than heavy TV users. While primetime network TV viewers are aging and losing younger viewers to cable and new digital platforms, radio continues to reach the younger, working generation.

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