Triple A Radio Leads The Way In New Public Radio Tech Survey

Triple Tech

According to the latest study by JACOBS MEDIA, the PUBLIC RADIO TECH SURVEY, public radio listeners are increasingly taking advantage of new technology, buying smartphones and joining social networking sites like FACEBOOK.

The results were presented at this year’s PUBLIC RADIO PROGRAMMING CONFERENCE (PRPD) on SEPTEMBER 17th in CLEVELAND. The first PUBLIC RADIO TECHNOLOGY SURVEY, taken in Fall 2008, as well as the new one, was sponsored by PRPD, the INTEGRATED MEDIA ASSOCIATION and NPR.
The second was held in this past August to avoid fall pledge drives and more than 28,000 listeners to 56 public radio stations participated. Most were members of station e-mail or membership databases and were asked via e-mail to participate. Others clicked links on station websites or social networking pages, and some were prompted by on-air announcements.

According to the study, users of social networking sites and services nearly doubled, climbing 81% from 2008 to 2009. FACEBOOK powered much of the growth, with usage rising from 22 to 48 %. Many of the new users were 35 or older. In addition, about a quarter of respondents with cell phones owned smartphones.

Within the public radio community, listeners to Triple A stations and between the ages 25-54 proved to be the earliest adopters of new-media habits. Seventy percent of Triple A listeners were on social networking sites and 72 % own MP3 players. They were also among the most avid listeners to web streams, and more than the overall sample's average owned smartphones.

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