Radio Rules During COVID Quarantine
• Cox Media Group (CMG) announced the results of a study that confirm that, during this time of crisis, consumers are turning to local radio for information, entertainment and companionship more than any other media source.
The multi-market online study was conducted from March 30 through April 3, 2020 and measured the impact of radio and other audio content during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study yielded more than 11,000 responses from a wide range of demographics ranging from 18 to 54 years of age. The study found that one third of participants are listening to radio more since the coronavirus outbreak. Ninety four percent of participants indicated that they have tuned into local radio more than any other streaming service for music, talk and information, demonstrating that as radio continues to evolve, “local” ranks as one of the most important differentiators.
And with consumers having more options to move from one device to another — radio just being one of the many devices in their daily life — people are listening, more or the same amount of time with a smartphone (81%), desktop/laptop (67%), radio station app (57%), car radio (55%) and home radio (54%) almost evenly split, a tablet (48%) or a smart speaker (36%) since the outbreak.
As always, content is key, regardless of the delivery platform — the topics listeners are most interested in receiving from their local radio stations include feel-good stories, things to make them laugh and local virus updates. The study also found that 68 percent of participants experienced a change in job status since the outbreak of COVID-19. Of those who noted the change, the greatest impact was in working from home (34%), working fewer hours (26%) or being furloughed/having lost their job (24%).
“Audience engagement is very strong by any metric you look at,” said Tim Clarke, CMG Radio VP, Audience and Content. “Listeners depend on our radio brands more than ever for a mix of news, entertainment and a friendly and familiar voice to keep them going during this uncertain time. They are captive and immersed in our content on all platforms and our top personalities continue to deliver.”
