09/13/2025
The power of radio… new survey from Westwood One:
You cannot check the box on audio with just a podcast/music streaming media plan. only reaches 30% of America in a typical day. Adding AM/FM radio causes reach to soar to 75%: https://bit.ly/3I288zb
Key findings:
- The ideal allocation for a 25-54 audio plan is 62% AM/FM radio, 24% , 12% music streaming (Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music), and 2% SiriusXM satellite .
- Four monthly AM/FM radio media plans (minimum, maintenance, high impact, and launch) require 200 to 500 monthly GRPs, which generate reach from 64% to 79%.
- Most AM/FM radio listening occurs outside “drive times.” The ideal daypart allocation is: 22% Monday-Friday, 6 AM-10 AM; 26% Monday-Friday, 10 AM-3PM; 20% Monday-Friday, 3 PM-7PM; 7% Monday-Friday, 7PM-midnight; 20% weekends; 5% Monday-Sunday, midnight-6AM.
- Retailers can use AM/FM radio with confidence all year long, especially during holidays. Across the year, AM/FM radio listening levels are remarkably consistent. Weekly reach during holiday weeks is identical to a typical week.
- Shifting 20%-30% of digital/TV budgets to AM/FM radio results in extraordinary increases in campaign reach. A 30% reallocation lifts reach by 75% at the same investment.
- AM/FM radio generates the greatest lift in incremental reach of all media, more than CTV and digital.
- AM/FM radio’s super power is generating massive lifts in campaign reach among 18-49s. AM/FM radio is the “soundtrack of the American worker.” Erwin Ephron, the father of modern media planning, wrote, “In today’s planning, reach trumps frequency. It is media’s gift to advertising and … radio … can deliver it by the carload.”
In response to commonly asked media planning questions, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® developed the Audio Planning Guide. The data is sourced from Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” Report, Nielsen’s Nationwide, and Nielsen’s Media Impact, the media planning and optim...
