Jewish Link readers may be familiar with my Jewish Geography columns, but many more people in the Tri-State area know me because of my work at WFAN radio. Radio plays a special part in many lives, as evidenced by Michael Feldstein’s “eulogy” over the loss of WCBS 880 (Jewish Link, September 5, 2024). Writing as if he lost a close friend, Feldstein described how the station was a sort of family soundtrack, a testament to the intimate relationship radio stations and personalities develop with their listeners. Echoing a common misconception, Feldstein extended his “eulogy” to radio in general, despite its continuing dominance.
Instead of throwing around sports stats, here are some radio stats from 2024: Adults listen to over 12 hours of radio per week, over 100 minutes per day; more people listen to the radio each week than use Facebook; more than twice as many listeners of ad-supported audio listen to over-the-air radio than the next four biggest sources combined.
If you want some specifics, the second on that list is podcasting, with 19%; AM/FM radio has 69% (86% of in-car listening), without even counting those listening to the radio on a digital platform. And it’s not just older adults: in our country 55% of Gen Z listens to the radio daily. Radio is not only the most trusted media source, but it also provides its advertisers with the largest ROI (return on investment).
What are you doing right now? (I mean besides reading this.) The answer is – nothing, because you can’t do anything else at the same time (except wait for something else). Radio (and audio in general) accompanies you as you travel, as you work, as you study, as you live your life. Listening habits may change – which is why radio has evolved, and why formats change – but people still listen to the radio, taking it with them wherever they go, on whatever device they use.
