Here is yet another installment in RBR-TVBR’s educational and entertaining look at the media habits of their audiences, depending on what types or radio or TV programming they like. It’s based on exclusive data from the research gurus at BIGinsight. Today’s focus: the eight older-skewing radio program types.
We will start out by noting that a quick glance at these numbers would seem to indicate that reading is becoming a lost art. At no point has any magazine even come close to claiming loyalty from as much as 10% of a particular audience.
That said, the choices do vary widely from one program type to another, and the inferences that can be made may help you program your station and target advertisers.
The reverse is true as well – if any magazine professionals happen upon this report, you will see how well your publication stands with various broadcast programming types.
People is by far the most popular magazine, and Time, though picked by less than half as many people, is safely tucked away in the #2 slot. The relationship between these two magazines alone in reference to a particular program type says a lot about that audience, in our humble opinion.
Boilerplate: We are presenting the average age and the gender breakdown of each program type, and as a benchmark, we will start out with general Adult 18+ results. Each list includes all titles that earned a 1.0 or better. The number in parens following each magazine title refers to its 18+ rank. Please note that there are many ties – beginning at the #7 slot, where Woman’s Day and Better Homes and Gardens both came in at 1.3%. The next magazine is #9 Essence, with #8 occupied more or less by one of the #7 tie magazines. Four magazines happened to tie for the 10th position.
We also provide a list of the top 10 magazines – really the top 13 because of the ties at the #10 slot – that did not make a particular list. You will notice the lists grow shorter as the age of the demographic increases, indicating it is older Americans who are likely buying most of the magazines out there.
Blues
46.7: Age
60.6, Men
39.4% Women
Blues is essentially an NPR-type format, and it may therefore be no accident that this is the youngest format demo to place Time ahead of People – and it does do by a full percentage point, a significant margin at this level of readership. This group has a wide range of tastes, with 20 titles making the favorites list.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Cosmopolitan (4), Good Housekeeping (6), Entertainment Weekly (14)
4.4% Time (2)
3.4% People (1)
2.5% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.2% Jet (21)
2.0% Essence (9)
1.9% Newsweek (10)
1.8% National Geographic (17)
1.6% Maxim (14)
1.6% Ebony (14)
1.6% O Magazine (18)
1.4% Readers Digest (5)
1.4% Men’s Health (18)
1.4% Playboy (23)
1.3% Rolling Stone (25)
1.0% Woman’s Day (7)
1.0% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.0% Game Informer (10)
1.0% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.0% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.0% Smithsonian (29)
Source: BIGinsight
Religious
46.9: Age
38.7% Men
61.3% Women
A heavy African American slant is evident here, as three magazines aimed at that niche make the top four titles – the highest rated of them, Essence, almost takes the top slot away from underperforming People.. Two lower-rated domestic titles – Family Circle and Redbook — also make the list.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: ESPN The Magazine (10), AARP The Magazine (10), Newsweek (10)
4.2% People (1)
3.9% Essence (9)
3.6% Ebony (14)
2.2% Jet (21)
1.9% Time (2)
1.9% Readers Digest (5)
1.9% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.8% O Magazine (18)
1.7% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.7% Woman’s Day (7)
1.6% All You (18)
1.5% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.2% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.0% Game Informer (10)
1.0% Family Circle (27)
1.0% Redbook (33)
Source: BIGinsight
Jazz
47.1: Age
55.8% Men
44.2% Women
Time bests People, and another long favorites list is produced, with 18 titles getting 1% or better. Rising all the way from #34 to join the bottom of the list: Money. Most of the popular titles are here somewhere.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Cosmopolitan (4), ESPN The Magazine (10)
4.2% Time (2)
4.1% People (1)
3.7% Essence (9)
3.1% Ebony (14)
2.1% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.9% Jet (21)
1.8% Newsweek (10)
