According to Commercial Radio Australia’s annual listening summary, based on an average of the five official GfK radio surveys conducted in 2020, Australia’s commercial radio sector enjoyed notable listener growth last year.
Other key points include a 2% lift in listeners aged 25-39, which comprised the largest age group at nearly 3 million people, a 5% increase in audiences during weekday morning and a 13% rise in audiences for DAB+ only stations.
“Radio proved its adaptability in emergencies and continued to deliver for listeners in a year where we contended with floods, bushfires, a global pandemic and digital disruption,” CRA Chief Executive Officer Joan Warner said.
“Radio also showed that while we’re dominant in the car, we’re not reliant on any one platform or place of listening. There has been a strong lift in listeners across digital, mobile and DAB+ platforms and we will continue to evolve and grow those opportunities in 2021.”
Overall, the survey found commercial radio reached 77% of people aged 10+ each week in the five major metro markets and was popular across all age groups. Commercial DAB+-only stations attracted nearly 1.6 million listeners, an increase of 13% or 180,000 people compared to 2019. More than half of those listened to DAB+ stations at home and 676,000 listened in the car.