Radio has proven to be a reliable source of information throughout COVID-19 pandemic.
Statistics all around the world continue to highlight the traditional media as a popular choice for consumers who want to be informed and educated, but also to feel a sense of community and connection.
This week, we’ve taken a trip around some of the radio countries worldwide (not literally…) to observe the impact COVID-19 has had on radio consumption.
From India to Switzerland, here’s your statistical global snapshot at radio consumption during COVID-19.
According to Radiodcentre, in the United Kingdom 38% of commercial radio listeners are tuning in for an extra hour and 45 minutes each day since lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as they adjust to spending more time at home. The children’s radio station Fun Kids has seen streaming hours up 80% overall, with some shows having increased fivefold during the day.
The BBC has seen listening figures for its stations rise by 18 per cent during the lockdown plus Global and Bauer have both witnessed increases of 15%.
In the United States, remote workers are listening to radio at the same rates as employees who were not working remotely — an astonishing 95%. Radio consumption is increasing with 83% of consumers saying they’re listening as much or more to traditional radio as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Australia, radio listeners are spending more time with radio throughout COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, listening on average for around 1 hour 46 minutes longer per week compared to the weeks prior to the lockdown. In addition, 72% of Australians are listening to as much or more radio during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In India, the radio industry has a listenership of 51 million people and 82% people have been tuning in to radio during COVID-19. A few more noteworthy highlights include; radio’s at home listenership which has increased by 22% and has grown from 64% to 86%. The time that people spend listening to radio has increased by 23% to 2.36 hours everyday during the lockdown, second only to television.
In South Africa, NAB conducted a survey on radio listening that reported that 36% of participants say they are listening to more radio during the national lockdown. Meanwhile, in Italy 81% of listeners who were listening to radio before lockdown are still doing so, to which a 2.4% of new listeners can be added,
In Spain, most listeners consumed between 15 minutes and two hours of radio in a day, now they are listening between 30 minutes and three hours. Spanish listeners are listening to more radio and different radio stations (of different ideological positions). Additionally, before Coronavirus, they listened to the radio primary alone, now half of them are listening accompanied and in the living room.
It is evident that radio continues to be a trusted medium during these uncertain times for its credibility, education and accompaniment.
