Commercial radio ended 2023 on a high with record listening.
An “alternate universe” headline from Radio & Records? Nope. It’s news shared Wednesday from Australia, as the nation’s Commercial Radio & Audio group sifts through GfK survey data that show the striking differences between the U.S. and the nation.
The latest radio ratings, reflecting the key cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, show listening up 49,000 year-over-year on a cumulative basis.
Thus, these cities enjoyed 12.25 million listeners aged 10 and over during the survey period.
Key to the growth: youth audiences. While in the U.S. broadcast radio is being driven largely by a 40+ consumer, except for multicultural formats including Hip-Hop and Latin Contemporary, in Australia some 87.2% of consumers between the ages of 10 and 24 listen weekly.
Meanwhile, as is the case in the UK and in parts of Europe, DAB+ is hot, illustrating again how the “in-band, on-channel” HD Radio decision made decades ago by U.S. radio broadcasting leaders proved to be a choice riddled with limited growth and consumer awareness challenges.
“Since 2021, listeners of commercial radio DAB+ only stations have grown by 48%,” said Ford Ennals, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio.
While the listener numbers are strong, revenue is a different story. According to one consultant who spoke with RBR+TVBR early Thursday, Queensland Time, traditional AM and FM revenue is experiencing a highly challenging economic environment, with Q4 looking particularly glum.
— With reports from RBR+TVBR in Brisbane, Qld.
