NextRadio Tune-In Spikes During Weather Emergencies

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Next RadioA Terre Haute, Ind. man credits the NextRadio app for enabling him to hear his local FM station warn him of an impending severe storm while he was riding his bike.


Duane Dougherty was able to get home quickly, while still listening, and the storm came through the park where he had been and left severe damage.

He credits the NextRadio app and his local FM station for the timely warning, according to the folks at Emmis.

They say consumers tune to the FM app in time of need, specifically, during weather emergencies.

During such a crisis, the number of NextRadio listeners increases an average of more than 2.5 times and the number of listening sessions increases by more than four times, according to new app analytics.

This bears out during tornadoes and flash floods in Oklahoma City on May 6. A total of 46 stations within a 30-mile radius showed a 146% listening increase compared to another day that month.

Another example is from a “straight line” weather disaster in Brainerd, Minn. on July 12. Data from the app indicates 12 stations within a 30-mile radius showed a 260% increase in listeners compared to another day.

Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan says the information shows that “The ability to broadcast life-saving, mass-market information to the devices people use most is imperative and one we need to continue championing until all FM Chips are activated” in all smartphones.