Italy’s latest Audiradio audience figures showed local radio remains a major force in the country’s audio market. Now, Marco Rossignoli, coordinator of Aeranti-Corallo — the association representing Italian local radio and television broadcasters — has expanded on those results, arguing that local radio’s performance reflects deep community roots, editorial adaptability and continued audience trust.
As previously reported, Audiradio’s latest figures attributed 29.795 million gross listeners to local radio on an average day. The data also showed that in four Italian regions, the most-listened-to station was local rather than national. Rossignoli said the figures reinforce local radio’s long-established position in the Italian market rather than signaling a structural shift in listening behavior. “The results published confirm without ambiguity the essential role of local radio in the Italian market,” Rossignoli said. “Its audience of around 30 million listeners — with each listener naturally consuming several stations, local and national — demonstrates the vitality and importance of this sector.”
Rossignoli linked local radio’s continued performance to its role as a trusted local information source at a time when audience relationships with media are evolving. “The leading position of local radio in several regions can be explained by the fundamental role the medium continues to play, alongside local television, as a primary source of information for citizens,” he said. “At a time when traditional media are experiencing a communication crisis, the relationship of trust between the local station and its community remains a major advantage that national networks cannot reproduce at the same scale.”
Rossignoli rejected the idea that local radio’s current audience position represents a break from the past, instead describing it as confirmation of longstanding regional strength. “We cannot speak of change,” he said. “This simply confirms the historical roots local radio has in its territories. Even where local stations do not achieve the highest audience figures, one or more local broadcasters remain among the leaders in listening and awareness.”
He also argued that editorial flexibility has become one of local radio’s strongest advantages as listening habits evolve. “We talk about excellent editorial health because local radio continues to evolve constantly,” Rossignoli said. “Radio today is a truly multimodal platform.”
Radio today is a truly multimodal platform
Marco Rossignoli, coordinator of Aeranti-Corallo
Timely and accessible
ccording to Rossignoli, editorial agility combined with close alignment to local issues continues to differentiate local broadcasters from larger national groups. That local focus remains particularly visible in news output. Rossignoli said local information continues to sit at the center of strategy for many independent broadcasters in Italy. He pointed to a recent study from Censis — the Italian socio-economic research institute founded in 1964 — which, according to Rossignoli, found that despite the rise of algorithm-driven media consumption, radio remains an important reference point because of its timely and accessible approach to journalism.
Rossignoli also highlighted the role of professional journalism in the sector, noting that Aeranti-Corallo signed Italy’s national collective agreement for journalists working in local radio and television and that the agreement now governs permanent employment contracts for around 2,000 journalists.
Looking ahead, Rossignoli said local stations are responding to competition from streaming platforms and global digital services by broadening distribution beyond broadcast alone. “Faced with competition from global OTT platforms, local radio stations are adopting digital distribution strategies that move beyond analog transmission and position themselves as complete audio content providers,” he said.
That includes expanding across multiple listening interfaces and integrating formats such as podcasting. However, Rossignoli argued that the priority remains maintaining strong station identities. “The main objective remains strengthening the station’s brand image as a guarantee of quality and reliability — a distinctive asset on the wider web.”
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Italian local radio posts strong Audiradio results