35% of Public Radio listeners stream weekly

A recent survey of Public Radio listeners found that 35% listen to Internet radio weekly or more often. That number increases to 49% of listeners to Public Radio AAA formats.  The same survey, conducted by Jacobs Media on behalf of NPR and Public Radio Programmers found that 41% of Public Radio listeners said they listen more because a station streams online, leading to a study observation that "Internet streaming is a significant activity & and plays a role in generating more listening – especially among AAA fans."

The survey covers lots of information including demographics of Public Radio listeners by format, and their usage of newspapers, magazines, mobile devices and mp3 players, as well as their feelings about the economy. Some of the interesting conclusions made in the summary include:

• AAA fans are younger, less “into” Public Radio exclusively & far more tech-active. They are more apt to own iPods, download podcasts, stream audio and video, text, and participate in social networking sites.

• Interest in satellite radio is waning and it is not a threat.

• While awareness of HD Radio is decent, adoption rates are low and so is satisfaction.

• Public Radio listeners listen to podcasts as well - 54% said they had downloaded and listened to a podcast. 67% of those that had said they were either very or somewhat willing to see or hear a commercial. 

There's good reason to pay close attention to what NPR does in the digital space. Public Radio, with NPR leading the way, has done an excellent job distributing its content online and expanding its online audience. They are one of, if not the most prolific supplier of podcast content on iTunes. According to comScore, NPR.org had 2.6 million unique visitors in August, a 78 percent increase from a year earlier.

-- Jennifer Lane, President, Audio4Cast.com, has a long career in Internet radio. Read her blog about the business of Internet radio and digital audio at  www.Audio4cast.com .