Good News For Traditional Radio

Many marketing people have been under the assumption that once someone subscribes to digital, satellite radio (XM or Sirius), their listening time with traditional terrestrial radio will diminish. Not so according to a study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research. It showed digital radio subscribers actually listen to traditional radio more than the non-subscribers. In fact, the results demonstrate the average satellite radio subscriber still finds time to listen to almost three hours of terrestrial radio per day.

The study is titled, “The Infinite Dial 2007: Radio’s Digital Platforms.” A 25-page PDF summary of the research report is available here. It is also filled with many helpful and salient facts about HD radio, podcasts, and online radio.

The conclusion that can be drawn from all this is radio isn’t diminishing as a communications medium. On the contrary, like all other communications channels, it is being transformed by technology into a broader range of options that should give progressive marketers more ways to reach and engage consumers. In addition, the report appears to confirm the new radio options now available will serve more to benefit traditional radio than threaten it.