On this National Radio Day, Radio Connects says AM/FM radio is still playing a critical role in the Canadian audio landscape.
Caroline Gianias, president of the Toronto-based, not-for-profit, radio advocacy organization, says even 100 years after its invention, radio isn’t struggling for relevance amidst the digital consumption revolution.
“I think the challenge for radio is just people recognizing that radio hasn’t significantly been affected by the emerging landscape. Radio, in terms of reach and audience size, has been pretty stable for the past 10 years. While we’re seeing the audio landscape expand, radio still has the largest share of any time spent with audio.”
According to the Share of Ear Canada audio measurement study from Edison Research, despite a constantly changing audio landscape, broadcast radio still accounts for over 60 per cent of the more than four hours a day that Canadians spend with all sources of audio. That compares to nine per cent of time spent listening to audio via pureplay streaming services in Canada.
Gianias says while Canadians’ curated music consumption is shifting to digital platforms, radio continues to be the go-to for information, insights, and connection to community.
Radio Connects says 27.3 million Canadians tune in to the medium each week. And despite belief to the contrary, millennials are listening to radio four times more than they listen to Spotify.
National Radio Day isn’t to be confused with World Radio Day, which is celebrated on Feb. 13.
Canada participated in World Radio Day for the first time in 2018, which was initiated by UNESCO in 2012, and marks the anniversary of the day the United Nations established United Nations Radio in 1946.
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