Radio is Still Going

Why radio matters and is in fact, not dead.

Radio is dead.

Image credit to HERA

That’s what I thought for a long time, despite growing up with a parent who worked in radio, discovering new music through the airwaves, and planning to study communication. Over the years, I believed the narrative that radio had lost its stake in today’s media landscape, that it had lost its purpose.

After interning and working in radio for almost two years, I’ve come to realize there’s a strong case that radio is not dead. In fact, it’s more alive than we think.

Despite digital disruption, radio remains one of the most massive, accessible, and trusted media platforms across the globe, reaching millions while serving communities and fostering connection.

While it may not be the first medium that comes to mind when we think about content consumption, its impact goes far beyond what we understand.

Reaching the Masses

Radio’s Unmatched Reach Across Demographics

Radio has maintained itself as a constant presence in everyday American life. It brings music, news, opinions, sports play-by-play, and community information, but without the visual overload of most platforms.

With its staggering reach, it’s a unicorn.

Nielsen Audio data shows that radio connects with over 90% of Americans aged 12 and older each week. This rate surpasses television, streaming services, and social media. The average American spends roughly 12 hours per week listening to the radio, whether during their commute, at work, or at home. Today’s cars come equipped with Bluetooth, CarPlay, and other streaming options, yet radio persists. According to Nielsen, AM/FM radio still accounts for the largest share of in-car audio listening, capturing roughly 36% of total listening time, including younger demographics that grew up with the rise of digital programming.

Personally, when I host an event for work or attend one in the community representing the station, I have several attendees come up to say they came to the event because they heard it on the radio. More have reported to me that on-air spots and promotions make them aware of what’s going on. Which is more than our social account, website, and emails.

What can be most striking is radio’s ability to reach audiences that others struggle to connect with. Scarborough research reveals that among self-reported light internet users, 90% are reached by broadcast radio. Among those who watch little television, 87% tune in to the radio. This makes radio valuable for older adults, those in rural communities, and those with limited interent. Communities that are underserved by digital are still able to be provided for with radio.

The last key part of the reach of radio is how it holds up during the workday. You can have it wherever: the doctor’s office, in the kitchen, your office, etc., because it doesn’t use text-based content or require your eyesight to understand. It’s easy to digest without requiring much from the listener. Many can also use smart home speakers, apps, and websites to be able to listen without having to be in their car to hear their radio programs.

One woman mentioned to me during a visit to a local nonprofit that she started to listen to our Teaching and Talk station in search of more substance in her content consumption. It is easy for her to access and listen to during the work day or while doing chores at home. Radio can provide in a vast sea of consumer needs.

With all the overwhelming options to choose from, radio remains one of the few mass channels still standing.

The Place to Go

Radio’s Trust Advantage in an Era of Media Skepticism

Americans’ trust in the media has taken a nosedive over the past few years.

According to Gallup, only 31% of Americans expressed confidence in mass media in 2024, marking historic lows. While radio has managed to maintain credibility with its audience, a seemingly lost art among media outlets.

A Katz Radio Group survey of 1,000 adults found that 79% rated radio as trustworthy or very trustworthy, which outpaced television and magazines (both 68%). Also, it tripled the trust placed in social media (28%). During the COVID era, there was another Katz analysis of MRI-Simmons data that found 67% of adults consider radio trustworthy. This narrowly edged out newspapers (66%) and surpassed both network TV (62%) and cable TV (61%).

So what is accounted for in this gap of audience trust?

It’s within the structure.

Radio is not algorithm-based like social media. It is not bombarding you with content like video streaming. It does not block you out behind paywalls like news sites. It stays free, connected to the local community, and maintains its true branding. Radio is where you can get a little bit of everything for everyone. It builds its reputation over years of creating a sense of familiarity that makes audiences hold stations accountable. This is not easy to replicate in digital spaces.

In a time where we have switched out habits to figure out which subscription tier we want or if we need to click through five ads to open what we want to see, radio is a refreshing change. And it stays there. It is a twenty-four-hour business that can be reached easily at any time. It is a touch point into both local and national interests.

This unique combination of trust and local accessibility helps to explain the why behind radio’s maintained success. When we are constantly overloaded with content and thoughts, radio provides something else: a trusted voice in the community.

Radio is not dead; it has just evolved, adapting to the ever-changing nature of the industry. But even with all the chances, it maintains itself as still one of the most impactful forms of media out there.