1.6% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.6% O Magazine (18)
1.4% National Geographic (17)
1.3% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.2% Woman’s Day (7)
1.3% Men’s Health (18)
1.1% Readers Digest (5)
1.1% Game Informer (10)
1.0% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.0% Maxim (14)
1.0% Money (34)
Source: BIGinsight
Country
47.9: Age
39.4% Men
60.6, Women
Time gets crunched here, driven all the way down from #2 to #8, and Redbook rises up from #33 to make the list. Other than that, the Country fan reading list is short and for the most part sticks to the top sellers.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Essence (9), Game Informer (10)
6.9% People (1)
2.5% Cosmopolitan (4)
2.4% Readers Digest (5)
2.4% Woman’s Day (7)
2.2% Good Housekeeping (6)
2.1% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.1% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
2.0% Time (2)
1.4% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.3% All You (18)
1.0% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.0% Newsweek (10)
1.0% Redbook (33)
Source: BIGinsight
Classical
48.1: Age
54.2% Men
45.8% Women
Another NPR-type format and another win for Time over People. Newsweek also does well, rising from #10 to #3, and AARP is all the way up to #4. The biggest gainer is Smithsonian.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Essence (9), ESPN The Magazine (10)
4.6% Time (2)
3.5% People (1)
2.3% Newsweek (10)
1.9% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.8% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.8% National Geographic (17)
1.7% Readers Digest (5)
1.5% Sports Illustrated (3)
1.4% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.3% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.2% Game Informer (10)
1.2% O Magazine (18)
1.2% Smithsonian (29)
1.0% Woman’s Day (7)
1.0% Playboy (23)
Source: BIGinsight
Talk
48.8: Age
57.7% Men
42.3% Women
Despite the political slant to much of what’s available on Talk Radio, People manages to edge Time for #1 with this group, although the margin is much smaller than it is 18+. The unusual pick for this audience is Consumer Reports, which rises all the way from #24 to #8.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Essence (9), Game Informer (10)
4.2% People (1)
3.8% Time (2)
3.1% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.0% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.9% Newsweek (10)
1.8% Readers Digest (5)
1.7% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.4% Consumer Reports (24)
1.3% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.2% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.2% Men’s Health (18)
1.1% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.1% Maxim (14)
1.1% National Geographic (17)
1.1% O Magazine (18)
1.0% Woman’s Day (7)
1.0% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.0% Rolling Stone (25)
Source: BIGinsight
News
49.8: Age
56.5% Men
43.5% Women
As you might expect, Time beats People and Newsweek is elevated. In general, the News audience has a wide range of favorites, and like Talk fans, is interested in #24 Consumer Reports.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Cosmopolitan (4), Game Informer (10)
5.1% Time (2)
4.8% People (1)
2.6% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.2% Newsweek (10)
1.7% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.7% National Geographic (17)
1.5% Readers Digest (5)
1.4% ESPN The Magazine (10)
1.3% Good Housekeeping (6)
1.3% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.2% Woman’s Day (7)
1.2% Maxim (14)
1.2% Men’s Health (18)
1.2% O Magazine (18)
1.1% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.1% Essence (9)
1.1% Consumer Reports (24)
1.0% Ebony (14)
1.0% Real Simple (31)
Source: BIGinsight
Oldies
51.0: Age
46.2% Men
53.8% Women
This group hews as closely to the 18+ population as just about any format – which suggests to us that magazine readership is older in general. That said, they don’t dwell on it in the form of falling in love with AARP’s magazine, moving it up only a bit to #7 from #10.
* Popular titles that did not make the list: Game Informer (10), ESPN The Magazine (10)
6.2% People (1)
2.9% Time (2)
2.5% Readers Digest (5)
2.2% Good Housekeeping (6)
2.1% Sports Illustrated (3)
2.0% Better Homes and Gardens (7)
1.9% AARP The Magazine (10)
1.7% Woman’s Day (7)
1.5% Cosmopolitan (4)
1.2% Essence (9)
1.2% Entertainment Weekly (14)
1.1% Newsweek (10)
1.1% O Magazine (18)
1.0% Ebony (14)
1.0% National Geographic (17)
Source: BIGinsight
